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' ' - ' . ' " . - - - . " . . . ' -. 1 V ' .' -. . ' ; ; - " t ' A ' V THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OP OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OP STATE POLICY, RALEIGH, N. C, MARCH 4, 1890. Vol. 5. No. 4 w0! I I i I i 11 i THE NATIONAL FARMERS' AL LIANCE AND INDUSTRIAL UNION. . I I i President-L. L. Polk, Nortli Carolina. Address, 916 E. St, N. W., Washington, D C Vice-President B. H. Clover, Cain bridge, Kansas. Secretary J. H. Turner, Georgia. Ad dress, 916 E. St, N. W., Washington, D. C. . Treasurer W. H. Hickman, Puxico, Missouri. v 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. WORTH CAROLINA FARMERS' 8TATB ALLIANCI. President Elias Carr, Old Sparta, Nf.C. Vice-President-A. H. Hayes, Bird town, N. C Secretary E. C. Beddingfield, Raleigh, N C Treasurer J. D. Allen, Falls, N. C. Lecturer Thos. B. Long, Asheville, Assistant Lecturer K. B. Hunter, Char lotte, N. C. Chaplain J. J. Scott, Alfordsville, N.C. Door Keeper W. H. Tomhnson, Fay ette ville,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, Raleigh, N. C Trustee Business Agency Fund W. A. Graham, Machpelah, N. C. EXXCUTIVE COMMITTEE 07 THE K0RTH CARO LINA FARMERS' STATS ALLIAJfCE. S. B. Alexander, Charlotte, N. C, Chairman; T. M. Mewborne, Kinston N. a; J. S. Johnston, Ruffin, N. C. - NATIONAL BANKS AS A MEANS OF FURNISHING CURRENCY. I Machpelah, N. C. Walt 1 ISQft Mr. Editor: The amount of treas ury notG(greenbacks) is . limited to $346,000,000; gold coinage is free; silver coinage is limited to not less than $2,000,000 nor more than $4,. 000,000 per month. Both parties have observed the minimum. The National Bank is therefore the only means of increasing the currency. Mr. Windom, in his report, recom mends that the banks be allowed to increase their issue to the par value of the bonds deposited to secure circula tion in lieu of ninety cents, as now I authorized, and this would seem feas I ible, as the security is ample; but have ' the banks given the people the ninety cents as authorized ? By reference to 1 the report of the Comptroller of the Currency (1S89) we find on page 31 of his report that the capital of National Banks is $612,584,095, and would authorize a circulation of $551,325, 685 National Bank notes, or $465, 58,130 more than exists, t. e. over tfree times as much as we have. This Vould give in North Carolina $2,183, 00 in lieu of $611,255. A reduction f the currency in less than seven .years of $160,627,754, or about $21, 10 00, 000 less than half. Thirteen banks with a paid-up cap- ital of $13,050,000 have not a dollar in circulation. Whole number of banks in the United States SeDt. 30. iooy, 6,6 iy; paia-up capital, $bu, 174,365; circulation, $202,023,415; but there is $72,437,560 in the hands of the Treasurer of the United States for redemption purposes when the notes come in. This deducted leaves only $129,585,855 and the banks have the power to reduce this to $85, 767,555. In North Carolina 1J 89: 19 banks, Capital $2,426,000, Circulation $611,255 Increase " 150,000, Dec'e Cir't'n 93,490 i. . ine'ee $50,210, dee'e $143,700, net dee'e 93,490 T T TT:i.J Oi.i a oi i nn A t iu tuo uuiueu obaies jci. ioay: X National Bank capital stock $620,. 174,db5, winch could have bought at least $550,000,000 bonds, on which they could give a circulation of $495, 000,000 in lieu of $202,023,415 that we have. Many .of these banks got their bonds at par or a very small advance. i In North Carolina! National Bank i capital " paid in $2426,000, would have bought $2,000,000 bonds and i nriren a circulation of 'fill. 800.000 5n I - m " J uou ui goiioo, ana buu uecreasmg. The currency has been decreasetl as the number of National Banks and tho amount of paid up capital has in 'crcased. It reminds us Of the darkey vho in Confederate times went with $10 to buy a pair 6f shoes and found the price $15. A few weeks after, having acquired the lacking $5 but found the shoes were $25; later he got the $25, but the shoes were $40; whereupon he remarked: Bress de Lord, I never seed sich money; de ino of it I gits de wuss off I is 1" So with National Banks as a foun tain of currency; the more banks and capital we have, the less money they give us. If the system is to continue, let the law be amended so as to compel the issue of the notes allowed and to pre vent retiring except in small amounts at stated intervals. The banks are no longer necessary as a market for tha bonds of the government; if they are continued in order to supply the peo pie with a currency, they should be compelled to do it or the States al lowed to authorize it to be done through State banks. But