7
INGER
H
-ORGANIZATION. EDUCATION. ELEVATION.
Vol. I.
Raleigh, N. C, Saturday. May 10. 1902.
No. 18
HARB
BE CAKEFUL WHAT YOU SAY.
In speaking of a person's faults
Pray don't forget your own ;
Remember those in houses of glass
Should never, throw a stone.
If we have nothing else to do
But search for guilt and sin,
'Tis better we commence at home
And from that point begin.
We have no right to judge a man
Until he has been tried ;
Should we not like his company
We know the world is wide.
Some may have faults, and who has not?
The old a9 well as young ;
We may perhaps, for aught we know,
Have fifty to their one.
I'll tell you of a better plan,
And find it works full well ;
To try my own deiects to cure,
Before of others tell.
And though I sometimes hope to be
No worse than some I know,
My own shortcomings bid me let
The faults of others go.
Then let us all, when we commence
To slander friend or foe,
Think of the harm that one may do
To those who little know ;
Remember curses simetimes, like
Our chickens, roost at home ;
Don't speak of others', faults until
We have none of our own-
Selected.
Idlewild Farmers' Club.
President vs. 'Tater Bug The
Club's Views on Qualifications
For Office The Discov
ery of Idlewild.
Wien Farmer Norman blew the
Aldernev cow's horn, Friday night, he
blew it loud and long, but the presi
dent came not. lhe crowd was wait
ing and becoming; impatient. A mem
ber volunteered to act as sergeant-at-
arms and bring him in. 1 he presi
dent was found sitting on, his back
fence with a shotgun across his knees,
wearing an anxious look, while deter
mination was ambushed in the jungle
of hair on his unshaven chin. "Ross,
didn't vou hear the horn blow ? Nor
man almost blew his durned brains
out trying to make itjoud enough for
you," asked the irate sergeant. "Yes,
I did. and vou spoiled my gatne, too,
For the last half hour I've been pokin'
naris green down a 'tater bug's neck
with a broom-straw ; he hopped out of
my fingers and has run for that potato
hill there, and I got my gun to lay for
him till he'd come out, so I could blow
his fragments all over Johnson's lot,
and you've spoiled it all. 1 suppose
I'll have to go. But I'll get him yet."
It was election night, and the mem
bers were trying to settle on the best
man for president, when the sergeant
and his captive arrived. Now it is
one of the laws of the club that no
man can be president unless he can
show a certificate of good moral char
acter signed by his wife. When the
secretary called for credentials for can
didacy, he noticed that every member
laid his character on the table, except
two, who had lost their characters.
In order to test the sense of the
meeting, Farmer I. Hoe suggested that
an informal vote be taken, the mem
ber receiving the highest vote to be
the candidate. There were 29 mem
bers present. 27 characters in the sec
' i i
retarv's pocket, and 27 votes in the
hat, each man receiving one vote the
two members who had lost their char
acters not voting.
The secretary sprang to the board
pile and nominated Farmer Ross, say
ine among other things : "It has been
said that a man cannot be president of
this club unless he belongs to the party
in the majority in the club. Why, just
imagine, if the president should rule
along political lines on a question be
fore him, or that he should recognize
a member as having the grass just be
cause he was a Democrat, or Republi
can, or a Free Lover, what an uproar
there would be. What a disjointea
ness of the whole body corporate and
politic would take place. 1 he presi
dencv of this club should be adminis
tered without fear or favor no party
should be heard to say "We elected
him, and he is bound to be on our
side;" or "We defeated him, and ve
need ask no favor from his hand, nor
even expect justice."
No, sir, the time has passed when
the American people and the farmers
of Idlewild can even think of placing
their interests in the hands of a parti
san justice of the peate or of a parti
san club president ; when they must
approach the judiciary with their griev
ance in fear and trembling, lest the
law be given a partisan twist, or offer
a motion before a club president to be
frowned upon and sent to the grass
because not of his party. I don't want
to listen to any grandiloquent and
bombastic display of oratory on this
subject, so I'll put in nomination the
president who has adorned the board pile
for the past six months, Farmer Ross.
