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V 5 rtr- THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OP STATE POLICY. EALBIGH, N. C, JANUARY 14, 1890. Vol. 4. No. 48 - ey rE NATIONAL FARMERS' AL LIANCE AND INDUSTRIAL UNION. Precedent -L. L. Polk, Raleigh, N. C. Vice-President B. H. Clover, Cam- hridze, Kansas. Secetay"J H- Turner, La Grange, freorffia. Treasurer W. H. Hickman, Puxico, . cturer Ben Terrell, Texas. EXECUTIVE BOARD. q W. Macune, "Washington, D. C. jjonzo TVardall, Huron, South Dakota, j F. Tillman, Palmetto, Tennessee. JUDICIARY. R. C. Patty, Macon, Mississippi. Isiac McCracken, Ozone, Arkansas. Evan Jones, Dublin, Texas. HQRTH CAROLINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. President Elias Carr, Old Sparta, N.C. Vice-President A. H. Hayes, Bird town, N.C. Secretary L.,L. Polk, Raleigh, N. 0. Treasurer J. 'D. Allen, Falls, N. C. Lecturer Thos. B. Long, Longs, N. C. Assistant Lecturer R. B. Hunter, Char lotte, N. C. Chaplain J. J. Scott, Alfordsville, N.C. Door Keeper W. H. Tomlinson, Fay- etteville, N. C. Assistant Door Keeper H. E. King, Peanut, N. C. Sergeant-at-Arms J. S. Holt, Chalk Level, N. C. State Business Agent W. H. Worth, Ealeigh, N. C. Trustee Business Agency Fund W. A. Graham, Machpelah, N. C. IXXOUTITX COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CARO LINA FARMERS STATS ALLIANCE. S. B. Alexander, Charlotte, N. 0., Chair nan; J. M. Mewborne, KinstonN. C; J. S. Johnston, Ruffin, N. C. SUB TREASURY PLAN. From my standpoint, the Sub Treas ury Plan is as superior to the National Banking System as a God -given sys tem of religion is superior to the methods of Satan. The warehouse system is as old as Joseph of Egypt, who organized the first trust in corn, and the only one that was ever for the public good. While the system of hypothecating indebtedness as a base for other indebtedness, judging from its effects could only come from the lower regions, where the first trust on brimstone was operated. The farmer, always conservative, instead of asking for a bill of exchange to the value of his products, only asks 80 per cent, of the actual value of pro ducts that all must have. The present system of National Banking, deposits evidences of debt, and then issues the bank promissory notes on the hypothe cated debt, and for 9o per centfof the face of the indebtedness. Our government has gone into part nership with whiskey distrillers and while the government owns 75 per cent, of the entire value of the liquors stored, it kindly waits three years for its revenues, if the distiller so desires. On the contrary, we propose to pay the actual expenses and give to the government its margin of profit, with in the year. COST OF WAREHOUSES. It has been said that the warehouses would cost immense sums of money. Admit it. The postoffices of our country have cost immense sums of money. Rivers and harbors have cost a mint of money, a navy that has no country to fear it, has cost no one can tell how much, all this for the "public good (?)" yet, when the fanner wants anything that will benefit his surroundings, then suddenly the spec ulator, the lobbyist and most of the lawyers hold up their hands in holy horror and cry expense ! expense ! Let us first pay off our debt and then make improvements. How quickly this clas3 grows virtuous. The surplus gold in the treasury would build five warehouses in each county, giving employment to thou sands, giving a market for truck and timber in every county; and not only so, but in each county there would be a government bank for the farmer and all, and a flexible volume of cur rency that would have for its base a dollar's worth of value to every 80 cents' worth of circulating medium. If the currency of to-day is sound when based on debt, what would be its condition when based on the pro ducts of our country. No longer would the money lords have the power to oppress. Never again could banks force the rate per cent, up to 4 o per cent, in four hours. To the producer the advantages are so apparent that argument seems un necessary. . With the currency based on his own products, and issued to him just in proportion to his resources and needs, the people could get for their labor adequate returns. INCREASE OF PKICES. The farmer could pay his laborers j more for their services, for his produce would sell for more than now, for in stead of trusts reaping the advantages, the farmer would hold his products until prices were satisfactory. You may call this fighting Belzebub with fire. So long as it is just and right, by bringing to the laborer a just return for labor we care not what may be said. We may be slow to learn, but we certainly do learn -we are taught by precept and example. No country ever prospered, no country is to day prosperous whose wages are low or money scarce. With a greater volume of currency, better prices for products of the soil would naturally follow; wages would D3 in creased, because if products were profitable to the husbandman the de mand for labor would increase, and thus labor would secure the just share of the wealth it creates. THE MANUFACTURER. But what of the manufacturer ? If he desired cotton