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4 TS INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. fl! . ... . . . - , RALEIGH, N". C, JUNE -11, 1889. No. 18 Vol. 4. 1 3 v 4l i i. 1- is- lis ted ind foe- A DIRECTORY OF FARMERS' OR GANIZATIONS. WORTH CAROLINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. President S. B. Alexander, Charlotte, N C Vice-President T. Ivey, Ashpole, N.C. Secretary-L. L. Polk, Rfigh N. C. Treasurer-J. D. Allen, Falls, N. C. . Lecturer Dr. D. Eeid Parker, Trinity College, N. C. r , Assistant Lecturer D. D. Mclntyre, Laurinburg, N. C. nw Chaplain Rev. Carr Moore, Towns- Door Keeper W. H. Tomhnson, Fay- etteville, N. Q. , Assistant Door Keeper R. T. Kusn, lit Gilead, N. C. Sergeant-at-Anns J. S. Holt, Chalk Level N. C. State Business Agent W. A. Darden. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OT THE NORTH CARO LINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. Elias Carr, Old" Sparta, N. C., Chair man; Thaddeus Ivey, Ashpole, N. 0.; J . S. .Johnston, Ruffin, N. C. THE NORTH CAROLINA FARMERS' ASSOCIATION. President Elias Carr, Old Sparta, Edgecombe county. B F. Hester, Oxford, Secretary; b. 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- "iSetoy" J. Silvey, Amissville, 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 G. 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. B. T. Brumback, Jas. E. Compton and Geo. H. Chrisman. ...... TRUSTS. my James F. Minturn, in BellonTs Magazine, for 1 June. When government throws its man tle of paternal protection around any particular form of business, it thereby offers a premium to all who desire it, to enter the promised land and pluck the occupants. As a result of this protection, men rush into the various lines of business so protected, and what at first seemed to offer a grand field for large and princely profits, by reason of competition dwindle down to what might beermed a reasonable living profit. To prevent this dimin ishing of revenue, to curb this compe tion, and to maintain a revenue which to the recipients, alone may seem fair (and the fairness or unfair ness of which the public know noth ing of), the protected ones seek fur ther protection; and thus a policy which, at first was intended to insure protection to Americans by excluding the foreigner, eventually results in ex cluding Americans themselves. With foreign competition excluded, the question propounded is, how to per petuate great profits, by excluding home competition; and American in genuity has in this, as' in all things , solved the problem by organiz ing trusts. A trust is a combination capitalists which seeks to maintain article manufactured by them at e highest possible artificial price, without regard to the question of sup ply and demand; or which seeks to reduce or limit the supply of articles in order to advance the prices; or which seeks to reduce and strangle competition for the purpose of en hancing the price. Within a compar atively recent period the success of trusts has been so great that they are now increasing at an amazing rapid ity: The New York Times and New York World of February 20, 1888, published a list of them, among which were trusts for kerosene oil, cotton seed oil, sugar, oatmeal, starch, pearled barley, coal, castor oil, linseed oil, lard, school slate, oil-cloth, salt, cattle, gas, street railways, whiskey, rubber-steel rails, steel, steel and iron beams, nails, wrought-iron pipe, iron nuts, stoves, copper, envelopes, paper bags, paving pitch, cordage, coke, reaping; binding, and mowing ma chines, threshing machines, milk, sanastone, lead-pencils, cartridges, wash-cases, silver plate, clothes-wrin gers, undertakers, brewers, hoff- slaughterers, and, last in order as well as last on earth, coffins. The latest attempt at a trust is being made by the actors, and when thev shall organized it will be in order for the lergy, pnysicians, and lawyers to try heir hand at it. And then, with the thorough organization of the Knights of Labor in accordance with ; the scheme of Mr. Powderly to exclude further immigration, we shall be in a position to be known as the United Trusts of America instead of the Uni ted States of America. A trust, like other diseases with modern names, is and old epidemic under a new name. In Queen Elizabeth's time trusts raged in England under the nameg of mon opolies. She, according to Macauley (vol. i. p. 58), had granted monopolies on iron, coal, oil, vinegar, lead, starch, yarn, leather, and glass, but the Com mons threatened revolution' and she repealed the charters; and Charles I. paid the penalty for his favoritism of monopolies and his indifference to pop ular demands, by the loss of his head a3 well as his crown. The mo lern monopoly differs from the ancient in that it works quietly, secretly, system matically, and with an artistic finesse that does credit to Yankee ingenuity. At the recent trust trial before the New York Supreme Court the trust lawyers refused to produce