when the government gives from $125 to $129 for a $100 bond on which it only allows the banks to isssue $90, and especially when it loans banks $50,000,000 or more per annum free of interest, is it not using its power to destroy the only means it allows of increasing the currency ? W. A. Gbaham. LETTER FROM EDGECOMBE. Maple Swamp Alliance, No. 482. Mb. Editor: Just a little room, please, for we have been silent so long; however our silence did not arise from any lack of interest, but because we feared we would intrude. Among our little band we have some loyal-hearted brethren whose enthusiasm imparts itself in a measure to all; brethren who are as true to their cause as "the boys who wore the gray " were to theirs. Our members are awake to their de plorable condition, and are unanimous ly struggling for their lost freedom, though not with rapid strides, incau tiously made, but slowly, steadily, surely; they were not enslaved in a day, neither will they be emancipated in one. In the annals of time there will not be found inscribed a record of any re bellion more noble or honorable than this which our farmers have made for liberty from the galling chain of op pression. - --'.-V May God grant that some day in the near future we may see the brows of that struggling, suffering army of farmers wreathed with laurels; may see them with victorious tread march gallantly into the fort of success, with the flag of triumph waving proudly over them. So fight on, you noble farmers, Till no snch thing will be, From the AUantic to the Pacific, As a trust or monopoly. And when at laet yon bid To evtry trust, defiance. Foremost among that gallant band s Will march Maple Swamp Alliance. Belle Johnson, Cor. Sec'y. LETTER FROM NORTHAMPTON. Northampton Co. Alliance, No. 1,006. Ms. Editor: -Having seen nothing in your valuable columns from any of the Alliances in Northampton county, I ask a short space. At our meeting in January there was a resolution offered calling a meeting of the C oun ty Alliance to be held on the first Monday in February to take prelimi nary steps for furnishing the members of the different Sub-Alliances, those who are not able to obtain supplies of merchants. The Alliance met accord ing to appointment at the court house in the town of Jackson- There were a great many present, though our much esteemed President, W. J. Rogers, was absent. The Alliance was opened in due form by Vice President, Dr. Daniel S. Ellis, who is always pleasing and ready to 'perform any duty imposed upon him by the Alliance. After explanatory remarks a report was called for from the com mittee of investigation that was ap pointed at the January meeting. They reported and to my great sur prise there were only six in .the Alli ance, out of a membership of over five hundred, that were unable to secure advances. Then a resolution was offered that each Alliance in the county should have the opportunity of subscribing to a fund for the conti get members. This is right, brothren, look after the needy, help the poor, encourage the weak; but not in sloth, but stimulate, and let us do all within our power to comply with the obliga tion that we have taken one with an other. Times are very hard in old North anipton county We have asked at the hands of the Chief Executive, but no assistance as yet has been vouch safed unto us, so we as good and true Alliancemen, true to the principles of our order, in spite of the Governor or any other authority pf the State, do not and .will not allow any of our brotherhood, in good standing, to suffer if within our power to prevent it. So, brethren, we are on the right side, and the great ruler of the uni verse will always help ihose that try to help themselves, for the Bible has plainly sid by tbe sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread, and as this seems to be a geueral thing throughout this entire State, I would suggest that we buy less, talk less, stay at home more, work more, and above all, lets quit, henceforth and forever this everlasting and eternal grumbling. Take things as they come. We .Southern people make the times hard with us in vari ous ways, and let us, as farmers, present ourselves to the world as poli ticians, claim that we are during a campaign. The demagogue tells us that we are the bone and sinew of tha land. If that be true, brethren of the Alliance, let us be the bone and sinew of the land not in mere name by him who desires your votes, but in a true sense. One more suggestion and I am through. Let us learn to raise our own snpplies; more hog and hom iny, less cotton and other things that we cannot use as food. The Alliance in Northampton coun ty is alive and up to duty