He doesn't know a party from a june
bug when he sees it. He is only a
plain farmer, but. learned in bugology,
and so knows a humbugat first glance,
or a jaybird from a julyfly by their
grunt. He's the man for the office.
Mr. Secretary, record the name of J.
Ross as president." "But we haven't
voted," says a member. "Well, we'll
vote some other day; Ross is president,
and will now give- out a few tracts on
agricultural and theological subjects,
by virtue of his office."
Now that the partisan ghost had
been laid, and Ross had been unani
mously re-elected president, and I. Hoe
had nominated and cast the vote of the
club for himself for secretary, the reg
ular order of business was taken up,
and the Committee on Present Condi
tions presented the following report,
which showed that they had been
delving for facts and not indulging in
fancy. .
"We do not sufficiently realize the
advantages of the times in which we
live, nor the locality in which we re
side. It will be two hundred years
before the man who shall record the
rise and progress of Idlewild will be
born or its history written or the mort
gages all cancelled. vWhy, just think
of it ! Five hundred years ago the
site of IdtewiM was unknown as a pro
gressive community, and this club had
not been organized. The real estate
agents had got lost in the wilds of Ral
eigh, and had it not been that one of
them dropped a silver dollar on the
grade of Jones street, and it rolled
down to the branch with the real estate
man in pursuit, you, my noble hay
seeds, would have been raising things
somewhere else. The president might
have been a missionary to the colored
sinners of Africa or East Raleigh.
When the Declaration of Independ
ence was written there were no rail
roads, telegraphs,, telephones, and no
moonshine stills. There was no sugar
to sweeten your "corn' with, and no
coffee to steady your nerves next morn
ing. It seems incredible, but it is a
fact, that only as far back as 1864
there was no steel, but now a steal is a
common thing.
"And the individual problem had
not vexed . the mind of man. The
boss could pay what he pleased and
when he pleased. The politician was
but a fledgling ; now he comes around
every spring, kisses your babies, pats
you on the back, says you're all right,
promises you a job if he gets there,
and then straightway, after election,
knoweth you no more ; and this fall
he'll be around thick as huckleberries,
and tell you you are an oppressed nation
and that the other party is the cause
of it all, and 1 hat if his party don't get
in, the whole country is gone to the
bow-wows.
"But you just ask him for his union
card, and see. if he's got a union label
on him anywhere, or if he reads The
Harbinger and pays for it, and if he
doesn't possess all these qualifications,
tell him that your wife don't want him
sitting around on the back steps wait
ing for you to come home ; and that
she don't want him to kiss' her baby
anymore, as she is afraid of political
microbes."
The report having been adopted,
and dubbed a very able and exhaustive
one, and the president beiug excused
from saying his inaugural, farmer
Johnson borrowed a match, and the
members wended their respective ways
along the dusty cowpaths homeward.
I. Hoe, Secretary.
side notes.
Mr. Wit Fawcett, a retired capitalist,
well-known on 'Change, gave the club
a visit, but the members being tired
already, he was excused from inflict
ing a speech on the ambient air.
Mr. Editor : I notice there was not
an "Idle 1 bought" in the paper last
week.
The club will donate Brother Char
lie Simmons a "Blueback Speller," if
he will call at the secretary's office.
He says we squat on the grass and
don't hoe corn. We hoe corn and then
squat, Mr. Simmons. We hope Char
lie won't have anymore such spells.
THE FAltMEKS WITH US.
Toad Swamp, N. C.
JUR. JiDiTUR: 1 seen m yoar
Harbinger sum ritins' frum sum of
ther country fokes an' Idlewild Farm
ers. I ain't seen much of that sort of
ritin' in nusepapers lately. Them
town folks seems ter think tha hav all
ther sence, an' we country folks don't
know how ter rite fer er nusepaper.
jest want ter rite my notion erbout
er few of ther leadin' questions of ther
times. Out here in Toad Swamp
Presinkt we don't git menny nusepa
pers, an' we are glad ter git er nuse
paper that sumtimes has got' sum of
ther good sence in 'em like Charlie
Simmons an' ther Idlewild Farmers
rites, ter sorter keep us posted on ther
goins on of the town fokes I wanted
ter read wot Charlie thot erbout ther
trusts. We aint got enny of them in
this presinkt.