th min utes or records of the trustees. Many of trusts burn the records of their proceedings, and the trust managers take no pains to conceal the fact that neither the newspapers nor the public can be informed of the true inward ness of these combinations, for the reason that the minutes of the trusts meetings cannot be produced. In this manner the law and the people are de fied, and secret combinations override both. What justification is there for this? " Seek none, conspiracy. Hide it in smiles and affability." It is use less for these combinations to tell us they organize to reduce prices. Trusts are not conducted for the pur pose of dispensing charity, except when charity begins at home with themselves. The avowed purpose of these trusts is to curb competition and to maintain what in the judgment of the trusts themselves may be consid ered a fair standard of profits. Of all the trusts now organized not one can point to a reduction of prices as a result of the trusts except the Stand ard Oil Company, and in its case the reduction was due to other auses, and would be still lower if there were no trust. Since the sugar trust was founded in October, 1887, the produc tion of fine sugar has decreased. By order of the trust two refineries in Boston and two in New York have been closed, two others have been temporarily shut down, others have had their production decreased one fourth, and refined sugar has advan ced in price from three-fourths to one cent a pound. The average price of granulated sugar in 1887 was six cents, but in January, 1888, was seven and one-sixteenth cents. Before the Sen ate investigating committee of New York the object of this trust was sta ted to be "to limit production," and Mr. Havemeyer stated that refined sugar costs the consumer about two cents a pound more than m England, or about ten dollars a barrel. Since the organization of the envel ope trust in 1887 prices of envelopes nave gone up twenty per cent. The income of this trust from this advance alone is about S3 00, 000 a vear Since the organizat on of the glass trust in 1887 glass has advanced ten per cent in price, and there is a tariff oi one nundred per cent on common glass and one hundred and fifty per cent on plate glass. The orgraniza- tion of the meat trust in New York has resulted in lowering the price paid to the farmer for his meat and raising the price to the consumer who wants to eat it. In Jamuary, 1888, the warehousemen of New York and .Brooklyn combined, and rates on sugar storage advanced ten to ttrenty per cent a hogshead. One of the combine said before the Senate com mittee, " Competition is a bad thing; we want to destroy it all we can" and they are doing it with a ven geance. From 15,000 to 16, 000 cans of milk are consumed in New York City daily. In 1882 the dealers formed a trust. The farmer receives three cents for his quart of milk, and the consumer pays from seven to eight cents. The farmers of Orange countv. New York. struck a short time since, but having sunk $20,000 in the strike gave it up, for, as the president of the milk trust says, "They don't like to tackle a trust. They are as afraid of it as they would be of the devil." The oil-cloth trust has advanced prices frem ten to fifteen per cent to the consumer. But why continue ? The list is as long as Homer's cata logue of ships; and the limits of an ordinary magazine article will not suf fice to enter largely into details. It will be observed from this enumera tion that the bitter sarcasm of Sir J ohn Culpepper in the House of Com mons may be appriately applied to these monopolies of our own times. "They are," said he, "a nest of wasps; pollers of the people; a swarm of ver min which have overcrept the land. Like the frogs of Egypt they have gotten possession of our dwellings and we have scarce a room free from them. They sup in our cup, they dip in our dish, they sit by our fire. "We find them in the dye-fat, wash-bowl, a ad powdering-tub. We may not buy our clothes with ut their brokerj age. These are the leeches that have sucked our commonwealth so hard that ita almost hectical. continued next week. FARM NOTES. Bon Sllene in Tennessee Farmer. In riding over the country, it is as tonishing to see the number of machine houses made of fence corners or forest trees. Only a short time ago I saw a nearly new grain drill standing in the field right where its owner, finished sowing wheat, and within fifty yards of a good shelter. And just last Sunday, in travelling along a splendid turnpike, I noticed the plows a farmer used m making the last year's crop, stowed away in the splendid machine house of the fence corner. Last summer I saw a binder that was bought a few weeks before, and which had bound thousands of golden sheaves of wheat for its owner, stand ing in the middle of the broad field for days after it had bound the last bundle of golden" grain, exposed to dew and sun, when it ought to have been in a good, dry machine house. When ! oh wnen, will