North Carolina Newspapers

THE INDUSTLaL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. RALEIGH, N. C, MARCH 19, 1889. Vol. 4. No. 6 DIRECTORY OF FARMERS' ORGANIZATIONS. NORTH CAROLINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. President S. B. Alexander, Charlotte, N C. " Vice-President T. Ivey, Ashpole, N.C. Secretary L. L. Polk, Raleigh, N. C. Treasurer J. D. Allen, Falls, N. 0. Lecturer Dr. D. Reid Parker, Trinity College, N. C. Assistant Lecturer D. D. Mclntyre, Laurinburg, N. C. Chaplain Rev. Carr Moore, Towns- ville, N. C. T m v Door Keeper .W. H. Tomlinson, Fay- etteville, N. C. Assistant Door Keeper R. T. Rush, Mt Gilead, N. C. Sergeant-at-Arms J. S. Holt, Chalk Level, N.C. State Business Agent W. A. Darden. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CARO LINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. Elias Carr, Old Sparta, N. C, Chair man; Thaddeus Ivey, Ashpole, N. C; J. S. Johnston, Ruffin, N. C. THE NORTH CAROLINA FARMERS' ASSOCIATION. President Elias Carr, Old Sparta, Edgecombe county. B. F. Hester, Oxford, Secretary; S. Otho Wilson, Vineyard, and W. E. Ben bow, Oak Ridge, Assistant Secretaries, VIRGINIA STATE ALLIANCE. President G-. T. Barbee, Bridgewatar, Virginia. ' Vice-President T. B. Massey, Wash ington, Virginia. Secretary J. J. Silvey, Bridgewater, Virginia. Treasurer Isaiah Printz, Luray, Vir ginia. . Lecturer G-. H. Chrisman, Chrisman, Virginia. Asst. Lecturer J. S. Bradley, Luray, Virginia. Chaplain Wm. M. Rosser, Luray, Virginia. Door Keeper B. Frank Beahm, Kim ball, Virginia. Asst. Door Keeper Q. E. Brubaker, Luray, Virginia. Serg't-at-Arms C. H. Lillard, "Wash ington, Virginia. State Business Agent S. P. A. Bru baker, of Luray, Virginia. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. E T. Brumback, Jas. E. Compton and Geo.H. Chrisman. .... ... ... THE REMEDY. Mr. Editor: I undertook to show in a recent number of The Progressive Farmer that a partial remedy for the disease of the body politic would be found in a rigid economy in State and county governments, and that such economy would have a good effect. First, in lessening taxes. Second, in making labor respectable by putting it on a level with other pursuits. I said, in. this connection, that it would be to no purpose to pro vide for industrial education so long as the industries are surrounded by conditions that make them undesira ble. Make the industries respectable. Develop them. Build them up. Give employment to the people. Then the State will prosper. The present plan is to create offices with big salaries and fill them with favorites. No one would complain of this if it could be done without oppressing the people. But it does oppress them, and they ought to be heard. Instead of being a government of the people, for the people and by the people, it has be come a government of the people, by the few and for the few. The whole legislation of the country is in favor of the few to the oppression and en slavement of the many. How can this be remedied ? It can be reme died. First. The most rigid economy in our State and county governments. A just and equitable equation should be established by law between the wages of the laborer and the compensation of officeholders and professional men. This remedy would not only lessen taxation, but it would make the gov ernment a purer and a better govern ment. Extravagance and big salaries tend to venality and corruption. Second. A part of the burden of taxation should be taken from the farmers and placed on the merchants. A tax of 2 per cent, on all purchases of merchants would raise revenue amply sufficient to meet all the ex penses of the State government. The county revenue for the poor, for edu cation and the public roads would not be oppressive to the farmer. The justice and policy of such a distribution of the burdens of taxa tion will be evident if we examine the causes of financial depression. Our "farmers used to make corn, flour and bacon, not only for their own use, but in large quantities for the market. But now by improved ma chinery these products can be made on the fertile plains of the Northwest and transported by rail to our markets cheaper than we can make them. Hence we have abandoned these crops, in a measure, and by the use of fer tilizers and the phosphates we have undertaken to make cotton and to bacco. This change m our crops created a demand for fertilizers and for bread and meat. And this, in turn, made a demand for credit, for the chattel mortgage and the crop lien, and the door for speculation and extortion was opened, and, like the door of the temple of Janus, it will stand open till the cause is removed. Now, a tax of 2 per cent, on the merchants' purchases would not hurt the merchant. It would only cause him to sell his goods higher. The farmer then would make his home supplies, have his own stock and com post heaps and would need no credit, less cotton would be made and it would bring a better price. Although we cannot compete with the Northwest in the production of bread and meat, we are much bet ter