Bud Green sed he got sum seed frum
Kongressman Pou, but thar want narry
pakage of ther lot had enny trust seed
in 'em. I told him ter rite ter yower
paper an' git ther Idlewild Farmers ter
send him er few plants, jest ter see how
tha cud stau' ther khmate of Toad
Swamp.
I read er good eal erbout ther labor
organizashuns, an' how tha an' ther
farmers are goin' ter jine tergether, so
tha can git what 'blongs ter 'em
That's jest wot has bin needed in this
country er long time. I want ter jme
one of them unions ther fust time I
cum ter town. Ike Jordin sed he
uster wurk in er print shop 111 Raleigh,
an' ther printers had er union, an' them
fellers was alwus treated white, got
good pay, an' wurked erbout 9 hours
er day. He is one of our Sunday
skule teachers, an' allers tells ther
truth. I don't no much erbout yoar
city church folks, but it seems most
of them fokes as dus ther hirin' of ther
workin' fokes gits er coutrolliu' intrest
in 'em, an' ther preacher has .ter fig
ger out his Sunday sermons accordin',
er purty suue ther Lord calls him ter
ernuther held ter tabor in His vine
yard. Ther preacher as has got ther
grit ter back up ther labor organiza
shuns don't draw much salery gin
erally. '
Ther voters of this precinkt got
purty much riled erbout ther way that
man Wilson jumpped onter Jedge
Clark 111 ther Mawum' Post.
I wus thinkin' of runnin' fur offis
iniself, but if Jedge Clark wants ter be
Chief Justis, I'm with him, an' will vote
ther whole thing solid fur ther Jedge,
ef I don't git ter be konstable. I kan't
say how erbout you organized feilers
up thar, cos it 'peers ter me you are all
mity clos-mouthed erbout pollytics
ennyhow but ther Toad Swamp voter
is az free az tiler jay burd. .
Well, I reckon I've rit erbout 'nuff
fur this time. Kraps iz needin rain
awful bad, an' grass growin' ter beet
ther band. Give mi regards ter Char
lie Simmons. I uscter no Charlie
Simmons afore them nuespaper fellers
tuck 'im up an' spiled 'ini. Send ther ;
Harbinger every week.
Yours twewly,
Bill Buster.
Idle Thoughts.
In the death of Hon. Amos J. Cum-1
inings, last week, organized labor lost
true and tried friend. No measure
affecting the good and welfare of or
ganized labor came before the House
of Representatives during his incum
bency that did not receive his earnest
consideration. Mr. Cummings was for
years an active member of Typograph
ical Union No. 6, and was no doubt
an active member at the time of his
death. Some vears ago a member of
Congress from the "Lone Star" State
demanded an investigation of the af
fairs of the Government Printing Office,
to determine if the office was not run
under the influence of a "secret society,"
Ferring to the union, when our New
York friend arose, took from his
pocket a working card of No. 6, and
waving same above his head, informed
the gentleman from Texas that he
(Mr Cummings) was proud to be priv
ileged with a membership in the al
leged secret society, and after a long
and stubborn fight succeeded in kill
ing the resolution. Organized labor
generally, but Typographical Union
6 in particular, has sustained a great
loss in the death of New York's fore
most statesmen.
The suggestion of Mr. Broughton,
which brought forth the letter from
Mr. Nichols, to organize a Mechanics'
Club, is a good one, and should be en
couraged. Such a club, in my opinion,
will result in much good to the work
ing people generally from a moral, so
cial and financial way, to say nothing
of mutual development. Of course,
that will be the initial step in securing
a Labor Temple, which I sincerely
hope to see erected in this city some
time in the next year or two. I am
more interested in the Labor Temple
than any other one thing in local labor
affairs, and a I believe that the club
will be a step in the right directional
shall be pleas d to make a list of those
who would like to take a membership,
to pay. a fee of not less than $10. If I
should suggest that you hand me the
ten, "Idlewild Fanners," or "I. Hoe"
would accuse me of returning "small
change," hence I only ask those friendly
to the movement to the. extent of tak
ing a membership to send in their
names. If twenty or twenty-five will
join in we can get temporary quarters,
and a flood of new members. Come
forward, brothers.