farmers open their eyes to the reality that their agricultural implements and farming machinery will last twice as long if kept well oiled when in use, and in the shelter when its work is done. If farmers would treat their im plements right they would last well and the manufacturer would seldom be abused. But instead of this, they leave their machinery to the mercy of the dew and sun, and the consequence is thev are soon worthless, and then the manufacturers are blamed for it when the fault is ia ourselves. Suppose we take better care of our implements in the future, it will pay. NOTES FROM HERTFORD COUNTY. Menola Alliance No. 991, May 25th, 1889. Me. Editor: I willl attempt once more to write a short letter for pub lication. Our Sub-Alliance met this after noon, and matters of great lmpor- l tance were discussed among the breth ren. We have some lovely meetings at Magnolia and think they will do us good in the coming day. Our mem bership is gradually increasing from time to time; and we have a good number of the ladies in our Alliance, too. But some people say the women have no business in the Alliance. I think they have. We love to have them in our order and wish more of them would come and join our social band. Their presence in our midst cheers us on and we feel encouraged to press onward, because we are work ing for them and they are helping us to work; and, the best of all is, they are working witn us. . We say God bless the women, and the Alliances that they belong to everywhere. WeH can't do without them and if we could we don't want to. The farmers are a little backward in their crops owing to so much rain, but they are working with a will, and it seems that it is one solid aim to come out of debt this year, and our prayer to God is that we may succeed and be a free and independent people. We hope the farmers are waking up to a sense of their duty in trying to make their own supplies. Cane is being planted now very much in our vicinity; mine is nearly ready to be worked out We expect to make our molasses at home and we are trying to make our home supplies. Hoping that we shall meet with, success in the attempt and fill our barns with plenty and to spare, God being our helper. Our lodge is very much interested in the cotton bagging question, and we hope and expect to see our cotton securely packed in Alliance bagging, made by the Alliance, for the use of the Alli ance. Respectfully yours, Benj. P. Parker, Cor. Motto for a child's toy bank Drop your nickel in . the slot, and get five cents worth of exercise trying to shake it out next day. EXCELSIOR INSTITUTE, APEX. Mr. Editor: Our closing exercises occurred Friday and Friday night. A very intelligent audience greeted the pupils at 10:30 a. m. The exercises by the pupils in declamation, recita tion and music reflected great credit on the school. - ' At 12:30, N. B. Broughton, Esq., was introduced by Rev. A. D. Hunter as speaker for the day. Mr. Broughton is a man of the people; has studied and understands the wants of the people. His address was plain, force ful, practical and popular. Rarely have- I heard an address of equal merit. At night a concert by students musical and dramatic; The whole decidedly humorous. This closes the first year of school under Rev. J. M. White. It has been a success. Hereafter a military feature will be. added, with its advantages without additional expense. : Yours in Alliance. CHINCH-BUG. Processor Forbes, State Entomolo gist writes to Secretary Mills, of the State Department of Agriculture, that the chinch-bugs of Southern Illinois are being rapidly carried away, in every place lately visited, by one or both of two contagious diseases the same as those which heralded the dis appearance of this pest in Central Illi nois in 1882, as described in the ento mologist's report for that year. - One of these diseases is very easily recognized, as it finally imbeds the body of the insect, in a white fungus, looking like mold; its cause being of the same nature . as that which kills flies in autumn, fastening their dead bodys to the window pane. In some fields the number of these " moldy " chinch-bugs is so great that the ground is specked as if by a flurry of snow. :': The other epidemic is more obscure, recognizable only by an expert, but also more general and destructive, ac cordinkHb recent observations. It is a. true " germ disease," caused, like cholera, by bacteria in certain of the intestines arra. other internal organs, Fields, where it prevails, contain not more than one third to one -tenth the number of chinch bugs which they did three weeks ago. LETTER FROM STOKESDALE. May 22nd, 1889. Mr. Editor: Talis Creek Alliance, No. 1,670 chartered the 1st of May, is in its infancy, yet we are already see ing and feeling the benefits of union Now we meet as a band of brothers and consult each other f or the com mon good of all. We now see much greater interest manifested in farming, because the farmer now feels that he is to be rewarded