off than that section if we only knew how to make use of our vantage erround. Tt under-sell us and to relieve themselves of debt, that section has pushed production of gram too far. We are making a similar mistake in rearard to cotton. We can correct our mistake if the merchant made to bear a proper share of the burden of taxation. The merchant ought also to be restricted to 10 per cent, profit on the net cost of all goods put in his store. ROXBORO'S FUTURE A CHEER FUL OUTLOOK. Roxboro, N. C. March 4, '89. Mr. Editor: Having been elected correspondent for Brook s Grove Alii ance, No. 670, of Parson county, and having seen nothing of a recent date in the columns . of The Progressive Farmer from this section, I will at tempt to write a line. Ov r Sub-Alliance met in a called meetiv last Saturday, the 2d inst., and after the regular routine business had been dispatched, subjects of lm portance relative to the best interest of the farmers were discussed, m which discussions interesting speeches were made by brethren S. B. Wmstead, J. W. Dennv. Dr. C. G. Nichols and others. Person county is very well organ ized bv the Alliance. Some of the very best men of the county are in the organization. The Alliance To bacco Manufacturing Company, of Person county has been . incorporated by the Legislature and will, at an early day commence operations. Sev eral gentlemen at and near Roxboro have proposed to give the company land on which to build the factory, all of which propositions the Alliance appreciates very highly, and as a matter of course will accept the most suitable site. This writer is of the opinion that the most suitable lot is one offered by Senator J. A. Long, as it is near the depot of the L. & D. Railroad which is under contract for completion in the near future. Nothwithstanding the hard times and scarcity of money now prevalent in our county, the farmers may reasonably expect better times (with ordinary seasons) in the future. Some of the advantages we will have which we have not had m the past will be the united action of the farmers in the Alliance, the tobacco factory, wherein we can manufacture our own tobacco, advantage of the railroad facilities and the Farmers' Bank of Roxboro, soon to commence operation, and with these two latter advantages we may natu rally expect to build up a tobacco market in our midst. Roxboro is on a boom and when the railroad is com pleted and the bank opened, she will begin to put on airs. In conclusion I would suggest to the brethren directly interested in the Farmers' Tobacco Factory of Person county, that they can utilize all their stems, trash, &c, by establishing a fertilizer factory. What say you brethren ? Yours fraternally, W. J. Newton. CHUFAS AGAIN. Blocker's, N. C, Feb. 23, '89. Mb. Editor: I see that you want some of your readers to give you the oest plan for planting and cultivating chuf as. I will give you my plan which has proved very successful: Select light land, they will not do well no stiff or bottom land. Prepare the land same as for cotton; rows 3 feet apart, 12 to 15 inches in drill. Two hundred pounds fertilizer per acre; cultivate same as cotton, only they do not re quire so much work. Plant from the 25th to last of April. Yours fraternally, R. S. Autry. Good breeding is like affection one cannot have too much of it. TCor. The Progressive Farmer. SOME OF THE ILLS WHICH AF FLICT THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY AND OPPRESS THE FARMERS. No. 1. " 111 lares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates and men decay ; Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade ; A breath can make them, as a breath has made ; But a bold peasantry, their country's pride, When once destro 'd can never be supplied." The first indications of weakness and decay in all of the powerful nations of antiquity, whose history comes to us well authenticated, were those aptly exemplified in the above lines. The power and prestige of a nation lies not in the great wealth of a favored few of its citizens money lords but in a "bold peasantry" its hardy, contented, patriotic toilers in field, workshop and factory, who constitute a living wall of defense, which is its strongest bulwark. Such being true, it would seem that if there deserved to be a favored class or classes of its population, the pro ducers the men who make the wealth of a country ought to receive special favors from the government. But it has ever been otherwise. For, while the yeomen and artisans are toiling, there are always men plotting and scheming to reap the profits of honest industry, through unequal laws, trade exactions, trusts or combinations. " Purse-proud loiterers that never sow, Nor put a plant in earth, nor use the plow." We propose to notice some of these under the several heads above named. UNEQUAL LAWS. The farmer suffers from unjust and unequal taxation. The price of his products is regulated by the export demand, while the tax on imports helps the favored money lords engaged in manufacturing, and discriminates against the agricultural consumer, taxing