or wool, wheat or corn, the kinds and amounts he might need could be had at the government warehouses, and he would not be compelled to hold in large amounts as now. This would enable him to in crease his plant and business, and to do away with brokerage fees and com missions and get from any point he chooses (because railroad rates would not then be prohibitory) and to the cotton farmer, millions in a decade would be saved in weights, tn surplus, and other commissions. This would place the producer and the manufacturer so close to each other that middlemen would have to seek other business. Banks, as generators of currency would go out of existence and the postal, express and telegraph system, could be so arranged that in every hamlet there would be a bank of de posit, or savings bank. MORTGAGES AND BONDS. The indebtedness of the country would be paid off, saving millions -of dollars in premiums now paid to bond holders, the bonds replaced by treas ury notes would save fifty millions yearly in interest, thus giving relief in all forms and enabling landed pro prietors to borrow money at low rates of interest, thereby saving usury and interest and in this way reduce the mortgage indebtedness on the lands of the farmer. VALUE OP LANDS ENHANCED. A farm that produced 18 or 2o years ago l,ooo bushels of wheat in excess of the amount needed to pay hands and feed and clothe the family could have been sold for what the ex cess represented in interest. Thus, if wheat sold at $1.5oper bushel, l,ooo bushels would be worth $l,5oo, the farm paying interest at 6 per cent, on $25,ooo, while wheat at 60 cents per bushel, the same excess would only be worth $600, so that the farm would only be worth $1 0,000, as an investment. Low prices for products lowers the value of lands, so by raising the price of farm products the farms would increase in the exact ratio of the value of the products raised. A volume of currency equalling 80 per cent of the entire products of the soil would double the values of the farms of this country With no government bonds, no rail road stocks or bonds, over four billions of money would be loosed that is now locked up, and values of land and all real property, mines and manufactory stocks would correspondingly increase in value. Our farms and villages, our forests and mines, our factories and furnaces would increase in value as rapidly as they did in the North during the war. I apital would not remain idle, and the wage-earner once again be pros perous. Coal miners and iron work ers instead of earning a miserable pit tance, would be enabled to live as they deserve to, not on starvation wages and in huts and hovels, but with such environments as would enable tfhem to have the comforts of a home. BUT HOW SHALL ALL THIS BE ACCOM PLISHED ? However profitable to the farmer or Knights of Labor, reasoning and good, kind words will be of no more avail to the money lords and railroad kings than were the pleadings of our forefathers a century ago. They will heed them no more than the prophecies and admonitions of Moses were heeded or cared for by Pharaoah. "We must use our ballots as plagues were used in the olden time, and I fancy that the ballots of the Allianco- man and the Knights of Labor will in the near future be as erreat a rlaerue O to our modern Pharaoahs as were the locusts, the hail and the loss of their first born was to those who like our task-masters command bricks without straw. In all communities the wage-worker and bread-winner is in the majority. We hold the balance of power. This is true in city and country. We have not charged our piinciples, and we oppose partisanship as bitterly as when we were first organized. What better evidence could be de sired, when our DrinciDles bid us leave both the Republican and Demo cratic parties ? If any member looks back like Lot's wife, or like the children of Israel lusts for the flesh pots of Egypt, let them at our hands feel that we are estranged let the loss of conn- dence expulsion be the penalty. We earnestly hope that both parties mav come to our relief. We shall see to it that the men that are placed in nomination of both parties have an opportunity to publicly pledge them selves for our principles. If they will not do so we will find men like a Jin cinnatus of old, and in our might we will place them in power we will not vote for either party or their repre sentatives who will not stand for our principles, but will do as our fore fathers did have our Congress, our Senate, the Presidential chair, as well as our Governors and Legislatures filled by farmers and Knights of Labor and no longer with Plutocrats. The New Revolution is declared on, and monopolists and a subsidized press may make the most of it. Dav is dawniner. Our watchmen are proclaiming our principles of lib erty and freedom from the chains of slavery, from the lakes to the gulf, from ocean to ocean, and when our red letter day comes, and come soon it surely will, we will see to it that only the brave and the true shall occupy places of trust, if the parties with which we have voted do not re pent in sackcloth and ashes and turn from the error of their ways. Old