for hi3 la bor. To make our county independ ent, we must make it self-supporting. I will just here say that the wheat crops are looking promising for a good yield this year. Corn planting is now over and the farmers are busy working it out. The tobacco crop too is being planted. fearx too much will be planted for the good of other crops. Much corn was damaged last fall by the heavy freshets on the rivers and creeks of this vicinity, which has made it nec essary to ship considerable corn. The present crop bids fair to be the best for years, unless damaged by the fall of hail to-day which nearly covered the ground, of the size of common bullets. I think we will soon be able to send you a good club for The Pro gressive Farmer. Fraternally yours. P. G. W. Walker. THE FARMER. Magnolia, N. C, May 28, 1889. Mr. Editor: 1 have never seen anything in The Progressive Farmer from this section, and thought that a few lines would be acceptable. I have read with interest the differ ent opinions of the brethren as to why the farmers, as a class, are so poor. One thing which I think is de cidedly against the farmer in this sec tion, is the fact that the merchants refuse to pay money for anything the farmers have to sell except cotton and turpentine. If a farmer has hundred bushels of corn to sell, they refuse to pay him a cent in money for it, though they are anxious , to buy if he will take trade, and in preference will buy their corn in. Richmond New Berne or some other market and pay the same for it that the farmer would sell it lat their doors for. The- consequence is. the farmer is obliged to make cot ton at a loss to get the money he must have, and the same can be said of tur pentine. Brethren, stop making cot ton, or any other crop for that matter, which you make at a loss. The most independent farmer I .know, never made a pound of cotton for market, and his crib is full of corn, his stock fat, and his smoke house full of meat. Let us make the crop which pays us best and quit trading with any mer chant who refuses to pay us money for what we have to sell, if it is only a dozen eggs. Yours fraternally, Mord. Tatlor. A writer in The Progressive Farmer, organ of the North Carolina Alliance, urges that there is not enough discipline and co-operation in the order, that each Sub-Alliance tries single handed to redress its wrongs, and often resolutions conflict with each other. He urges that each Sub-Alliance- should refer its resolutions to its County Alliance. If approved by the County Alliance it should then go to the State Alliance, and if there approved it should go to the National Alliance. And if there approved the President should issue a proclamation, and thus combine every Alliance man in every State on one point of the enemies line. His advice is good. Mr. Geo. T. Murrell, of Athens, has taken a step in this direction. He and his friends have organized the Alliances of five counties into one or ganization, and no Sub-Alliance moves except by consent of all. Sixty-six delegates met in convention in Athens on January 15th, and went over the whole situation. Mr. Murrell reports that he never saw such enthusiasm, harmony and oneness of thought and purpose as among these delegates of the "five county" organization. Southern Farmer. ROWAN COUNTY ALLIANCE. Mr. Editor: I herewith send you a report of the proceedings of Rowan County Alliance, No. 688, which con vened in the court house in Salisbury on April 5th, '89. All the Sub-Alliances (forty in number) responded to the roll call. A resolution was adopted to reduce the acreage of cotton and tobacco one fourth and increase that of corn and grass. The County Alliance voted a sub scription of $50 for the State Busi ness Agency Fund and urged that each Sub-Alliance contribute all they could towards the sum. Each Sub Alliance was requested to purchase a seal if they had not already done so, and to use it in stamping trade cards, .&c. The Alliance recommended the plan, proposed by the National Alii, ance in regard to the selling of cotton A resolution was passed instructing the Secretary to invite Bro. G. W. Sanderlin to be present with and make us a speech during our next quarterly meeting. The Alliance was in session two days and transacted a good deal other business of minor im. portance, after which it adjourned to meet m Salisbury m July. Yours fraternally, D. C. Bradshaw, Sec'y Rowan Co. Alliance, 688. Boston Post: All the New York papers have something to say about Mrs J. B. Brarnan, well known in Boston, who in a residence of five years in New York has accumulated commissions until now she is the legally constituted commissioner for thirty-three States and Territories and commissioner for the United States Court of Claims. Mrs. Braman's start in legal work was gained when Gov. John D. Long recommended her appointment as commissioner in Bos ton for Kansas. CLAY COUNTY ALLIANCE. Hayesville, N. C, May 24, '89. Mr, Editor:- On the 24th inst Clav County Farmers' Alliance was organized by Bro. E. L. Henry, with i e 11 2se t : J 4. T ine louowmg oiucers: jrresiueuw, ntsv. J. G. Mashburn, Vice-President, W. H. Hoggud, Secretary, E. L. Curtis, Hayesville; Treasurer, J. H. Shearer; Lecturer, J. S. Bell; Business Agent, A. H. Brown. Rev. J. G. Mashburn was selected as Organizer for Clay county. The ladies were out and took a lively interest in the proceedings. Clay falls into line with her best citizens in the front ranks, and un usually fair prospects ahead. More anon. " Fraternally, E. L. Curtis, Sec'y. - - - -j No ship of war wants a cannon ball flying at her masthead. Picayune. WATCH THE MERCHANTS. Red Mountain, Durham Co., N. Ct . April 8. 