Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Jan. 21, 1890, edition 1 / Page 1
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- INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. RALEIGH, N. C JANUARY 21, 1890. No. 49 foL 4. ! f y I i , TinMAL FARMERS AL r TANCE AND INDUSTRIAL U UNION. President-!, KPolk, Raleigh, N. C. l yjce.fresiueuu . i'5fSeSy-J. H- Turner La Grage Srer-W. H. Hickman, Puxico, Xer-Ben Terrell, Texas. EXECUTIVE BOARD. n W Macune, Washington, D. C. lionzo Wardall, Huron, South Dakota, j p Tillman, Palmetto, Tennessee. JUDICIARY. p C. Patty, Macon, Mississippi. Isaac IfcCracken, Ozone, Arkansas, gran Jones, Dublin, Texas. -TH CAROLINA FARMERS STATE ALLIANCE. president Elias Carr, Old Sparta, N.C. Vice-President A. H. Hayes, Bird- Sretary E. 0. Beddingfield, Raleigh, 1 Treasurer J. D. Allen, Falls, N. C. Lecturer Thos. B. Long, Longs, N. C. Assistant Lecturer R. B. Hunter, Char- 1aap1'am--J- J- Scott Alfordsville, If 0 Door Keeper TV. H. Tomlinson, Fay etteyiUe, N. C. Assistant Door Keeper H. E. King, Peanut, K C. Serseant-at-Arms J. S. Holt, Chalk State Business Agent w. worm, Ealeieh, N. 0. Trustee xjusiueos hilgwj i uuu i . Graham, Machpelah, JN. U K1CUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CARO LINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. S "R Alexander. Chariot' e. N. C. flhair nan- J. M. Mewborae, Kinston N. C; J. S. Johnston, Ruffin, N. C. RESOLUTIONS. 'Pernell, Wake Co., N. C , January 11, 1890. Resolved, That we, the members of Little Rock Alliance, No. 177, do obli gate ourselves to patronize, for the next twelve months, W. B. Dunn, plow manufacturer at yWake Forest, and that we request all Alliance men vho can conveniently do so, to use Dunn's castings, for we believe that said Dunn i3 a friend to the Alliance, and that his castings are superior to some others on the market. Resolved, That this resolution be sent to The Progressive Farmer for publication. W. J. Simpson, Sec'y- THE FARMERS' ST. LOUIS CON VENTION. Iheir Declaration of Cardinal Principles, Embracing Restoration of Silver to the Standard of Values Government Control and Ownersnip of Telegraph and Railroad Lines The Sub Treas ury Plan. BY OLD FOGY. ' Mr. President: I know of no event in the last quarter of a century, so pregnant with meaning as the union of the different " farmers' or ders,' embracing the Alliances of the North and South, the -Wheel and Mutual Benefit Association, and their confederation on lines common to all with the Knights of Labor. I have never seen, Congress not ex cepted, an abler body of men assem bled, and since the Declaration of Independence was given to the world, no body of men has been inspired with a purer and loftier patriotism. Their declaration of principles is so pre eminently just that no man who loves bis country more than party, or its spoils, can long hesitate to join the forces now being rapidly marshalled for the right. The Progressive Farmer's "Old Fogy " wants here and now to go on record in relation to the cardinal doc trines enunciated at St. Louis. TIIE SILVER QUESTION. The Republican and Democratic parties both oppose the views we en tertain. Both the old parties go hand i hand in doing all they can to keep "the silver dollar of our fathers " in abeyance. The leaders of both parties millionaires, and are interested in ynks and stocks much more than jfoy are in the honest yeomanry of aeir country. The banks (hence the leaders of both Parties) are interested in reducing the circulation of silver and for the follow reasons: .The government has by legislation ftyen the banks a monopoly of money privilege (thus showing clearly that Neither party is in sympathy with the doctrines of the founders of mir Ro J uu eauu iiiiiuun oi uonars in circulation (paper) the loss by fire, etc., amounts to 2 per cent, per decade: mai it is a dear gam to the banks yi $-io,ooo every ten years by reason . . , i of losses on each million in circulation. With fires like Chicago's, and floods like Johnstown's, with thou sands of smaller disasters overtaking the people, the National banks have gained since they began to issue cur rency over twenty five millions of dol lars by the causes just assigned. Is it not time for the people to ab olish a system that grows ricb, and vulture-like, fattens on the losses of the poor. It should be the policy of our gov ernment to restore silver to the place it occupied prior to I860. It was then the unit of values, of exchange. To day, all the Republics of the New World desire silver as the unit of ex change. T 4 T1TTO 1 VOTITTJ tilTaTOAVITTI I am glad that Yankee and Con federate colonels and privates have had the courage, the manliness and the patriotism to bid their " old par ties get behind them," and thus cement the brotherhood and destroy partisan ship in our common country. Their wise action at St. Louis de stroyed prejudice and sectionalism in the minds of all, save professional place hunters. The united orders gave to the coun try National issues, and all the poople can