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. x, t i 7 T ' THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OP OUR PEOPLE PARAL?0UH7 TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.. Vol. 4. RALEIGH, N. 0., FEBRUARY 11, 1890. No. 52 THE NATIONAL FARMERS' AL LIANCE AND INDUSTRIAL UNION. President L. L. Polk, Raleigh, N. C. Vice-President B. H. Clover, Cain bridge, Kansas. Secretary J. H. Turner, La Grange, Treasurer W. H. Hickman, Puxico, Jlissouri. Lecturer Ben Terrell, Texas. EXECUTIVE BOARD. C. W. Macune, Washington, D. C. Alonzo Wardall, Huron, South Dakota. J. F. Tillman, Palmetto, Tennessee. JUDICIARY. R. C. Patty, Macon, Mississippi. Isaac McCracken, Ozone, - Arkansas. Evan Jones, Dublin, Texas. r CSTH CAROLINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. Presidant Elias Carr, Old Sparta, fcT.C. Vice-President A. H. Mayes, .Bird town, N. 0. Secretary E. 0. Beddingfield, Raleigh C. 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, Door Keeper W. H. Tomlinson, Fay ofteville. N. C. Assistant Door Keeper H. E. King, Paniit. N". C. Sergeant-at-Arms J. S. Holt, Chalk Level, JS. C. State Business Agent W. H. Worth, Raleigh, N. C. Trustee Business Agency Fund W. A Graham, Machpelah, N. C. tXEOUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CARO LINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. S. B. Alexander, Chariot! e, N. C. Chair oan; J. M Mewborne, Kinston N C; J. S. Johnston, Ruffin, N. C. LETTER FROM GASTON. Catawba Creek Alliance, No. 636. Ms. Editor: After quite a long silence we again knock for admittance to the columns of our beloved paper, We are all proud of The Progressive Farmer, and believe it to be one of ' tlirbeet ;and ablest advocates of - the Alliance cause. While we have been silent, judging from our absence from vour rjaner. we have not been idle drones in the great Alliance hive. Our Alliance all cheerfully endorse the work of the St. Louis Convention and are greatly encouraged by the good feeling and harmony which pre vailed among the delegates from all parts of our common country. It is indeed cheering to the heart of the true citizen of this great nation to re view the work of that convention in its efforts to secure the enactment of such measures as will bring about a return of the prosperity so much de sired and needed to the great mass of tailing Americans. To restore pros perity to the 50,000,000 of wealth producers of the United States is a jsause worthy of the most profound consideration. To do this, two things iare essential, to-wit: for us to reform ourselves in point of energy, indus try, economy and agricultural intelli I gence and to reform our laws so as to relieve us of the unnecessary and bur- densome taxation now exacted from us; namely, reform in tariff, in the circulating medium and in un just exactions of railroads and ungodly robbery of trusts and monopolies. Down with the privi leged classes and give us justice. We ask no favoritism. "We ask only for relief from injustice and financial tyranny. Let our govern ment give us this and the cry of de pression and pauperism will vanish from our land. It would stimulate our energies, inspire us with ambition and revive in us anew the spirit of patriotism and love of home and coun try, so long cramped by oppression and smothered by robbery and iniquit ous disregard of the rights of individ ual citizenship. Give a man just pro tection for home, fireside, and his per son, and you make him a patriot ready to die for his country's honor; rob him of these and you compel to arise in his heart the seeds of anarchy. Then, fellow members, since our order has in view the accomplishments of such noble and essential measures, let us be especially vigilant within our own ranks. No organization is free torn the wolf in sheep's clothing. Men will seek to make the Alliance a ladder for their own use, having only a selfish motive instead of the common good of society. Remember that eternal vigilance is the mother of suc cess, laziness of failure. Let it not be your only aim to secure members in your Sub-Alliances; but to secure good, true, honest, working patriotic fcen and women, who will do your order good and reflect credit upon the Alliance. You may reform men after fcey join, but be sure they are converts ere they enter your halls. Admit no j man simply because he is a farmer or a laborer; but be sure of his character for truth, honesty and reliabi'ity. The principles of the Alliance are too sacred to be trussed in the hands of every one. Again, be true to your obligation and stand by the enterprises of the organization. Every effort will be used by the enemies of this organization to produce dissatisfaction and a rupture in our ranks. Study the principles of the Alliance. At our last meeting of the Gaston County Alliance, such was the interest manifested in the cause that our County Lecturer was instructed to visit every Sub Alliance in the county during the next three months. We are sure much good will result. Our county is well organized, but we want our