Yes, Mr. Editor, I was off, fishing
last Week, and while the red lemonade
was in evidence in abundance, and
which was pronounced the best ever
"brewed," yet you were mistaken in
the excuse you gave for the non-appear
ance of my "small change." The real
facts in the case are somewhat be
clouded, which you will no doubt at
tribute to the red lemonade, but the
best solution I can offer is that Her-
vey insisted on counting the number
of fish caught, while Paiham and
Perry insisted on a close inspection
for the union label. Of the 943 fish
caught, there were only 3 without the
label.
On August nth the Internationa
Typographical Union will meet in
Cincinnati, and will celebrate the fif
tieth anniversary of its existence. This
is the mother of organized labor in the
Western Hemisphere, and piobably no
other labor organization can place to
its credit so much good accomplished
for its numbers. Every local typo
graphical union in the South should
exercise its prerogative (its duty) and
have a delegate present. We stand to
day at the edge of the commercia
wave, which is about to sweep our
way, and we should have our section
so organized as to receive the benefits
of the coming prosperity,
It is claimed that Charlotte is the
most progressive city in the State, and
as that city enjoys the distinction of
fostering more labor unions than any
other, 1 am inclined to believe the
claim is well founded.
A letter of recent date from my old
friend, Walter H. Stivers, of Portland,
Ore., informs me thct the unions of
the West are making a great fight for
Mr. Derry, candidate for President of the
ntemational Tvpographical Union.
The strong endorsement Mr. Derry has
received shows that he has the qualifi
cations requisite for a good executive,
No. 54 has endorsed the excellent work
accomplished by Mr. Lynch. Pay your
money and take vour choice.
DEFINITION OP A GENTLEMAN.
CALLED TO MIND BY MRS. ASTOR'S
REMARK.
A Leesburg (Va.) man, who was a
student at Burlington College, New
Jersey, in 1858, when Bishop G. W.
Doane was president, has sent to the
Baltimore Sun the following extract
roni one of Dr. Doane's addresses:
"When you have found a MAN you
lave not far to go to find a gentleman.
You cannot make a gold ring out of
brass. You cannot change a Cape
May crystal to a diamond. You can
not make a gentleman till you have
first a man. To be a gentleman does
not depend upon a tailor or the toilet.
The proof of gentleman is not to do no
work. Blood will degenerate. Good
clothes are not good habits. The
Prince Lee Boo concluded that the
hog in England was the only gentle
man, as being the only thing that did
not labor. A gentleman is just a gen
tleman, no more, no less ; a diamond
polished that was first a diamond in
the rough. A gentleman is gentle.
A gentleman is modest. A gentleman
is courteous. A gentleman is gener
ous. A gentleman is slow to take of-
fense, as being one that never gives it.
A gentleman is slow to surmise evil,
as being one-that never thinks it A
gentleman goes armed only in con
sciousness of right A gentleman sub
jects his appetite. A gentleman re
fines his tastes. A gentleman shows
his manners. A gentleman subdues his
feelings. A gentleman controls his
speech A gentleman deems every
other better than himself. Sir Philip
Sidney was never so much a gentle
man mirror though he was of Eng-
ands knighthood as when, upon the
field of Zutphen, as he lay in his own
blood, he waived the draft of cold
spring water -that was brought to
quench his mortal thirst in favor of a
dying soldier.
YOUtt UNION FIKST.
Labor unions should have the first
consideration of all union men who
have to earn a living. All other bene
ficial and social organizations are sec
ondary to them. Through them men
are enabled to earn a better living,
and if it were not for them many' men
would not be able to join the other
organizations. Your union should
come first always. Iowa Unionist.
THE CANDIDATE.
He kissed the baby and rubbed the
heads of Sam and Sue ; he swore the
twins were beautiful and wished that
he had two but that doesn't count.
He asked about the cornbread, which
he vainly tried to chaw, and forthwith
begged for the receipt, of course that
tickled ma but that doesn't count.
But just before he left he stopped and
winked, closed up his jaw, and slipping
out behind the barn he took a drink
with pa and that's what counts.
Drown County Democrat,