in some things, but others I fear are waiting for some great revolution. The revo lution has come, and the year of 1889 will be a year long to be remembered by all The County Commissioners held & meeting recently for the purpose of trying to help the needy. Their action at this writing I have not learned. This is my first attempt, and for fear of the waste basket, I close. . Sec't No. 1,006. A SOUTH CAROLINA BROTHER'S NEW YEAR REFLECTIONS. Mb. Editor: Who, oh who can number the murdered hours, how many unpardoned sins, how many broken promises and vows, how many falsehoods how many bitter oaths, how many broken Sabbaths, how many disobediencies to parents, how many vain and idle thoughts, and thousands Of unsettled wrongs of different kinds there are locked up in gone-by years that will burst our race when the key of the future shall unlock them all in the resurrection morn ? New years bring new trials, diffi culties, losses and crosses, temptations; and even death will rob this new year of thousands of whom it can now boast. There are those who are ex-' pecting to see many years come and go, who will sleep beneath the green sod before 181. Mare we improved the past ? What are we doing now ? . . Shall we all meet in Ilea ren at last, Or mnier Satan bow ? Years to come seem long, but fly Swift as eairles in the sky; Sat when they pass like summer showers, TLey seem to us as but few hours. May the Giver of all good help us to improve each moment of this new year, as it comes to us, as we shall all wish in death we had done, and may we all be elevated to a higher plane in the divine life. Unlimited success to the grand and high toned Progressive Farmer and may it always keep in the stream that never runs dry. Fraternally, G. B. W. Dunn. Red Hill, S. C, Feb. 18, '90. GARFIELD'S WORDS. I am glad to have the opportunity of standing up against a rabble of men who hasten to make weather cocks of themselves. Who of us would not be commun ists in a despotism ?.. If the power to do hard work is not talent, it is the best possible substitute for it. The laborer has but one commodity to sell his day's work. It is his sole reliance. He must sell it to-day or it is lost forever. A monopoly of popular honors is as much of a tyranny as a monopoly of wealth. The men who succeed best in public life are those who take the risk of standing by their own convictions. If you are not too large for the place, you are too small to fill it. Great ideas travel slowly, and for a time noiselessly, as the gods whose feet were Bhod with wool. t hold it 'equally necessary to liberty and good government that the press should comment with the utmost free dom upon public acts and opinions of all men who hold positions of public trust. : The National Constitution and the constitutions of most of the States wre formed before the locomotive existed, and, of course, no special provisions were made for its control. Are our institutions strong enough to stand the knock and strain of this new force ? I fail to believe that the genius and energy that have developed these new and tremendous forces will fail to make them not the masters, but the faithful servants of society. The word statistics " itself did not exist until 1749, whence we date the beginning of a new science on which modern legislation must be based in order 'to be permanent. The treatise of Achsnwall, the German philosopher who originated tiie word, laid the foundation of many of the greatest re forms ih. modern legislation. Suti sties are Stte facts, facts for the considera tion of ktatesmen, such as they may not neglect with safety. Is it tiot of more consequence to .do something for the farmer of the future than f oi the farmer to day ? Political parties, like poets, are born, not made. Real political issues cannot be manu factured by the leaders of political parties, and real ones cannot be evaded by political parties. a FERTILIZER ANALYSES FOR t 1890: Mr. Editor: Experiment Station Bulletiu No. 69 will e ready for mail ing Feb; 28. It will contain all an alyses of fertilizers, sampled by the ofS .