Fogy. LABOR OMNIA VINCIT. Farmers and Alliance men of the bright tobacco belt, the time has come for you to act on one of the most mo mentous questions of the day. Here tofore you have read and heard of trusts in other parts of the country, but now at the present time, in our very midst, confined to the bright to bacco belt, a trust is in operation on certain grades of tobacco; competition is driven off from our markets, specu lative buyers are deterred from bid ding, and farmers, when you put your bright cutters on the floor, after all your trouble, expense and toil that tobacco fertilized by the very sweat of your brows, commands only such prices as the great self elected trust chooses to offer. What care they, though your toil be unrequited, or your trouble unprofitable, or your necessities pressing, owing to bad crop years ? Trusts those soulless trusts know no mercy, and if you don't act promptly and fearlessly, op posing them with all your might, you clinch the rivets as bonds of steel which will leave you and your chil dren helpless and powerless, and in stead of being freemen, you will find yourselves, sooner or later, slaves of despotic money powers, who will never be content until, like Shylock, they extract the last pound of flesh. Their present operation is only a feeler an entering wedge if they are successful, a precedent is shown to other manufacturers, and before long all grades will be controlled. Farmers, you can see the imperative necessities of the hour. Now is the time to show your grit and that fear less intrepidity which carried you through from Manassas to Appomat- tox is still living in your hearts, and let our insidious foes see that we can storm the citadel of trusts with all the gllantry of former days. Sound the alarm, gather together from all directions, you farmers and laboring men, on the 9th of January. You cannot afford to wait; every hour to us is a day to the enemy. Let us stand shoulder to shoulder and in unity of action we will conquer. Rally together, ye sons of toil, Falter not in our righteous cause, As we love our home, our native soil. Band together for better lnwe ; Then strike out against this greedy trust. Gallant freemen, with all your might, A blow to bring it down to the dust. Burying it forever from our sight. Robert J. Cocb. Oxford, N. C. . That prices will fall or rise as the value of money be increased or di minished, is a law that is as unalter able as any law of nature. Prof. Walker. THE FARMERS CANDIDATE. BY WILLIAM PLOWBOY. It was the morning after election Hay, and the usually quiet village of Locof ocoville was all astir. The Honorable Josiah Swindell, junior partner in the firm of Swindell & Swindell, attorneys at-law, had been chosen to represent his friends and fellow citizens as a member of the State Senate. To the good people of the village and surrounding country who crowded about him with their congratulations, he was all smiles and affability; because, perhaps, like most politicians, he had learned that smiles and affability, while costing but little, are sometimes productive of consider able returns. But five or six of his most enthusiastic supporters, whose influence had been secured by his en abling them, on more than one occa sion, to touch glasses together in front of a bar-room counter, soon found to their sorrow' that the distinguished gentleman had disposed of all his available cash during the campaign. In consequence of this astounding dis covery, they repaired forthwith to the corner grocery and passed resolutions denouncing the Honorable Josiah as a fraud; but the hard-working farm era and mechanics who had elected him could not restrain their joy over the victory they had won. Was he not "The Farmers' Candidate?" Had he not promised, throughout the length and breadth of the district, to fight against. trusts and monopolios; to see that his people should no longer groan under the heel of the railroad officials; in a word, to turn things generally topside down for the bene, fit of the working man ? And was he not now in a position which would en able him to carry out his promise? During the afternoon a rusty cannon which hads been captured from Corn wallis at Yorktown. was brought out in front of the courthouse for the purpose of firing a salute in honor of the r successful candidate. At the thirO r fourth discharge the cannon bur&rT and a most respectable colored gentleman, who had not voted for the idol of the people, received. a number of splinters in the calf of his right leg, to the complete satisfaction of a half dozen juvenile sovereigns partici pating in the celebration." Towards nightfall the recently elected complained of a headache and, retired to the privacy of his legal sanctum, where he was immediately joined by Swindell, Senior. "Now, Josiah, my boy, said the last named individual, after securely bolting the door against all intruders, "now, Josiah, my boy, it becomes a duty for me to offer you some neces sary counsel, not only as a father ad vising a son, but also as one lawyer advising another. Your position dur ing the canvass in regard to trusts and monopolies was the one thing that defeated your