FARMERS' NATIONAL CONGRESS. 



FEDERATION OF CHURCHES. 235 



tion the growing usefulness of the national De- 

 partment of Agriculture, and the earnest efforts 

 being made by the head of that department, the 

 Hon. James Wilson, to encourage scientific and 

 diversified farming, to gather correct statistical 

 information regarding the annual yield and dis- 

 tribution of all crops, and otherwise to foster and 

 protect the agricultural interests of the whole 

 country. 



" That we condemn the use of adulterants in 

 the manufacture of food and clothing as being 

 detrimental and injurious to the business interests 

 of the people ; and we respectfully request the Con- 

 gress of the United States to enact such laws, of 

 uniform application in all the States of the Union, 

 as will compel manufacturers of food and clothing 

 to stamp or label their manufactured goods in 

 such a way as to show the true character and 

 exact percentage of all articles used in their manu- 

 facture, before placing their products on the mar- 

 kets of the country, together with proper penal- 

 ties for violations of these laws. 



" That we commend the efforts of the national 

 Department of Agriculture to determine the prac- 

 ticability of establishing silk-culture as an in- 

 dustry in this country. 



" That we ask at the hands of the Congress of 

 the United States a wider and more general recog- 

 nition of the necessity for improvement of our 

 public highways, and that appropriations be made 

 annually from the general funds of the national 

 treasury to broaden the work already undertaken 

 by the Federal Government along that line. 



" That we commend the efforts of the present 

 Secretary of Agriculture to extend and increase 

 the value and efficiency of farmers' institutes by 

 cooperation and closer relationship in this line 

 between the States and the national Department' 

 of Agriculture through the inauguration of 

 farmers' institute work in a limited way in one of 

 the present divisions of the Department of Agri- 

 cultui'e; and we urge upon the Congress of the 

 United States the importance of this work and the 

 desirability of increasing the support for its main- 

 tenance, to be used by the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture according to plans that he may deem most 

 wise. 



" That corresponding supervision and authority 

 in the expenditure of Government funds appro- 

 priated to the agricultural colleges of the States 

 should be vested in the national Department of 

 Agriculture in the interest of real agricultural 

 education and the accomplishment of the purposes 

 for which such appropriations were originally 

 made. 



" That the early construction of an interoceanic 

 canal is deemed essential and imperative for meet- 

 ing 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 interoceanic canal ; and that said 

 canal shall be built and controlled by the Govern- 

 ment of the United States without the aid of any 

 other nation." 



The congress adopted an important amendment 

 to its constitution, offered by the Hon. William 

 L. Ames, of Wisconsin, which reads as follows: 



" The membership of this congress shall consist 

 of as many members from each State and Territory 

 as shall be equivalent to one from each congres- 

 sional district, two at large, one for each State 

 agricultural college and experiment station, and 

 one for each national or State society or organ- 

 ization created and maintained to foster any agri- 

 cultural interest in the United States having head- 

 quarters in that State, proof to be produced, if 

 required, of the standing of such organization ; and 



as many more as to the appointing power may seem 

 wise up to, but not exceeding, 10 from any one 

 congressional district, to be appointed preferably 

 by the Governors of the respective States, but if 

 in case of pressure of other business, lack of in- 

 terest, or other reason the Governors fail to make 

 liberal appointments, a certificate of appointment 

 by the secretary of the State Board of Agricul- 

 ture or State agricultural society, or by the State 

 vice-president of this congress, shall be sufficient 

 credentials of appointment as delegate to the 

 Farmers' National Congress. 



" And, further, it shall be the duty of such ap- 

 pointing power to appoint delegates recommended 

 by any member of this congress up to the pre- 

 scribed number. 



" All appointments shall be for the term of two 

 years, beginning Aug. 1 of the year in which the 

 appointment is made, regardless of where or when 

 the annual meeting of the congress may be held; 

 and should a delegate so appointed fail to attend 

 the first annual meeting after his appointment, 

 and also fail to render a valid excuse for such 

 neglect to the power that appointed him, another 

 may be appointed in his place the following year. 

 Provided always, however, that any delegate who 

 shall have been properly appointed under the con- 

 stitution of the Farmers' National Congress and 

 has attended four of its annual meetings shall be 

 a life-member and shall be entitled to every privi- 

 lege and right of any member of the congress as 

 long as he shall comply with the required annual 

 payment of dues and his conduct continues ac- 

 ceptable to the congress. 



" The vote of any State or Territory is not to 

 exceed in any case the number of its congressional 

 districts, plus 2, and 1 for each of its State agri- 

 cultural institutions and State or national socie- 

 ties or organizations, as prescribed in the first 

 paragraph of this amendment." 



The congress was lavishly entertained by Macon 

 and Georgia. At an expense of several thousand 

 dollars a complete display of Southern products 

 had been gathered in large tents near the Academy 

 of Music, where it was convenient for the dele- 

 gates to the congress ' to inspect it. A Southern 

 barbecue was enjoyed by more than a thousand 

 delegates and hosts. Receptions and carriage 

 drives were given to the ladies accompanying the 

 delegates. At the close of the congress the Geor- 

 gia Southern and Florida Railway took the dele- 

 gates in a special train to Palatka, Fla. ; and on 

 their return to Macon the Macon, Dublin and 

 Savannah Railway took them on a special train 

 to Savannah, where they were entertained by a 

 trip down the river to the ocean, a banquet being 

 served on board; by a clambake, rides about the 

 city, etc. 



The officers of the congress for 1903 are: Presi- 

 dent, George L. Flanders, Albany, N. Y.; first 

 vice-president, Harvie Jordan, Monticello, Ga. ; 

 second vice-president, B. Cameron, Stagville, 

 N. C. ; treasurer, J. H. Reynolds, Adrian, Mich.; 

 secretary, John M. Stahl, Chicago, 111.; first as- 

 sistant secretary, Edward A. Callahan, Albanyj 

 N. Y. ; second assistant secretary, George M. 

 Whitaker, Boston, Mass.; third assistant secre- 

 tary, Joel M. Roberts, Waco, Neb. The executive 

 committee is composed of Benjamin F. Clayton, 

 Indianola, Iowa, chairman; Edward W. Wickey, 

 Ocean Springs, Miss.; William L. Ames, Oregon, 

 Wis. ; and the president and secretary of the con- 

 gress ex-officio. 



FEDERATION OF CHURCHES. The 

 second annual conference of the National Federa- 

 tion of Churches and Christian Workers in the 

 United States was held in Washington, D. C., 