unite and fight as in 1776, the kingly perogatives and vested rights that now form the burden of their every wish and prayer that monopo lists have or utter. The banks and combines have set up an anti-Christ, a God Mammon, and all the people are commanded to follow and obey. But they, like the prophet of old, will be more than astonished to find how many have not bowed the knee to Baal. I thank God, patriotism is not a thing of the past with the yeomanry of our country, and in their hearts the love of liberty is far greater than the love of gold. GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF RAILROAD AND TELEGRAPH LINES. In England, telegraphic messages are sent on government lines at a trifle compared with the cost on the Western Union. If the cost of send ing messages and maintenance of lines in England is very much less than in this country, we ought to reduce the present cost one-half. All the people are interested in commerce and trade and a cheap rapid communication is to the best interests of all. The weather bureau would be much more effective than now, as each operator could also be an observer, and the display of sig nals would be as much more general as the data would be more complete. No false reports as to crops could then be sent out, for each operator could know the exact amount of crops shipped or warehoused each day. y( RAILROADS. In India, on the government rail road, fares on the lowest class are only one-half cent per mile, a higher class one cent per mile, and so on up to two cents per mile. I hold that passenger traffic ought to be graded according to speed, com fert and convenience, so that the poor who could not afford to travel in state could go either on business or pleasure at a low rate. It is not just or right for any rail road to charge as much per mile" when hauled on freight trains as when fly ing over the country on a limited ex press; and yet in defiance of right the poor are now charged more per mile than the rich. If you doubt this see the difference between local and through rates of travel. This seems to be the policy of the government to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. All freight trains ought to be com pelled by law to run passenger cars attached at lowest rates. Government control would abolish ruinous competition in favor of a town where the directors of the railroad have their interests centered, as against country villages and points not terminal. Competing roads now arrange their schedule to injure competing lines, and this is to the injury and detri ment of all who travel. All this would be changed under control of the government. CAN RAILROAD RATES BE REDUCED AND YET BE PROFITABLE ? For an answer let me cite you facts. The Central Railroad, of New York is limited by law to two (2) cents per mile (passenger traffic) and while the stock has been watered and watered until the road could be duplicated at less than half its stock val Je, yet the stock of the railroad in question sells from 108 to 115. The government railroads of India have not nearly the advantages we have, and yet they are profitable. Right hre a question of vital im portance arises. It is this: Should roads used for the transportation of the people's produce or to further commerce be used for profit? I hold, sirs, they should not. The Erie Cen tral has done more to make New York city the metropolis of our coun try than any other line that can be named. Tolls sufficient to pay expen ses should only be charged on railroad lines. They should, like our public roads, like our rivers, be kept in good condition for transportation by the people, for all the people, for their ad vantage and benefit. Transportation, either of persons or freight on rail roads, should be as transportation of mail matter, it should be done at cost for the people's good. The same ob jects are in view having railroads that are in view in hiving a public road. Public good and their conveniences. Then let them be build, operated and used in the same way, only with this modification, let the tax be in propor tion to use, and let the tax be direct. RAILROAD METHODS. There are hundreds of short lines, from 25 to 250 miles in length, that have a full set of officers and for their names and supposed services they are paid extravagantly. These short lines are combined into systems over which other sets of officers act with kingly authority, and draw from the earn ings of the roads a princely revenue, and not unfrequently one wealthy man is president of a half dozen or more of railroads and drawing pay from all for services that could not be rendered. They are those who have special trains, the right of way is always theirs, and your passenger fare for 80 miles of travel is expended every time a champagne cork goes skyward. Favors in the form ef passes and" re bates hold to their service a horde of men without firm principles of right. Towns are built up, others are dis criminated against to enrich the favored few, and without a shadow of right. Railroads are not to-day