The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-09-01
Arch bishop Ireland InvokeS a
Blessing on the
Order.
Mastery Address of President 3. r,
Clayton to the Assembled
Delegates.

! ne opening session was not 4arBeIy at
tended compared with what is expected
tomorrow. But Secretary Stahl's ad
vices warrant the pred elton that the con-
gress Will be very well attended when the
hgh-water mark is reached. The dele
gate representation in the congress doe.
not, at its maximum, exceed 500.
Following an invocation by Archbishop
lreland the congress was eted on be-
alf of the city of st. Paul by May or
Dolan; on be half of the State Agricultural
Society by President Weaver OF that Or
ganiza,ion; on behalf OF the State by
Governor Clough. and 10 these addresses.
pectively, responses on behalf of the
congress were made by John NJ. Stahl of
Illinois, secretary or the congress, and
Ion. B. +. Clayton of Iowa, president.
The morning session closed with the
annual address of President Clayton. In
part he said:
The farm is the foundation of veal h ana
the main source OF National and State pros
perity; but TO the due and adequate success
of the farm and the farmers there issues
pregnant with profound thought. In your de-
Iibera tons. am sure the economic question
can and viii be resolved to the adva ntage of
agriculture. Changes in the laws of common
carriers, aud especially in the more just and
equitable in terpre tation OF such laws, are not
only demanded as due to the common rights OF
the people, but is OF vital and su bstantial con-
Germ in making for your labor aud the prod
ucts OF your labor a market and Il correspond
ing reward.
II is doubtful /. there is proper apprecia-
ton OF the VI cation OF farming. Only within
a few years has agriculture taken Is place on
par with other professions, although, like
Atlas, ii bears the world upon its shoulders.
Our fathers looked upon the profession with
pride and pleasure. and most OF the great men
of the past generation were farmers or sons of
farmers. The argument genera IL advanced
against it is labor" but no counting-room or
mandatory is free from this badge of the
greatest blessing in the world. The labor OF
the farm does not suffer from comparison
with that OF Otner vocatiOns. 1t may be harder
at times, but not so unlntermitting. 1t IS
more varied, and the reSu Is are surer. No
panic invades il to scatter the grains of hall
lifetime. no strikes silence its machines or
paralyZe the arms OF its laborers. No fabrics
or warehouses show so beautiful results as
spring from the farmers hand: Fields white
and yellow with their more than silver and
golden hervests, and orchards bending under
their weight OF fruit. 1t is not business in
which great fortunes can be made ard riches
quickly and easily accumulated, but the
majority OF the farmers ale better off than the
army of employees in factories or mines.
Whether or not the different classes have
moved forward equally in intellectual, pEysi-
eel or financial development, this fact is true:
The farmsr of this generation is cOnfron ted
by problems more serious and requiring a
more trained mind to solve than were pre-
senteu to the generation which cut off the
prImeNdl forests ana planted the virgin SOIL,
out he holds in his hands key TO these prob
lens and the power 10 redress his wrongs.
He should there ore educate himself to full
understanding of his grievances and TO
sufficient knowIe dge OF the PRINCIPLES which
should be employed to remedy them.
The farmer reads little, and Is often doubtful
that he is the be tier from that little From it
he learns more Things to brood over without
| finding q remedy. The little glimpses he OBJ
iains OF the world in what he reads intensifies
his pre- udices and does not prepare him 10
! cope with apparent Ills
He brushes so little against world OF which
| he is SO important part that the world prac-
! tically ignores his existence. He is enumer-
ated il tables of population, but expunged
from statistical lists OF the Nations represent
| tatives He is enrolled on the taxlIst, but
Cancelled in the catalogue of those who levy
| taxes. He is registered in the pollbook, but
| disfrancnised from the privileges and immu-
mites OF a citizen.
Whether the farmers of America will assert
their sovereignty remains To be seen. No one
conscious OF his power will willingly remain q
slave; but it is strength Ut intellect and mind
which must win in all economic struggles.
In his annual report Secretary john NJ.
Stahl of Chicago says:
AS by its constitution the mem bership of
the Farmers National Congress is limited to
less than 300, the represen ta:ion of each State
being as It's combined reT resenta ton in the
House and Senate, l cannot congratulate orr
| organization on "a large increase in mem ber-
| ship. However, the members OF the congress
were never before so alert and enthusiastic
and ii is now certain that at this meeting
every State except three, and possibly every
| State except one, will be represented
As the members of the congress are ap-
! pointed by the Governors of the various
states they are men of ability, character and
prominence, and as the congress has neither
dues nor salaries and mem bArs must paw their
own expenses to its meetings, the congress
! does not attract a certain class that has done
so much TO degrade and bring into disrepuie
many organizations. As a result the congress
has always been sensible and conservative
i'll its action that it has the respect and conf
dence OF all classes, and, as Mr.. Hatch, for so
many years chairman OF the House Committee
OF Agriculture, said short time before his
death: 1.-The rmers National Congress has
more influence with the Congress of the
United States than all other agricultural or
CARNATIONS combined" This uence is
well shown in the agricultural schedule of
the Dingley bill.
The Farmers' National Congress was the
only agricultural organization seriously TO
champion the farmers interests at the special
SEES sion that enacted that law. It presented a
printed memorial of 19S pages, asking for
"protection for farm products and its legis-
lative committee, headed by the veuera Die
Judge Lawrence, who entered Congress in the
cary sixties. secured lair and just protection
for farm products Your secretary has been
FIR some years the leader i'll the work TO secure
rural free' mail delivery, and he has been
leadily and heartily supported By this con-
gress. and already the press and the people
are almos unanimously in favor of rural free
nail delivery, and the Postofice Department
is conducting the experiments we have asked
for.
This congress has always done all it could
to secure pure-food legislation and in many
cases its efforts have resulted in wise laws to
ben eff ali classes. This body has always been
the most foremost advocate of good roads. At
our last meeting we were addressed by Gen.
er4l Stone, head of The Good-roads Bureau of
the National Government, and by Otto Dorner,
the chairman ofthe highway improvement
committee of the l.. A. W., and the good-roads
re sol tions presented were adopted without
change. During the winter your secretary. at
the request of eood-roads workers, psrticu-
iarIy the T.. A. W., argued for good-roads .egis-
lation before several State Legislatures am
happy 10 report that the influence of tn is con-
gress has been powerful in securing needed
good-rcad: legislation in several States. and
also other legislation beneficial to our agricul
lural interests. This congress should he proud
of the TACT that legislators now look to it for
an expression of the wishes OF our agricul-
tural classes and it Shout also properly appre-
ciate the consequent heavy responsibility.
Thinks He sac Flying Machines.
DENVER, Colo, Aug. 31.-A special to
the Rocky Mountain News from Sterling,