No. 4.] FARMERS' NATIONAL CONGRESS. 587 



'Ventilation and Acoustics,' — a position he is least fitted 

 for. This should not be ; it is not in accordance with the 

 eternal fitness of things. 



"I do not know that either of the great political parties 

 is to blame for this condition of things ; the fault lies at 

 your door. It is the fault of the farmer, and a sad comment 

 on his lack of energy and patriotism. 



" It is the custom of this organization to engross its resolu- 

 tions in regard to federal legislation, forward them to the 

 speaker of the House and the president of the Senate. They 

 are ordered printed, and are then placed on the desk of every 

 member, and when so placed, Congress has been quite 

 prompt in their consideration and thereby much needed 

 legislation has been secured. 



* ' When we are credited with what rightfully belongs to 

 this organization, it includes fully fifty per cent of the wealth 

 and population of this great nation of ours. 



"Eleven years ago Colonel Beverley of Virginia, then 

 president of this Congress, called attention to the fact that 

 the agricultural department of the government was but little 

 in advance of a half-equipped experiment station conducted 

 in the interest of political favoritism ; this body took the 

 matter up, and the result has been to make the Commissioner 

 of Agriculture a cabinet position. 



"We said to the Congress of the United States, < We 

 want our experiment stations enlarged and made more 

 efiective ; we demand the enactment of pure food laws ; we 

 want a more complete system of crop reports ; a better 

 signal service.' They have all been laid before the federal 

 Congress, and many of them have been favorably considered. 



* ' I desire to emphasize what I have said on former occa- 

 sions regarding the political attitude of this body. A man 

 that has no political convictions is not fit to represent his 

 district or State in the Farmers' National Congress. 



"While we are a non-partisan organization, it is fair to 

 presume that we represent nearly every phase of American 

 politics. A man cannot be a good citizen and stay away 

 from the polls and permit elections to be controlled by dis- 

 reputable political demagogues. It is the place of every 

 well-wisher of his country at the local caucus of the party to 



