FARMERS' NATIONAL CONGRESS. 



223 



enforce and protect the integrity of the Monroe 

 doctrine; therefore be it 



" Resolved, by the Farmers' National Congress, 

 that the early construction of the Nicaragua 

 Canal is deemed highly essential for meeting the 

 objects and purposes above set forth ; and we 

 hereby earnestly petition the Congress of the 

 United States to take immediate steps toward the 

 opening of the said isthmian canal, that the same 

 may be opened to the commerce of the world, on 

 the high seas; and that it may and shall be built 

 and controlled by the Federal Government of the 

 United States without the aid of any foreign na- 

 tion, and without any international complica- 

 tions. 



" Resolved, That the Farmers' National Con- 

 gress in session assembled at Sioux Falls, S. Dak., 

 hereby respectfully urges the Congress of the 

 United States to enact, at the earliest possible 

 moment, a law providing, first, that whenever any 

 dairy or other food products are taken from any 

 State or Territory into another State or Territory, 

 the said products shall become subject to the laws 

 of such State or Territory to the same extent and 

 in the same manner as though they had been 

 produced or manufactured therein, and shall not 

 be exempt therefrom by the fact that they are in 

 the original importer's package; second, that all 

 oleomargarine, butterine, suine, and kindred prod- 

 ucts manufactured or produced in imitation or 

 semblance of butter, the product of the dairy, 

 shall be taxed ten cents per pound; third, that on 

 all such products manufactured or produced not 

 in imitation or semblance of butter, the product 

 of the dairy, the present tax of tw r o cents per 

 pound shall be reduced to one quarter of a cent 

 per pound. 



" Resolved, That the Farmers' National Con- 

 gress in session assembled at Sioux Falls, S. Dak., 

 respectfully represents to the Congress of the 

 United States that a great wrong is being com- 

 mitted against the consuming public and against 

 a great producing interest whereby the former are 

 liable to be injured in their health and the latter 

 in their reputation for integrity, and to the great 

 financial injury of both, in the fact that large 

 quantities of inferior arid adulterated products 

 are being produced in some of the States of the 

 Union and are branded or labeled as goods of 

 a superior quality and as produced or manufac- 

 tured in other States, usually counterfeiting or 

 appropriating brands of known standing and 

 reputation; and these goods are largely used in 

 interstate commerce. And therefore this congress 

 respectfully urges the Congress of the United 

 States to pass an act, and provide for its en- 

 forcement, to the. end that no dairy or other food 

 products used in interstate commerce be falsely 

 branded or labeled as to the State or Territory in 

 which they are manufactured or produced. 



" Resolved, That this Farmers' National Con- 

 gress regards with especial satisfaction the ef- 

 forts that are being put forth by the States of 

 Wisconsin and New York, and other States, to 

 introduce the teaching of the elements of agricul- 

 ture in the common schools; believing, as we do, 

 that this system of education is greatly needed in 

 the formation of the true spirit and purpose of 

 agriculture. 



" Resolved, That we earnestly urge upon every 

 State in this Union the adoption of like methods, 

 and we further recommend that the work of teach- 

 ing the elements of agriculture be made a part of 

 the regular educational system of the State. 



" Whereas, The farmer is necessarily removed 

 from large centers of population and trade, and 

 therefore the mail-service affords his best means 



.rid for 

 *; and 



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t 



of communication with the oiit.-idc 

 both commercial and intellectual , 



" Whereas, Any increase of th \> i 

 of the country adds to his conven 

 forts; therefore, 



"Resolved, That the United State- (, 

 be requested to extend rural free mail i 

 fast as practicable, to provide a simp!.- ; 

 cal postal currency for the safe trun-!er oi i,,,. 

 tional currency, and to establish a pan-eU p 



" Whereas, The Post-Oflice Department ha- i 

 cently made a ruling designed to remedy tin; 

 abuses in the carriage of second-class mail-matter, 

 which w r ill save many millions of dollars per year, 

 which will be available for the extension of rural 

 free delivery and other improvements in the 

 mail-service which have been retarded by the 

 absorption of the department's revenues in such 

 abuses; 



" Resolved, That the Farmers' National Con- 

 gress hereby indorses the action of the Post- 

 Office Department, and commends the Postmaster- 

 General for his efforts to defend alike the public 

 interest and all legitimate publications within the 

 meaning of the postal law. 



" Resolved, That the Farmers' National Con- 

 gress heartily indorses the views of the late Presi- 

 dent McKinley favoring reciprocal trade agree- 

 ment with foreign nations. 



" Resolved, That true reciprocity involves mak- 

 ing concessions on our part as well as receiving 

 concessions from foreign nations. 



" Resolved, That the Farmers' National Con- 

 gress, in annual meeting assembled, expresses its 

 horror at the recent assassination of President 

 McKinley, and its sympathy with his family. 



" Resolved, That we further desire to put on 

 record our detestation of the doctrines which lead 

 up to such deeds, and of all those who preach 

 or in any manner encourage them. 



" Resolved, That the Legislatures of the various 

 States should enact laws w r hich will tend to pre- 

 vent such occurrences in the future. 



" Whereas, Appropriations by the National Gov- 

 ernment for improvement of the navigation of our 

 coasts, harbors, and rivers are recognized as a 

 public benefit and a wise expenditure of the public 

 money; and 



" Whereas, the Congress of the United States 

 has passed no general river and harbor bill for the 

 past three years; therefore be it 



" Resolved, That the Farmers' National Con- 

 gress urges the Congress of the United States to 

 make liberal appropriations for all meritorious, 

 important, and needed improvements of rivers and 

 harbors already begun, in the interests of more ex- 

 tended commerce and as safeguards of life and 

 property. 



" Resolved, That the Farmers' National Con- 

 gress respectfully calls the attention of the Con- 

 gress of the United States to the unsatisfactory 

 condition that exists concerning the public do- 

 main, now at the mercy of ranchmen, and which it 

 is claimed is being denuded and rendered infertile 

 by the system of pasturage now pursued. 



" Resolved, That the Farmers' National Con- 

 gress respectfully requests the Congress of the 

 United States speedily to make investigations 

 into the facts, and if these lands are being injured 

 and the rights of actual settlers invaded, to adopt 

 such measures as may in its judgment seem wise, 

 to the end that these lands may be preserved for 

 the final use and ownership of actual settlers. 



" Resolved, That the members of the Farmers' 

 National Congress deeply regret that the Massa- 

 chusetts State authorities have discontinued their 

 war upon that most dangerous insect, the gipsy- 