opponent. It caused you to be known as " The Farmers' Candidate;" it made the farmers put their shoulders to the wheels and pull your wagon through the mire. Abusing the railroads while you were electioneering for an office was all 0. k.; but now, my boy, since the votes have been counted, you must recollect that Swindell & Swindell are attorneys for the Bildad and Jebusite Railroad. A lawyer's first duty ' is to his client. He must stand by that client under all cir cumstances and at all hazards. Now, therefore, if that infernal railroad commission bill turns up in the Senate during this term of the Legislature, do not forget that we have been re tained t o protect the interests of the Bildad -ad Jebusite. By the way, is there &n whisky m that flash on the top sheir of the bookcase ? Now hand me the sugar and a drop of water, only a drop, my boy too much water is not good for the digestion. Ah!" Swindell, Senior, drained the last drop from the glass, an crossing his legs under the table, continued his re marks. " What fools these farmers are ! Elect a railroad attorney to the State Senate and expect him to cast his vote against the railroads. Humph 1 If a man is fool enough to work against his own bread and butter, he had better quit practicing law and turn farmer. But, my boy, I have devised a plan which will enable you to pull the wool over the eyes of the people and still remain solid with the Bildad and Jebusite. Every member of the Legislature, as you know, receives a free pass over the railroads, which pass holds good during his term of office. Very Well. Now mark me, Josiah. When you take the train for i- 1 - . 1 -r 11 .rcaieigo, do not accept tne pass. win make everything all right with Jones, the president of the Bildad and Jsbu site explain evervthing to him. I will also have your action in regard to the matter published in the Clarion, showing that you rejected the pass on high moral considerations. A little thing of that kind, coming from a politician, goes a long way with the people. Was that the bell for sup per? Suppose we try a drop or two of whisky and then adjourn the court ? May the farmers never fail in electing their candidates! Long life to the farmers! They can always be de pended on to send lawyers to the Legislature. Come, Josiah, we will drink to the farmers." A few days after the Legislature convened the following editorial, en titled "A Good Example," appeared in the Locof ocoville Clarion; "Having been credibly informed that our distinguished fellow towns man, the Honorable Josiah Swindell, recently refused to accept a free pass tendered him by the Bildad and Jebusite Railroad, we sent a repre sentative of the Clarion to interview Mr. Swindell concerning the report. The gentleman in question does not wish to become an object of undue notoriety, but,nevertheless,he received the Clarion reporter with usual cour tesy. "I do not think," said Mr. Swindell, " that a free pass presented by a railroad to any public official is intended as a bribe, or even to in fluence his action in any manner whatever, such pass being simply a compliment offered by the railroad to the sovereign people of whom the re cipient is merely a representative in other words, it is nothing more nor less than a recognition of the fact that all power emanates from and resides in the people ? But, notwithstanding such is my belief, I do not wish to place myself under obligations to any company or individual until my term of office has expired. . As a member of the State Senate," said Mr. Swin dell, concluding the interview, 4 I am the servant of my constituents. The per diem and so forth allowed me by law will satisfy me for such services as I may be able to render," without my looking to other quarters for po cuniary assistance." The Clarion takes pleasure in calling the attention of its readers to the facts above stated. If there is one man in the ranks of our party who is eatitled to the support of his party friends, . that man is the Honorable Josiah Swindell." Soon after the foregoing editorial appeared in print, a railroad commis sion bill came up for consideration by the State Legislature. It passed the lower House, but failed to pass the Senate. Prominent among those op posing the bill was the Honorable Jo siah Swindell, "The Farmers' Candi date." MORAL. If the people of North Carolina want a railroad commission, they should think twice before sending railroad attorneys to the Legislature. SOUTH CAROLINA TO THE FRONT. The Legislature of South Carolina in its recent session enacted the fol lowing laws: THE TARI ON COTTON. An Act to amend Section 1,195 of the General Statutes, relating to tare on bales of cotton. Section 1. That Section 1,195 of the General Statutes, relating to tare on bales of cotton, be, and the same hereby is, amended by striking out the whole of said section and inserting the following in lieu thereof, so that said section, as amended, shall read as follows: Section 1,195. The custom of mak ing a deduction from the actual weight of bales of unmanufactured cotton, as an allowance for breakage or draft thereon, is abolished; and all contracts made in relation to such