the latter for the benefit of the former, for revenue at last is nothing but a tax. The relief which our agricultural industries most need and must have, if they are ever made prosperous, must come through low taxes, na tional and State, indirect as well as direct, and reduced cost of produc tion. That a high tariff operates to encourage manufacturing by increas ing its profits as a favored industry, while, at the same time, discrimi nating against agriculture, is exem plified in New England, where agri culture is well nigh dead, and the capital once largely invested therein now diverted to more favored indus tries protected by law, and the popu lation gone from the farms to herd in the cities and towns. As further evidence of the unprofit ableness of agriculture, it is said that more than one-fourth of the farms in one great Western States, and one of the most fertile being new and fresh are covered over with mort gages so inextricably deep that many of the holders have abandoned them to the mortgagees, who look in vain for purchasers. But we need not go westward to find evidence of the unprofitableness of agriculture. How many farmers here in the State of North Carolina, or in the States bordering thereon, have made money farming during the past decade ? While a few planters, pos sessing or working lands specially adapted to fine yellow tobacco, have accumulated something above ex penses, hundred, aye thonsands, have barely made enough to live even f ru gaily, and very many have sunk money and become hopefully insol vent. While this deplorable state of things exist all over this broad land, for agri culture really flourishes nowhere, in dividuals in other pusuits in every agricultural State might be named, whose profits annually exceed the aggregate profits on the whole agricul tural production of these States. "A dozen men could be named, whose in comes combined would rival the na tional revenue itself, if reduced, as it should be and must be, to the actual needs of an economical government." It is notorious, that Congress and State Legislatures are constantly being importuned to enact laws which favor the rich ' against the poor capital against honest industry and too often boodle or some other stimulant is em ployed to influence such unequal and iniquitous legislation. In this way "the rich are made rich beyond all pre cedent in the history of mankind, while the poor are reduced to the verge of bankruptcy and despair." UNNECESSARY AND UNJUST TAXATION. Unnecessary taxation, State or Federal, is robbery. Federal taxation on production has been tyrannous to this generation. First, in changing and debasing the currency, and after ward raising its standard of value in j the hands of creditors, by a packed Federal court; then paying a high premium on immature bonds, instead of furnishing adequate currency to all the channels of trade; and worse than all, piling up a big surplus in the treasury, filched from the pockets of honest industry, " earned by the sweat and agony of toiling millions msufn ciently clothed and underfed," to tempt extravagance and corruption at Washington. This writer is no ad vocate for an unlimited issue of irre deemable greenbacks, but is wel aware that the government has been guilty oi cheapening the price ot the products of the fields by legislating money .scare taking it out of the pockets of the people and out of cir culation and without necessitv. The government goes further, in singling out an industry not only agri- Cultural, but mainly sectional for the bulk of all the tobacco grown in the United States is raised in the South ern and Southwestern States and im poses upon it a tax greater than the value of the product, and still retains this tax, to help swell the useless sur plus in the treasury and to oppress this particular industry. Its reten tion, under all the circumstances, is a national shame and a stigma of op pression unworthy of a government of the people, by the people, for the people. j UNEQUEL TAXATION. It is notorious, that the farmer pays more tax on his property than any other class in the community or gov ernment, and therefore bears the heaviest public burden. His property being largely m lands, farm stock and implements are incapable of conceal ment, like money, bonds, stock and personal property and all his posses sions are listed for taxation under State, county and township levies, and they are often so great as to seriously handicap productive industry. Thus welsee agriculture loaded by taxation witfi the heaviest burdens, while more productive capital remains partially or wholly exempt, .bor, just" in pro portion as the basis of taxation is nar rowed, just so much greater a tax must be exacted from the lawful sub jects of taxation. Now, why does the farmer pay more than his equitable share of the expenses of government ? Simply because he has not been properly rep resented in the halls of legislation, State or national. But necessity will force him to the front, for self-preser vation is the first law of nature, and home and patriotism