STATE 
AGRICULTURAL CONVENTION. 
Held at Madison, February 4 to 7, 1874. 
Madison, February 4, 7 1-2 P. M. 
The joint convention of the Agricultural and Horticultural 
societies met in the assembly chamber to listen to the address of 
Hon. W. C. Flagg, President of the Illinois Farmer’s Association, 
upon “ our republican democracy.” Secretary Field in the chair. 
There was a large and appreciative audience composed of legis¬ 
lators, delegates representing the numerous industrial societies of 
the state, many of them with their intelligent wives and daugh¬ 
ters, with numerous ladies and gentlemen, residents of the city. 
The address was listened to with marked attention, and is here 
presented in full. 
OUR REPUBLICAN-DEMOCRACY. 
BY HON. W. C. FLAGG, 
President Illinois State Farmer's Association. 
De Tocqueville, in the introduction to his Democracy in Amer¬ 
ica, wrote these remarkable words : 
“ The gradual development of the principle of equality is, 
therefore, a providential fact. It has all the chief characteristics 
of such a fact; it is universal, it is durable, it constantly eludes 
human interference; and all events, as well as all men, contrib¬ 
ute to its progress. * * * * * * 
“ If the men of our time should be convinced by attentive 
observation and sincere reflection that the gradual and progressive 
