No. 4.] FARMERS' CONGRESS. 439' 



equal interest to the great North and East ; that Massachusetts, 

 in her ambition for national prosperity, recognized no North, no 

 West, no South, but one great united republic, bearing the stars 

 and stripes of the flag of our union. 



In glancing at the past history of The National Farmers' 

 Congress, I find that a session was held in Chicago in 1881 ; at 

 Indianapolis, Ind., in 1882 ; at Louisville, Ky., in 1883 ; at New 

 Orleans, in 1885; at Montgomery, Ala., in 1888, etc. That a 

 constitutional provision for membership authorizes appointment of 

 such a number of delegates as each State and Territory is entitled 

 to in its representation in the Congress of the United States, 

 said delegates to be appointed and commissioned by the governors 

 of the several States and Territories. Agricultural colleges in the 

 several States may each appoint one delegate, and all heads of 

 bureaus of agriculture in each of the United States are members 

 of this organization. Section 12 of the constitution provides 

 that "The Congress of Farmers shall assemble annually, and have 

 full power to discuss, advise and perform other duties that may in 

 their judgment advance the interests of agriculturists of the United 

 States." 



The committee on resolutions, of which I had the honor to be 

 chairman, reported in favor of adopting resolutions pledging the 

 organization to maintain its non-partizan character ; recommend- 

 ing the deepening and improvement of the Missouri River, also 

 the improvement of the river and harbor of Savannah, Ga. ; 

 demanding the passage of laws equalizing the burden of taxation ; 

 declaring that the public domain shall be reserved for settlement 

 by citizens of the United States, to the exclusion of foreigners ; 

 declaring that national taxation should be limited to the wants of 

 the government, economically and honestly administered ; request- 

 ing the secretary of agriculture to increase the number of represen- 

 tatives in foreign countries, to push the work of introducing 

 American corn as food ; demanding a systematic and thorough 

 improvement of water ways and harbors of the United States ; 

 requesting the extension of the free delivery of mail among the 

 farmers ; and demanding the control of all trusts and combinations 

 and monopolies, so that they shall work no harm to the people. 



These several resolutions were adopted by the convention, copies 

 of which, under the seal of the convention and bearing the attes- 

 tation of the secretary, Hon. B. F. Clayton of Iowa, were ordered 

 to be forwarded to the members of the National Congress, the 

 President of the United States, heads of departments and gov- 

 ernors of the several States and Territories. 



The discussion entered into upon these and other questions 



