The record-union., 1896-11-13
THE NATIONAL
CONGRESS- OF FARMERS.
General Harrison Delivers an Earnest
Address to the Delegates,
During Which He Drifts Little Into
Political Waters.

A Memorial to Congress Adopted.
Fayorine a Protective Tariff, That
the Duties on Woolen Rags,
Shoddy, Mungo and Other Adulter-
ants be Made Prohibitory, and the
Time Which Wool and Woolen
Manufactures May be Held in
Bonded Warehouses be Limited to
Ten Days.
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 12.-The third
dav's session of the Farmers National
Congress had two important features
One was an address by General Harm
son and the, other was the adoption OF
a memorial to Congress. General Harm
SON was in very happy mood, and
when he arose to speak he was greeted
enthusiastically In part he said:
L came here to make an acknoWl-
eGgment Of the compliment you have
shown me by inviting me to appear be-
fore this congress. l suppose that poll
tics is barred, as this is an agricultural
meeting. l am not an agriculturlst,
though born and raised on farm. My
education was paid for by the proceeds
of corn and hogs. 1t is the custom or
the time for men of a particular occu-
patton to associate themselves together
to cultivate mutual interests. Such or
ganiZations are to be encouraged, but
we must not forget that lawyers, farm
ers and laborerS all have interests, and
that no one class should try to get the
better of other classes. We are all re-
joicing that you are getting little
more for your wheat and corn, though
it is the others VINO have to pay a little
more for the corn we consume"
Then the General drifted little into
political waters. Il have no patience
with people who are always fighting
against the Minister" 1t was plain the
General referred to a situation in the
recent campaign. He advised that at
tention be focused upon any question
that was of unusual Importance. Then
he told of how a brakeman came and
sat down beside him in the train one
day recently and told him that he did
not like the idea of this thing of trying
to array class against class. This re-
marx OI IIe pIdhcIildfi, VI NOdioN,
pleased General Harrison.
Whatever they say about class in
this country, the great body of the
American people will work for truth
and right. When any men engaged in
a particular calling from high motives
associate themselves together and pur-
sue those high motives in their asso-
Citations only good can result. But we
chC,tIH M hp selfish in 6
/ think l may say that if we were alb
soiutely selfish in our purposes, and
thought only of our own good, the good
of the class and Of the individual of the
class, we should find that good most
highly promoted by taking a broad
view of things and by admitting to our
, deliberations thoughts that it is not one
class that must be highly prosperous
while other classes are suffering. There
is an interdependence in all our busi-
ness and social relations, and this high
ly developed in q free government like
ours. In other words in a broad sense
we must prosper together and suffer to-
gether We are interdependent.
Il think sometimes the concert of the
farmer has been unduly promoted when
il has been said that he is at the bot
tom Of everything. and that he belongs
TO an independent class; that cities are
not much account and that the farms
are Gods work and enduring. What
would the farm be without the town,
and what would the town be without
the farm? These cities furnish the pop
ulation that consumes the products of
the farm, and the farm furnishes the
subsistence for the city. / heard a
friend say the other day. 1t is the city
for the country and the country for the
city, and all for the flag If there are
abuses of any kind of legislation or in
the business of the country. let us fix
the public eye upon them until we have
exposed the evil and then we can trust
the country to make ii right.
1T is mischievous to danounce
classes. and this thing and that If
there are trusts, let us know it, and
bring legislation to bear upon them
and court DEGREES TO bear upon them
and then we have accomplished some
thing. If any man makes it plain to
ihe American people that he is op-
pressed, that he is not receiving his
rights. then / undertake to say that
the American people will be on his
side against whatever may oppress
him. If there are faults in business
Of legislation point them out. hold them
up to public judgment, and have faith
IN vour fellow-man. For / say to you
that of the great body of the people
an overwhelming majority are in favor
always OF justice and fairness and
if we make that appeal to them they
VIII respond.
Il have rejoiced in all that has tend
ed to make agriculture easier TO give
leisure for thought and reading, for the
cultivation of the intellect. L reJoice
that the schooIhouse and the little
church are found in every county. l
rejoice in the belief that our people
are patriotic. and that never before IN
The history of our country was there
deeper and more universal love OF the
starry banner and the Constitution Tor
which it stands
A memorial to Congress, prepared by
a special committee, was read ana
adopted at the morning session.
After the memorial was read {. Nj.
Hogg of Ohio moved that the para
graph asking that the duty upon WOOL
as prayed for by the National Wool
Growers Association one year ago, be
increased, and embodied in the me-
mortal, be stricken out and also that
the time of holding imported wool in
bond be extended sixty days.
The motion brought a wrathful re-
p;y from Judge Lawrence of Ohio, who
charged that Mr. Hoggs interests were
with the manufacturers, rather than
xr.I