membership instructed and kept actively at work in the great cause which will result in the emancipation of labor from financial tyrany. Yours fraternally, "Wm. H. Wilson, Sec'y. INTERESTING LETTER FROM VIRGINIA. Mr. Editor: Although in another State, and m distance a long way off, yet the regular receipt of your paper, bringing, as it does, the news and workings of the brethren in a well organized State, obliterates distance and brings the ever dear Old North State, with her grand corps of work ers, near in both fact and feeling. I enjoy reading the many letters from the brethren, and feel disposed to reciprocate their kindness by giv ing you a short letter from a distance to cheer and encourage them in their noble work. Mr. Editor, your correspon lent is young in the cause, but old and strong m the faith. The only Alliance in thh community is but little over month, old. The farmers move slowly, but if any people need the Alliance it is the Bedford county farmers. Blessed with good laws and a splendid climate, . tne natural sequence .la goou crops and excellent health; yet with these natural advantages the farmers are yearly growing poorer. Our tobacco, our wneat, our corn, our nay, our beef, in short any and all crops fail to bring us any profit. Is not something wrong? It would seem so, especially when we see tobacco dealers with good bank accounts and driving fine horses, millers growing rich, fat and sauch, butchers buying and building $60,000 houses. The wrong is ap parent and the evil appalling. But thanks to the Alliance for the light that brings hope and must and will shine away the gloomy darkness. Our grand council struck the key note to our wrongs and our needs in their late meeting at St. Louis. Let us follow up and press forward the work the work they so wisely and nobly in augurated, and in furtherance thereof I would suggest that each County Alliance would instruct its President or Secretary to write to their Repre sentative m Congress and call his at tention to our "demands," especially our sub-treasury demands. Will this not strengthen our committee before Congress? Brethren, carry on the. good work, but do not let local wrongs cause vou to lose sight of national wrongs and evils. Yours fraternally. Thos. E. Cobbs. Whaley's Chappel AlliancEjNo. 335, Onslow Co., N. C. Mb. Editor: I desire to say a few words in regard to our lodge at Whaley's Chappel. We are hard at work, looking forward to the future. We are now at work trying to buy a turpentine still for our benefit the coming year. Our county meeting was held last Friday at Catharine Lake. We had a large turn out, also a fine dinner. We, the people of Onslow, enjoy the Alliance very much: we hope to derive great benefit from it, and we hope that every Alliance member enjoys it. Our lodge is improving in strength very fast. What are the sisters doing in the Alliance? Come, sisters, don't die, there is work for us to do; we can work just as well as tne brethren; let us work for the benefit of our country. If we want to derive good from the Alliance, we must work in love and harmony with our fellow-man lay aside prejudice and work together in love. I would be e-lad tn V. oar fmm the Moore's Creek Alliance, what they F. S.- Long may the. Alliance grow, and may it.be a bright and shining star to shine and brighten thp farmer's crown, that his heart mav be uueu wnu giory. Very respectfully, Addie Pigfohd. Alliance insurance. Mr. Editor: There not having been anything said from the Pee Dee Alliance for a long while, I concluded to write you for a twofold purpose. I notice in the &ate Chronicle that Richmond county is put down for 3 4 of a crop. I rise to enter my pro test against such exaggeration. The farmers of upper Richmond and lower Montgomery met and fully discussed and decided that the crop would not exceed more than 1-4 of an average crop, while it is true that lower Rich mond made about 3 4 of a crop. This, the upper Richmond, by far the best portion of the county, is later, and by failure to get an early stand, fresl ots, early frosts, etc., we are in the worst condition ever known. But with the aid of the Alliance we hope to pull through. My second reason for writing you was to endorse the Alliance insurance scheme. We have had the matter up in our Alliance and have voted unani mously for the project. The only pos sible and just plan I think of would be: First, say we have 100,000 mem bers ai.d one cent each, that would be $1,000. Second, what is the death rate of adults from 20 to 30, 40, 50, and so on? Third, then to make it equal, say a member from 20 to 30 pay one cent at each death; from 30 to 40, two cents; from 40 to 50, three cents and so on up. This, when it is ascertained what the death rate at each age, the members could be as sessed at the beginning of , the year. This added to the Alliance would be one of the greatest of all the grand features in our noble organization. Think of the great saving it would be and what a comfort it would be to a poor man to know that his family would have a little left