what they claimed they would be when as hum ble suppliants they prayed the legisla tures to grant their charters. When they were chartered it was for the public good ; they were to be the ser vants of the people. To-day they are for private greed and are masters of us all. ATTORNEYS. In the employ of the railroad there are over 7,000 lawyers, paidy early, and other thousands retained, and in cases of great importance, fees extra are paid, from 10,000 to 100,000 dollar?. All this amounts to over twenty, five millions of dollars yearly, and besides this the court charges. All this vast amount of treasure comes out of the people. Had you ever asked why railroads seem to be so fond of litigation? If not just think it over and you will see that you not only pay your attorneys but that the people also pays their attorneys as well as their own. By charter many of the railroads are limited to G or 8 per cent., and while they either water stock openly or issue stock scrip, yet they prefer to hire lawyers and lob byists for their influence and to work for them than to lower their rates of freight so as to give the people relief. Nor is this all. Many railroads were built or newly railed and equipped when steel rails and engines cost thrice what they do now, and though the inner circle made fortunes by their contracts, the railroads thus costing in the aggregate about three times what they could be duplicated for now, yet we are made to pay rates to cover cost to the stockholders. They rob the people and enrich themselves in another way. Take a railroad stocked at 40,000 per mile, bonded for 15 to 20,000 dol lars per mile. This new road has rates made in favor of, and with the main line with which it connects, so that the new railroad is soon nearly bankrupted, a foreclosure is had, the railroad is bought for a trifle, and then re-capitalized at a still greater value, but now annexed to a system and then pays 6 per cent, on the stock, at many times the cost at-foreclosure. Millionaires and paupers fallow this method just as naturally as day suc ceeds night. . With newspapers subsidized they continue to increase their power until they havejgrown to be giants and dic tate lines of policy to both Democratic and Republican parties and railroads and afe now seeking to control the judiciary of our country. Our Supreme Court is burdened with their cases and our only hope is to change the present law so as to made it as it was prior to 1860. Our State Supreme Court -final in jurisdic tion. Under government control all this would be changed. First-class passenger rates need not exceed one cent per mi'e and freight a fourth its present tariff rates. I hold that railroad managers admit this to be true. They say in defence of their absorption policy that the more railroad connecting, under one management, the cheaper the tariff rates and the better the service. This only proves my position to be true. Place them all under one management and the ; service would be infinitely better and cheaper, and the only way to prevent extortion is for the govern ment to own and control the rail roads. CAN WE, GET CONTROL OF THE HAIL ROADS ? This inquiry has been frequently made since the St. Louis Convention. It is said they build and own the roads; that they are chartered com panies; tin -u they have vested rights; that they own under forms of law, etc. In reply I answer, so talked the Tories from 1760 to 1790 they said the colonies were chartered by the King, and so they were. They said the crown had vested rights; that all their acts were under forms of law, and it was true. But a handful of patriots that were so obtuse as not to see that one gener ation could barter away the rights of the succeeding one, destroyed kingly charters and vested rights and forms of law at ne Herculean blow. The pedple of our country are in no good temper to see Pinkerton's spies or policemen thrust back at the point of the bayonet men who are pleading with plutocrats for wages, that will be sufficient to keep their families from starvation. You may call tbs revolutionary if you will, and so it is, but the people who are the real rulers will see to it that like our sister republic of Brazil that it shall be a bloodless one. How did the railroads get their forms of law, their vested rights, thejr, chartered privileges, the lands they own ? Was not the people's land confiscated for their good ? Did not the farmers whose lands were taken have their charters, under forms of law, that ante dated the rights the rail roads were vested with ? Did not the people have a patent, a charter from the State itself ? We call these char ters title deeds. The railroad companies called our attention to the fact that the police powers of the State had always been reserved, and that as it was for the "public good" to have railroad', and so the State revoked the charters it had given us and gave the land to others with chartered rights attached. The railroad told us that we would be compensated for the land for the number of years the railroad was