1889. Mr. Editor: Having btGu ap pointed correspondent to your most excellent paper, The Puoohessatb. Farmer, I will say to you that our Alliance is still alive and in good working condition, with thirty-sis -members. Red Mountain Alliance No. 1,037, is still increasing in number as well as in Rt.rentrt.h. Wa nil nrnrlr logetner as one man to accomplisn the floeirrn Ytc fAtf titViiV nmnn Zm to defend our rights, to ask but what is right, and to submit ta nothing wrong. To Alliance men and laborers everywhere we would say, keep your eyes open to the bate that are thrown out by some of your merchants. Some of them' are selling1, goods at cost and even belovsr cost. See the change in business men. What has done this ? They feel the strength of the Alliance and this is only bait to catch us or to divide our strength. Pass it by, brethren, unnoticed. Slick to your rules, stick to your business AWATtfflt 4- wrvw VTAtlW ff HAW rv"V nil -1 V AM V direction, and you will come ont right. " At the last meeting, a commit tee was appointed to examine the ac counts and transactions of our mer- 1 A Jil. il 1 .1 Ml cnani wna me Dremren oi our Alli ance with a view of ascertaining: w jut; tutu ui uut i, at? cuiibiaub uuuwecu uo uau uccu .&cpb. xxxo cuii-iiiiiHrca will report once a month hereafter. Fraternally, Wm. G. Manqum. - Vvn rpv.A ORGANIZERS WANTED. Ezel, Morgan Co., Ky., May 24, '8&r Mr. Editor: We are desirous of obtaining the services of about fifty good organizers, each to take a county and organize Farmers' Alliances in this State. We will pay satisfactoiy wages for all work done by them. Brethren making application for com missions will please send recommenda tions f rom officers of their Subordinate or County Alliances.. . The -Alliance is progressing nicely in this State, yet we need more laborers in the Alliance vineyard, for " the harvest truly is great and the laborers few," consider ing the number of organizers in the field and the vast territory they. have before them. We can furnish organ- lCXD WlbU CfcAl tiiv Vvl A Abvl J ItAAUjr Vfch possibly work during the summer. Fraternally yours, B. F. Davis, Sec'y Kentucky State Alliance. NEWS FROM RANDOLPH Buffalo Ford, N. C, May 15, '89. Mr. Editor: Having been ap pointed Corresponding Secretary of our Alliance, I write the following: xmiJ-tuu r uiu xviiiaiicc, nu. ooa, waa organized May 27, '88, with six mem- ueia, we uuw xiuiixucx uvci miijr, ouu are in good working order. We heartily endorse many of the resolu- tions we see adopted by many Sub Alliances, but I notice that one Alli ance in one part of the State will get up and adopt a resolution suitable to their needs, and perhaps some other Alliance in a remote part of the State will adopt the same, which makes us appear very scattering with our reso- united, and tnai, one smaii company n; i u AT,- . 1 1-1 A . . 11 vv ao uniug wiiu naj uuu uuwbiawx duw opposite direction, which is not the jca Vint a in nnirtn tVioTO ie c-t.T ati crtVi so let us co operate and form & body sufficient to make ourselves heard' and carry any good measure for the benefit of the Alliance and the public li V ' i - it t a generally, ana w snow 10 me woxia Vof tna -m nnn Vineinaoa titan Yri-Y"v1v will have respect for our resolutionxv make such suggestions through Tesu Progressive Farmer . as will be benefit to us and then adopt them unanimously. Well, our people seem to be waking: up from the state of lethargy into L L xl 1 M J wxuen wvy nave laueu, tuiu are uiuv days old with their eyes open and are looking out for themselves, in stead of letting: combinations and 4 trust3 look out for them, only that they may gull them in the end. We are down on trusts, and intend to make our purchases outside of them, if possible. People in our section are beginning? to sow clover and improve their landa and stock, buy less commercial fer tilizer, raise their own biscuit, butter- and meat, but are buying imported molasses, which I believe they should -not do, but raise their own sorghum-" Let us act together, be self-supporting. as near as possible, and there is a beW ter d ay near at hand .for us. J. T. Cox.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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June 11, 1889, edition 1
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