when he had passed away. It would put it within reach of every man at an annual ex pense of not; to exceed $4 or $5. By all means have this discussed in the Sub-Alliances through the State so the scheme shall become a realized, blessing to all. Wishing The Pro gressive Farmer all the success it has merited, for it has truly been a great blessing to the farmers of our country. i ours iraternaiiy, J. M. Hinks. COAL MONOPOLIES. BY OLD FOGY. . Every student of history knows that the extraction of minerals has from time immemorial been largely in the hands of monopolies. The tin mines of Cornwall for cen turies were let by the kings and their treasury was replenished in this way. Agriculture in its diversified forms has from historic time been general and from the time of Tubal Cain until the last half a century, manufacturing has been carried on in workshops scattered in town and country. But mining for countless centuries was carried on either by the crown or leased by royalty to some wealthy prince, and the revenues were always of a princely character. To-day mining is gradually going into the hands of the few. I cite as example the coal mine3 of Pennsyl vania and West Virginia, the iron mines in the north of Michigan, and the copper mines in the same State, and the silver and gold mines in the far West. Right here I want to ask you farmers a question which I hope you will not soon forget. Did not God in His infinite wisdom create these vast deposits of . minerals for the benefit of His children? Or do you think His creatise- fiat was U3ed for a few men to become lords over us all? Do you think that our God created this world and then in His wisdom had the 'Carboniferous cycle to pass before Him in which the ferns grew like weeds and were made into deposits of coal for a half dozen rail road magnates? The total area of anthracite coal in Pennsylvania is is about 300,000 acres, ana oi tnis juu,uuu acres are owned by seven railway corporations. In 1887 the seven corporations al ready referred to sold over 34,000,- 000 tons of coal and received for it over 90,000,000 dollars. You have recently read in this paper that the Kansas farmer was sell ing his corn for 10 cents per bushel, and because he could not afford to buy Illinois coal, was using it for fuel. Again, the miners of coal in Illinois - m mm 1 .1 were pensning ior iooa wnen tne Kansas farmer had thousands of bush els of corn and would gladly have sold the coal miner or traded it for coal. How many years before the people will be compelled to pay any price these coal barons ask for their coal? i The coal fields are owned largely by the railroads and they are all pooling and combining, one trust after another is formed, and the next generation will 'see all mineral lands in the- hands of the wealthy few. I tell you now that if the people do not elect men to office who shall have the courage to control trusts, who will ta'xethe coal and ' silver mines and the railroads under government control or owner ship' your grandchildren, your chil dren, nay yourselves will be slaves of thes kingly masters. Greed and sel fishness is rampant. It must be cheeked or 'our boasted liberties will be gene. LETTER FROM WILSON COUNTY iToisNOT Alliance, No. 986, j Jan. 15, 1890. Ma. Editor: As Secretary of this Alliance, 'it becomes my sad duty to chroia-ile the death of our esteemed brother Wiley H. Well3, which oc curred December 4th, 1889. . This Alliance has. in his death, lost a good, substantial member, one devoted to the trae principles of the order; his family a kind and loving husband and father, the community an honest, up right citizen. ., ..' 4- Otjr Alliance is moving steadily on, with !a full membership of true Alli ancemen, who realize that . in union there! is strength, and fully deter mine to make the Alliance a grand success in this community. ' We are sharing the "hard times" ,with our otheunfortunate brethren, but are determined to tide over it with " hog and fromiay " for our watch word. More small grains will beaised this year than before and less cotton. Strict jeconomj and a . diversity of crops is the prevailing sentiment among! our membership. Tra.de arrangements have been made by which we can trade at a. very low rate of.intexest, which will save thou sands jf dollars to the people of this countvi ' Theo. B. Winstead, Secretary LETTER FROM NASH COUNTY, Oakland, N. C. Mr. Editor: I write to let the brethren know that we are yet in the "land of the living. Oakland Alii. v ance, No. 661, has at present about 70 members and some of them are of the very best grit, but some, I am sorry to say, do not take as much in terest in it as they ought; they do not attend the meetings regularly, and of course, do not keep up with the work ings of the order as they should; but, viewing the whole ground over, I think we should be very much encour aged. Considering the fast that Oak. land Alliance has one branch lodge with thirty or forty members and has helped two others to organize and shared members with them largely and still retains members