chartered for, and by contract the railroads were to be . given these pow ers for the public good and not for private gain. The Constitution of the United States recognized the right to hold slaves, and yet there came a time when it was said that the public good demanded their freedom, and the slave holder had his chartered rights and vested privileges and all the forms of law taken a way. The Hon. Hannibal Hamlin said in the U. S. Senate March 10th, 1858: "Forms of law ! God knows there is nothing but form in it. Forms of law ! Long years ago the mother country undertook to oppress these colonies by forms of law; the noble patriot John Hampden was per secuted under forms of law, and for his love of liberty under forms of law despotism is created. Under forms of law all' the wrongs of which the mind of man can conceive have been perpetrated. Under forms of law' liberty itself has been stricken down. Under farms of law the Son of Man was arraigned and stretched upon the cross. So say I. Under forms of law the United States could build competing lines alongside of every mile of profit able railroad in the United States and then, under forms of law the present owners would receive nothing. What a fine system of doube track railroad we would have then. Under forms of law we propose to take the railroads just as they in de defiance of our vested rights, in de fiance of our charters that; antedate theirs by a century or more, we the people will take back to ourselves the enlisted powers and domain which has been so badly mismanaged. A STRONG GOVERNMENT. It is said that this would make a strong government. That an admin istration would be hard to displace with ail this patronage in its hands. Who proposes to place all this patron age in the hands of the General Gov ernment ? We do not. We propose to put it in the hands of the people. This government ought to be the peo pie's. It ought to be by and for the people. If the people employ any part of their number to look after their collective interests, is there any thing contrary to the genius of our government in the plan ? There need be no more employees than now, and at least 20,000 officers, lawyers and lobbyists less than now. To day the combined billions of dol lars invested in railroads is controlled by less than 5,000 principal officers. We propose for 60 millions to have a say in the management. The pres ent managers have but little interest in the government, but seek by brib ery and corruption the control of the legislature, the executive and judicial departments. OUR PLAN. We favor a Cabinet officer whose sole duty would be to attend to trans portation. This Secretary of Trans portation would take the place of a score of kingly railroad presidents and a horde of corporation presidents. Each State would have a superinten dent of transportation and the State superintendents be elected by the people of the several States. Thus we would have no administration pat ronage and the mail and telegraph and express superintendents would also be elected by the people instead of being appointed by the head of the adminis tration, and our plan would actually lessen by more than one hundred thousand the number of appointees by the administration. Each party, anxious to succeed, would place in nomination their best men suited for the placs, as they now do for Super intendents of Sehooh or Judges 0' our courts. In many cases a practical civil service could be inaugurated if thought advisable. . . . ... , ADVANTAGES... , The transferring of this vast power from the plutocrats to the people would be a great reform. Reduction of passenger and freight rates would save the people yearly untold millions of dollars. Such monopolies as the Standard Oil Co. could no longer exist. The smallest shipper would have the same opportunities the largest enjoyed. The country mer chant and the farmer would stand on a level in shipments with Armour or Hutch. Billions of dollars now locked up in railroad and telegraph lines would then go into factories and mines, into farms and improvements. The wage earner and bread-winner would be in demand and the thousands that now go to bed supperless would find profit able employment. These advantages alone entitle our demands to be placed alongside the Declaration of Inde pendence. THE OXFORD MEETING. Official Proceedings of the Farmers' Al liance, as Furnished by Publication Committee Bright Tobacco Farmers Form a Special Permanent Organiza tion. Oxford, N. C , Jan. 11. The con vention of the Farmers1 Alliance and Industrial Union of the bright tobacco belt of North Carolina and Virginia met in the Opera House here at 1 1 o'clock a. m., January 9tb, and was called to order by Bro. W. T. Adams, President of the Granville County Alliance. Rev. Dr. R. H. Marsh offered a prayer. An address of welcome was deliv ered by Hon. R. W. Winston on be half of the mayor and citizens of Ox ford, and was responded to by Bro. J. B. Smith, of Caswell, on behalf of the convention. Mr. Winston's speech was very acceptable to the