ctstton shall be deemed and taken as referring to the true and actual weight thereof without deduction; and no tare shall be deducted from the weight of such bales of cotton except the actual weight of the bagging and ties used in baling said cotton. Section 2. That this Act shall take effect from and after the 1st day of September, 1890. Section 3. That all Acts or parts of Acts in conflict, or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act be, and the same are hereby, repealed. And whenever it shall be agreed between the buyer and seller to deduct tare on cotton bales,, it shall be as follows: For bales of cotton covered with saven yards of standard cotton bagging and six iron ties the actual tare shall be, and is hereby, fixed at sixteen pounds, and for bales of cotton covered with seven yards of standard jute bagging and six iron ties the actual tare shall be, and is hereby, fixed at twenty four pounds; and when buyer and seller agree to sell at net weight, and when bales of cotton are covered witk seven yards of standard cotton bag. ging and six iron ties the actual tare shall be, and is hereby, fixed at six teen pounds, and when bales of cot ton are covered with seven yards of standard jute bagging and six iron ties the actual tare shall be, and ia hereby, fixed at twenty-four pounds. This law conforms to the demands of the Farmers' Alliance and Indus trial Union, and we call on the Legis latures of other cotton producing States to follow the lead of South Carolina. Old Fogy. CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY. The agriculturists of the country are smffering, their lands are decreas ing in price and their products sell for lessand less each year. November 25th, 1888, wheat in Chicago sold for $1.05; on November 25th, 1889, wheat sold for 79 L8 cents per bushel. Is this decline be cause we raise large amounts of grain yearly ? Let us see. Tne last agri cultural report shows that we produce 480 millions of bushels of wheat. In 1880 we raised 504 millions, in 1884, 512 millions. The ratio of increase of population would require 675 millions but instead we are actually raising less. To-day it takes 3 bushels of wheat to buy as much money as 2 bushels did before. It is claimed by the financial world that the increase in actual wealth since 1880 is eighteen thousond millions; The farming lands of the country have decreased over 20 per cent, in the older States since 1880. The country's prosperity is then not with the farmer but with the banker and broker, with trusts and monopolists andith railroad and in surance companies. Is it not. time for the foundation of all prosperity to be looked af ,r, shall we ignore the cries that from ail parts of our country are constantly ascend ing for greater currency ? Old Fo3y. rHE LATEST THING IN BUTTER MAKING. We sometimes hear it said that u wonders will never cease," and this seems to be an age of wonders. The' latest invention in the line of dairying appears to be the butter-extractor, which takes the butter directly from the new milk and delivers it in the granular form. The sweet miik, at a temperature of 62 degrees Fahren heit, is run into the extractor and comes out creamed milk and granular butter. In an experiment recently made in New York City, the experts present expressed entire satisfaction with the result, the butter being by them pronounced of the first quality and almost entirely free from cassous matter. The milk had remaining in it less than one-quarter of 1 per cent, of fat. Seven pounds of butter, from twenty-one gallons of milk, were turned out in seven minutes. As this was only a brief trial, doubtless cons derably faster extraction of thfl butter will ultimately be reached. T;ie butter-extractor is built on the same principle as the centrifugal creamer, and is worked in a similar manner. Indeed, it is a centrifugal milk-separator with a churn attach ment. This is called an ' agitator," and is placed in the center of the bowl, where the cream is collected. Its ac tion secures the extension of the appli cation of the centrifugal force to the complete separation of the butter, in stead of the cream from the milk. The machine appears to be perfectly practical as well as philosophical. Is is only a further application of wht is already well understood and adopted in dairy practice. But so far it has made only sweet batter, free from lactic acid, which is bv some declared to be the desideratum in giving flavcr. Possibly sour milk can be separated; if not, washing the butter in sour milk is suggested as an easy method of giv ing it a buttermilk or oleomargarine flavor. The butter comes from the extractor in such a pure condition that it ought to keep well, if only pure salt is added to it. Milky Way. I am vith the laboring people; we never agreed to pay the 6-20 bonds in , gold or coin. No man can find it in the U v or bonds. I will never sub mit to have one money for the bond holder and another for the people. It would sink any party, and ought to. Benj. Wake, in U S Senate, 18C9. I
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 14, 1890, edition 1
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