are above party; and, therefore, if true to themselves and loyal to their calling, farmers will see to it that in the future they will be represented by worthy men who are capable and eager to protect the interests and defend the rights of the foundation industry of this great country. The highest public duty devolving upon the citizens of this republic is to exercise his right of suffrage fear lessly, freely and honestly in choosing the best and wisest public servants to represent him in our national and State assemblies; and it is clearly within the power of the farmers of this country, as it is their bounden duty, to make their influence felt for the welfare of their oppressed and languishing industry, which was never before in greater peril or more needed the even-handed justice which ought to have been willingly accorded to it as well as to other languishing indus trial interests of the people. Our next will discuss the one-sided and unfair exactions imposed by the trade upon the producing classes. R. L. Ragland, Hyco, Va. WATCH THE PROFESSORS. Chalk Level Alliance, No. 434, Durham, N. C., Feb. 16, '89. Mr. Editor: I have a great desire to write something that would be in structive to the brotherhood, but writing for publication has never been any part of my occupation, and there fore I fear I shall fall short of my de sire. Why it is that the farmers and laboring classes generally have got no will or resolution of their own, is a great puzzle to me. There are some exceptions, but, as a general thing, they have ever been ready to link their destinies with any political as pirant who can get up and make a flowery speech of misrepresentation, with a few good anecdotes thrown in to tickle their fancy. But let a good old farmer with erood, hard, practical sense get up and talk business, with out the anecdotes, and he is put down as a dull and stupid old dunce. Brethren, that will never do. We must watch events, watch the acts of . our law-makers, watch the acts of our officials, State and county, who are to administer and enforce the laws; and when any of them are wanting in the discharge of their duties retire them to private life, not at the expense of the public either. It looks to me that the most important watch of all is that of our Legislators. Watch them and see if they are governed by the de sires of their constituents or by the greed and tyranny of lobbyists and federal officials; and when you are satisfied of facts, from your careful watching, let such govern your future acts. " United we stand divided we fall." Yours fraternally; R. Holloway. ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP. Mr. Editor : Pursuant to announce ment, the members of the various Subordinate Alliances of Mitchell county met at Mt. Vernon school house, or church, on March 2d, 1889, to organize a County Alliance. The meeting was called to order at 11 o'clock and Hon. S. W. Blaylock was chosen temporary chairman. Deputy Organizer W. L. Fortune ex plained the object of the meeting, after which the various Alliances were called and the delegates duly recog nized representing the twelve Sub Alliances in this county. Their re ports show that during the last few weeks there have been 12 Sub-Alliances organized that have a member ship of 371 males and 115 females, members in Mitchell county. Besides the delegates, there were some 50 or 75 other men, all farmers, or men who make their living by manual labor, and also some 25 or 30 lodge members. The following gentlemen were elected for the ensuing year, which expires the first Friday in July, 1889: Hon. S. W. Blaylock, of Ledger, President; Maj. T. D. Vance, of Plum Tree, Vice-President; Capt. J. W. Gudger, of Bakersville, Secretary; Mr. R. B. McKinney, Bakersville, Treasu rer; Rev. W. H. OHis, Plum Tree. Chaplain; Hon. S. M. Silvers, Glenn, Lecturer; Mr. S. C. Vance, Spruce Pine, Assistant Lecturer; Mr. New ton Wilson, Doorkeeper; Mr. D. F. Blaylock, Spruce Pine, Assistant Door keeper; Mr. Isaac Cox, Spruce Pine, Sergeant-at-Arms; Hon. J. W. Gud ger was elected Business Agent. The County Alliance will hold its quarterly meeting the first Friday in April, July and October and then in January, 1890. The President appointed the follow ing gentlemen a committee on arbitra tion or good of the order: W. B. Chil ders, G. A. Bowman and H. T. Lead ford; executive committee, Benjamin Harrison; W. A. Hollifield, J. C. Keener,. Moses Young and Samuel McKinney. A resolution was passed recommend ing Mr. S. E. K. Buchanan and W. L. Fortune County Organizers, Mr. Buchanan to work with Mr. Fortune, but specially voted for Mr. W. S. Fortune to remain and finish up our county. The County Alliance passed a reso lution recommending Mr. S. M. Sil vers and D. F. Blaylock, and they were endorsed by the committee on the good of the order as suitable men, and ask for them a commission to or ganize Alliances, and they will go wherever needed. The following Alli ances were present: Grassey Creek, Mt. Vernon, Blue Ridge, Crabtree, Tar River, Roan Mountain, White Oak, Bear Creek, Snow