Alliance, and showed him to be a man of broad and liberal culture and well informed in regard to the great evils of monop oly in the days of the past as well as the future. Bro. Smith's response was well conceived and to the point. Adjourned until l:3o p. m AFTE SNOON SESSION. An organization was effected by electing Col. George Williamson of Caswell, N. C, President; T. Y.' Allen, of Mecklenburg, Va., Secretary, and T. B. Lindsay, of Rockingham, N. C, Assistant Secretary. The convention then w6nt into a committee of the whole to admit of a free discussion of the tobacco trust. Adjourned at 5 p. m. NIGHT SESSION. The convention re-assembled at 6:3o p, m. The following by-laws and declarations were adopted for perma nent organization: Profoundly impressed with the im portance 01 protecting t&e tobacco in terests, we, the members of the Farm ers' Alliance and Industrial Union of the Bright Tobacco Belt of North Carolina and Virginia, in convention assembled, resolve, 1st, To Jabor together for the mu. tual benefit of the tobacco grower. 2nd, Realizing the importance of unity, we pledge ourselves to stand together. 3rd, That we will use every meana in our power to defeat the purposo of any combination that operates to de preciate the price of leaf tobacco. 4 th, This organisation shall be known as the Bright Tobacco Farm ers' Alliance and "industrial Union of the United States. 5th, That the Union shall be com posed of three delegates from each county composing the Union. The committee on resolutions offered the following: Resolved 1st, That Te do call upon every citizen of our common country to unite with us in our efforts to hurl from their eeats.in the halls of our State and National Legislatures all traitors to our liberties and industrial interest inalienably guaranteed to us by the founders of our government, and to fill their places with servants who will respect the laws of .our country and the rights and liberties of its people. 2nd, That we fully approve of and endorse all bills introduced in Con gress for the repeal of the tobacco tax, and demand of our representa tives from North Carolina and Vir ginia, regardless of party interest, to press the same to an early passage. 3rd, That we do most heartily en dorse the action of the St. Louis Con vention in regard to the sub treasury system Here follows that system, which it is unnecessary to repeat. FRIDAY MORNING SESSION. The Friday morning session opened at 9 o'clock. After reading minutes of previous day, the election of officers for permanent organization, occurred, with the following result: President--W. C. Johnston, of Boydton, Mecklenburg county, Va. Vice President . R. Scott, Chat ham, N. C. Secretary T. Y. Allen, of Skip with, Mecklenburg county, Va. Chaplain Rev. Dr. R. H. March, of Oxford, N. C. This resolution, offered by the dele gates from Stokes, Rowan and Vance counties, was adopted: Resolved, That it is the sense of this body that it is for the good of the order and the advancement of our cause that all Alliance men patronize the Alliance co operative warehouses and factories a3 established or may bo established in the different tobacco markets. The convention adjourned at 1 p. m , subject to call of the President The delegates returned to their homes fully satisfied that the work of the convention will result in much good to the Alliance and all industrial classes. They appreciated the cordial hospitality of the citizens of Oxford, who vied with each other in generous attention to them, and left with the kindliest feelings towards the town and its citizens individually, who do nated over $4,ooo to the Alliance of Granville county to assist in building an Alliance warehouse here. This ai J was accepted in the spirit in which it ;-;s tendered, and work will begin at once. An Alliance warehouse was established in Oxford over a year ago, and has proved a complete success. The order has also located in this city a tobacco factory, nianufactuiing both plug and smoking goods, and which has been awarded a diploma by the North Carolina State Agricultural Society for the best package of smok ing tobacco made in North Carolina. Yes, we may all congratulate our selves that this cruel war i3 nearing a close. It ha3 cost a vast amount of treasure and blood. The best blocd of the flower of American youth has been freely offered upon our country's alter. It has indeed been a trying hour for the republic; but I see in the near future a crisis arising that un nerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations haye been enthroned, and, an era of ccr ruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by work ing up'oj the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a fe-sr hands and the republic is destroyed. I feel at this time more anxiety for the safety cf my country tLan ever before, even in the midst of the war. God grant that my fear3 may prove groundless. Lincoln.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Jan. 21, 1890, edition 1
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