-ial i inspectors, which have been finished -up to date. ; The fertilizer season this year for a variety of reasons is an exceptionally late one. Not until the latter part of January, owing to late shipments, was it possible for the inspectors to find the brands on sale. And as the value of our whole fertilizer inspection de pends on the fertilizer samples being taken after the goods are shipped into the State and offered for sale, neces sarily if these shipments are delayed, the analyses in consequence will be retarded. This bulletin contains, there fore, a limited number only of the brands licensed, but they are pub lished at this time with the desire of accomplishing as much good as pos sible, i: giving to the farmers some analyses at least which may aid them in their purchases. Valuations for 1890 have a different meaning from the values of previous years Heretofore it has been attempt ed to give by the commercial value, an approximation of the retail cost of the mixed fertilizer for cash at the seaboard. That is, the price which a man at the seaboard ought to give for the complete fertilizer. This plan was to Eome extent unsatisfactory, and gives place this year to the new sys tem. The commercial value as given to a fertilizer this season (1890) means the actual retail cost for each of the ingredients in bags at the seaboard. It does not include the cost of mixing these ingredients, nor of branding the bags, nor of handling the mixed fer tilizer, nor any expenses contingent upon the management of an extensive fertilizer manufactory. A farmer when he buys a fertilizer this year, by glancing at the commercial valuation, as given by the Experiment Station, can see what is the actual cash worth of the ingredients composing it at the sea board. For interior points, freight to those points from the seaboard must be added. . The valuation for the three ingredi ents for this year by this system will be: For available phosphoric acid, 5 cents per pound; for ammonia, 13 cents per pound ; for potash, 5 cents per pound. This system, and this valuation, has been adopted by the combined States of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina. Bulletin 69 will be sent to each name on the mail list of the "Experiment Station. Those who are especially de sirous of getting this bulletin' at once, will do well to reques: the same by postal card; as necessarily, with such an extensive mailing list, it must be some days before all the names can be supplied from it. H. B. Battle, Director. Raleigh, N. C, Feb. 21, '90. POWER OF THE PEOPLE. There is no danger in trusting the people, and it is not a question as to whether they are Democrats, Republi cans, Knights of Labor, Greenbacksrs or members of a Farmers' Alliance. When the politicians see that you mean they shall perform their duties hofcestly, they will break their necks to get on your side. When Jumbo has his leg tied to a tree he is an ob ject of sympathy. That is the way these men look upon you men to-day. They think they have you chained, and they will continue to think so until you love your family better than your party cheers, and I say better than all parties. Gen. fas. A Weaver before farmers and Knights, &t ikmss. THOMAS A. EDISON. The Wizard of Electricity Chats About North Carolina. Yesterday afternoon a Chronicle re porter met Mr. Edison, the world famous inventor of the telephone, the phonograph, and several hundred other valuable-things, strolling around Charlotte, quietly observing the city and the people. In conversation with the reporter, Mr. Edison saii that what North Carolina is most in need of is geologi cal maps of the State. Pennsylvania and New Jersey have both been care fully surveyed. . Every hill 20 feet high is down on-the maps. There are many persons seeking investment, but they do not know the mineral and timber resources of North Carolina. This State should have a complete geological survey made, especially with regard to the commercial miner als; so that when one is ldbking for investment, he can take a geological map of North Carolina, and see just what the State offers. North Carolina needs white immigration. You can not get people here without your offering them something definite; and you all here do not yourselves know fully and thoroughly what you hive to offer. How much would such a survey cost ? queried the reporter. Well, said Mr. Edison, one compe tent geological surveyor and four or five assistants would be sufficient. It would take that force about five years to complete the State survey in a satisfactory manner. I should think $6,000 a year would cover all the ex penses. Charlotte Chronicle. THE COST OF ELEVATORS. 