Creek, Mine Creek, McKinney Cove and Elsie. Two Alliances not yet completed or fully organized, to-wit: Little Rock and Cane Creek. A resolution was voted unani mously, ' respectfully requesting The Progressive Farmer, Western Demo crat, and McDowell Bugle to publish the proceedings of our meeting and that the Moreranton Star copy. The Alliance voted to hold our next county meeting at the court house in Bakers ville on the first Friday in April. The Sub-Alliances are respectfully re quested to send in their Secretary's reports by the first day of April and they will please observe article 2, sec tion 7 of the Constitution. After a few short but appropriate remarks by several of the brothers of the Connty Alliance, the Alliance adjourned to meet the first Friday in April, 1889. We hope to have a full attendance. S. W. Blaylock, Jrresdt. J. W. Gudger, Sec'y. You may set it down as a truth which admits of few exceptions, that those who ask your opinion really want your praise. Dr. Oliver Wendell Homes. ANOTHER SOURCE OF HOME MADE FERTILIZERS. Olin, March 5th, 1889. Mr. Editor: It becomes my duty as correspondent of Olin Alliance, No. 624, Wilkes county, to inform you that we are still alive and at work for the good of the order, having passed without a dissenting voice, at our last meeting, a resolution that we will not buy any more commercial fertilizer from those companies who have gone up on their goods, and who are reported to be willing to sell "out siders" at a lower rate than they arc willing to sell to Alliance men. The marl beds around New, Berne might be opened, the marl dried, sacked and shipped to the wester counties of the State, to be composted with our woods mold, ditch-bank ashes and stable manure. Cannot & joint stock company of Alliance men be now formed, and at once, who will dig marl from the banks of our east ern rivers and creeks, or in the swamps near the railroad, to be shipped all over this and other States where needed ? And the writer would like to have the honor of taking the Jirst' share in said company. Brother farra ers and Alliance men, let us have such, a company. There are millions of acres of eastern lands underlaid with this valuable article, stored away there by the great Creator of all things for the good of this pedple, in this day of worn-out lands and oppressive monop olies. This marl lies within three to twenty feet of the soil and contain from 60 to 90 per cent, of lime, the remainder being animal matter and sand. With a commission to regulate the freights on roads that we built and have received little or nothing for the poor lands of middle and western Car olina may become productive once more, and that without the use of fer tilizers of an inferior quality from other States. Fraternally, John F. Foard. THE ORDER IN VIRGINIA. Mount Carmel Alliance, No. 50, Halifax Co., Va., March 1, '83. Mr. Editor: As your paper, Thk Progressive Farmer, is the medium through which the farmers of North Carolina and Virginia are heard, I thought I would write you a brief let ter from this section. The Alliance is a new thing with us as the most of your readers know. Our Alliance, Mt. Carmel, was organized on the 8th of December, 1888, with 18 members. . We now have 45 members, and several applications for membership. The farmers as a general rule are taking hold of the Alliance. We have the best and most influential men in our, community in our lodge. The County Alliance was formed the 28th of Jan uary at South Boston, Va. ; they did not get through with the business and they met again the 13 th of February. There was a large delegation present and all of the officers were duly in stalled. We had some very good speeches from several of the brethren, our President, Rev. T. S. Wilson gave us a splendid address. He is a very energetic man, and I think if the County Alliance is not a success, it will not be his fault. We now have more than a hundred Alliances in this State. I hope that the order may continue to grow and enlarge until we shall have prosperity in the South, once more. I think The Progressive Farmer ought to be taken by every member of the order who is able to pay for it. I have been taking it month and I like it very well. I in tend to try and get you up a lot of sub scribers from our lodge. I am, Fraternally yours, James P. Woody, Sec'y- A CORRECTION Warsaw, Duplin Co., N. C, February 20, 1889. Mr. Editor: Please say through The Progressive Farmer that the statement made by me in reference lo freight on four bags of flour and two bags wheat was incorrect, as was given to me by the agent at Warsaw. Should have been $1.36 on R. & D. and .81 on W. W. R., which reduces the rate per mile from nearly nine times to nearly four times as much oa the W. W. R. as on the R. D. R. The Legislature must pass a law creating commission er be condemned by the whole people, except those interested in, or in some way connected with the railroads. S. J. V. Fools mav sav wise things but they do not profit by them so wise mea may sometimes err. In either case the nature is not changed.