enough to keep the "machine" greased and running, who can help feeling proud? But, brethren, there is plenty of work to do, so let's keep fighting just as long as there is an enemy on the bat tlefield and the victory will be ours We can't fight unless we know who to fight, so find enclosed $9 for The Progressive Farmer, it will tell us who our enemy is. Every member of the Alliance ought to take it. Yours fraternally, C. H. Baines, Sec'y. LETTER FROM DAVIDSON COUNTY. Orinoco, N. C, Jan. 21, '90. Me. Editor: Rich Fork Farmers' Alliance, No. 1,127, Davidson county, was or inized August 25th, 1887, by Bro. Evans, of Davidson county, with 16 members. It has increased in membership till there are now about 90 males and females enrolled on our Secretary's book. We are trying to push forward the old car, called Alliance. We hope to see the bright sun of success rise above the Eastern hill 3 and shine upon the fair land of America. .A few meetings ago we organized a Farmers' Club, to meet once a month to discuss the various subjects of farming. Our intentions, in organ izing this club, are to educate the farmer on farming subjects. At our next meeting of the Farmers' Club we intend to talk on the subject of growing Irish potatoes. We live in a country suited to the growing of potatoes, yet how many barrels ave shipped to us from other States. "We send our money off to buy the v -.ry thing we can produce the most abun dantly at home. Our club is not connected with the Alliance. It is free for everybody. Chas. B. Davis, Cor. Sec. I READING OR BOOK FARMING. Conclave, Richmond Co., N. C. This is a subject that is derided by many: We have all heard men say, you can't learn anythingfrom books about farming; tell them"jrou saw this or that in a newspaper they will tell 1 you oh! that book farming, it is not worth a cent, it will not do in the field at all. This, I assure you, is a mistake. There is many, very many hints and suggestions tcftoe gleaned from books and newspapers that are wor th dimes and dollars to us. If we wait to learn everything we know by experience we will live and die knowing very little. Life is too short. We should take up farming where our fathers laid it down, not where they com menced, and how are we going to do this? How are we going to profit by the experience of others, but by read ing? Some men are born generals, some mechanics, some orators, somo farm ers; some adapted to one profession and some to another, but the great mass of men have to read, study and practice to become efficient in any calling they may select, and if they apply themselves faithfully and per sistently, and do not rise above the average, they should quit that business and try some other. Whatever has been accomplished by4 man can be done again, and ought to be "done bet ter with all the accumulated knowl edge of the past before us. What is book farming? It does not mean that you should 'Uke your book or paper and go to the field and' sit under the shade of a persimmon tree and there read, but it means you should read and study every thing that you can possibly bring to bear- on farming, and store it away in your j head, study bad practice as well as j good, and learn to avoid the former and adopt the latter. This is the science' of agriculture. Read books until we become so perfect in theory that we "will -have - conud ee a- tin nerve to go forward and act at once. Fortify ourselves with books, such books as will teach us everything necessarv to our success; and let us not forget the fact that we cm learn something from almost every profes sion. The idea of a farmer knowing all about farming and knowing noth ing else is a falhcy; he must have knowledge of almost everything. The farmer has more to learn than any profession 1 know of, his knowledge is as varied as it is important. Book farming means for the farmer just what book-learning does for the . - physici in. There is not a man in North Caro Una of ordinary intelligence that would send for a doctor who had not studied his orofession. then why ex- L r pect the farmer to be skillful and successful, when he knows next to nothing (theoretically) about his pro fession? The medical student must read all the books, attend all the lectures and the dissecting room until he can pass a rigid examination, then take his medicine and instruments, go out to 9 practice and test his knowledge. So with book farming, we must read and study not onl y agricultural books, but all books ttiat win appiy m any way to that profession. We need the knowledge of a gen eral to enable us to control and dis cipline our laborers. We want the knowledge of a book-keeper that we may keep our accounts correctly. We must have some knowledge of me chanics and machinery or we will never know how to keep implements and machines in order or use them, and if the farmer is ignorant, how can he instruct the laborer? We should even have a sufficient knowledge of law to keep out of the courts. We should study banking and finance to enable us to keep out of debt. We should have some knowledge of com merce and trade, for we have to buy and sell. We should learn from the merchant order and punctuality, and let me say this is no small item in a lifetime business. And if we had a knowledge of medicine our doctor bills would not be so heavy. How is all this to be acquired? By reading and hard study and making application of the knowledge acquired. Knowledge is power in agriculture no less than other things, and how are we to get knowledge but by read- ing, study ana appiicauonr Agricul tural reading begets a spirit of mula tion, quickens energy and imports knowledge and confidence. Agricul tural papers have the same effect on the farmer that political papers have . 1 !. nil m 1 on tne politician.' rne xarmer nas brain and nerve that needs to be stim ulated and quickened. A good week ly newspaper is the very thing to do it, and wa havo that in The Pro gressive Farmer. I wish I could in duce evry Allianceman to tak that paper. I venture the assertion that there is nol a delinquent membe- in the State who takes and reads it. It is an easy matter to get men to act and pull together when they are well informed. Brethren, we must rouse ourselves from this, we must cSe5lttVes upon this question and unite. We must strive to awaken thought and start an inquiry from the minds of the toilers upon tho situation. We must wake up and inform ourselves 1 on this matter, or no good will come to us through this Alliance move ment. ' In conclusion let me say, to succeed we muit not only be superior to our laborers, but we must be so far ahead of them that they shall know that our plans are superior to theirs, wise, easy to put in practice and certain of sue-' cess. The laborer must have confi dence in the man that directs. How ? are all thes3 qualifications secured? I repeat, through books and agricul tural newspapers, hard study, obser vation and practice. B. F. McGregor. A SCHOOL PICNIC. Kemp'3 Mills, N. C. Me. Editor: As tho great lever 'of time carried us into thft nth rln.v nf January. 1890. we came on our wav to Fair Grove, in the Central part of Randolph county, a section noted for its farming interest, its hospitality and its grand interest in education and re finement. The occasion was that of an Alliance speaking and picnic. By ten o'clock a. m., Saturday, the mag nificent grove and spacious building was thronged with people from all parts of the county. . The quick mo tion and pleasing . expression which was depicted upon the appearance of MLC.nlJv.a5; only ap.., index. ,.ot. the good feeling which prevailed. After the necessary arrangements had been made, and the hour of 11 o'clock ar rived, the choir assembled upon the stage and greeted the audience with, some sweet vocal music, after which, prayer was offered by the Re . W. R. Brown, of Empire, N. C. ; but the crowning feature of it all was the rousing speech by Dr. D. Reid Parker, of Trinity College, tho great Alliance worker of the nation. He wis intro duced by G. H. Cox, Esq., in one of his most attractive and interesting speeches. Dr. Parker's speech of about one-half hour, was well received by an audience of about 500 souls, holding them seemingly spell-bound in admiration of the wonderful power with ' which he presented to them the evils of the present day and age, practiced" by the insatiable hungry, dollar grab bers who, like vultures, pick the bones of their laboring whi'.e, fattening upoA their hard earnings. We would be glad to give some of the jotting con nected with his speech,1 but time and' space forbids; will sufiice it to say, it was an excellent production and was voted the best lecture we have heard in many a day. At 12:30 o'clock dinner was an nounced, when the entire audience gathered around a handsome table of 1 a goodly length ladened with every thing that a hungry man could desire, and am not sure but that anon-hungry man would have been tempted to par take of it also. It was a fair sample of what the farmers' wives and daugh ters can do if you but give them a trial. Before the blessing was asked by Rev. W. R. Brown,, the school gath ered at the head of the table and sunr a most beautiful song of welcome, conducted by Mr. J. N. Cayk. The speaking, smiiUg and dinner was simply splendid, and the hospitable- manner in which it was all conducted will reflect credit upon that country for yeara to come. ' The Alliance at Fair Grove is boom ing and Dr. farker and Yancy Uor are swaying their sceptres " unmerci fully."' Very respectfully, W. W. Boroughs. LETTER FROM MITCHELL. i- Bakersville, N. C. Ms. Editor: Mine Creek Alliance, No. 1,202, ha3 been organized about one yeir. and now numbers 107 'ex- celient. members with several applica tions on tile. J herewith send you a list of seven subscribers. Tiie Peo-GRE9r-i7Z Farmer and Economist is xeid in o'js Alliiifcce and handed around which seems to give U3 a large attend ance and is the best teachers we could employ, S. M. C. Greene.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Feb. 11, 1890, edition 1
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