1 ,A correspondent of the Rural World, W. K., writes from Higginsville, Mo., as follows: It costs $7,500 to build an elevator with a storage capacity of 50,000 bushels. Such an elevator would elevate about 1,000 bushels per hour or clean 500 bushels per hour; of course the cleaning capacity can be easily made 1,000 bushels, the same as the elevating. The above includes an engine and everything complete, and by adding $7,000 more the stor age capacity can be readily increased 50,000 bushels, thus making the total capacity of storage 100,000 bushels, and at a total cost of $14,500. The expense of operating such an elevator, if run on economical principles, should not exceed $1,500 per annum, or say 1 cents per bushel. This includes everything, even insurance, which need not be excessive. The profits of an elevator from one source are this: During the. months of July and August (in this section, Central Mis souri) two thirds of the grain (wheat) is threshed from the field, or out of the shock, and brought directly to market. The consequence is that the grain being new and soft, it does not grade No. 2, thus losing from 4 to 5 cents per bushel in grading, or what ever difference there is between Nos. 2 and 3, and sometimes even No. 4. Here is one source of profit that would be sa .ed were the wheat stored in an elevator until at least thi3 dif- ference in the grade could be saved. From the above estimate, which seems to be a fair one, the cost of building the proposed sub-treasury warehouses can be made. The entire amount of all kinds of cereals pro duced in the United States for 1889, may be put at 3,400,000,000 bushels, the largest in the history of the coun try. Of this amount there was wheat, 490,560,000 bushels; oats, 751,515,000 bushels; corn, 2,112,892,000 bushels. The exports of all kinds of grain for the same year was about 210,000,000 bushels. Of this amount there was of wheat and flour 88,822,462 bushels; corn and cornmeal 70,241,674 bushels. The great bulk of the grain produced in this country was therefore con sumed at home, and by far the largest part of the coarse grain must have been fed to stock on the farm. Brad streets' reports from more than 1,000 different points east of the Rocky Mountains show grain in store as follows: February 1, 1890. Wheat, 49,691,000 buihele. Corn. 18,420,100 Oats 9,429,0CO " Barley, 2,593,000 " Rye, 1,991,000 82,139,0C0 . 7,M5,000 " v In etore on Pacific coast. . Total .89,684,000 " The total amount of wheat in store and afloat for the ertrso time in the en tire world was only 105,533,415 bush els. ' "With this data an approximate calculation can be made of the prob able amount of grain that would be warehoused at any one time. . If the present amount of grain in store, cay 90,000,000 bushels, is increased to 270,000,000 bushels, or three time3 tbe amount actually in store, it prob ably would be an outside figure, for the number of bushels that would be required to warehouse as any one time, at least for the present. The cost of building good :and sufficient warehouses to store this amount of grain at the estimate quoted above, 15 cents per bushel storage capacity, would be but $40,500,000. The cot ton crop of 1889 is given at 6,938,290 bales. The cost of building cotton warehouses is estimated at $l.per bale storage capacity. If the whole crop is taken into the calculation it would amount to $6,938,290, which would build those for tobacco also. If these figures are correct the entire . cost of building the necessary ware-5 houses for sub-treasury purposes would amount to only $47,500,000 in round numbers. Certainly $50,000,000 would ware house all the grain, cotton and tobacco contemplated in the sub-treasury plan, and likely to demand storage at any one period for some time to come. Tn this calculation the number of ware houses is not considered, but the whole amount to be stored is provided for. The expense of the undertaking cannot be urged, therefore, as an ob jection. There is to-day in the United -States treasury $25,000,000 of minor Lcoin, classed as unavailable assets, 'for' tnepaymentof any government claims. The National Economist will take this sum and build half of these warehouses, -and use no other kind of money. The v mechanics of this country will not -stanl on the size of the coins; it is the' amount that is doing the mischief. The above is a fair statement of the:' cost of the warehouses, and it is hoped that the friends of the sub-treasury, plan will read it carefully.-National Economist. FOUR ELOQUENT EDITORS. The Charlotte Chamber of Con? merce banquet is not of special im portance to our readers, but we will clip for them, from the Charlotte Democrat, what Christian sas about the speeches of four editors who ate, dran and were merry at it: J oe Cald ell, scared to death, speech crammed, and bumping like Bill Nye's brain during the grip against the rafters of his cranium. But just the same he got there and talked good, gritty sense for the space of five minutes on the subject of the State Press. He had his speech down fine, took his time, and took his audience. He was felicitous, sensible and of pathetic touch. Joe Caldwell, the man is so beloved in Charlotte that he is half of an eloquent speech in him self. Robert Haydn: This gentleman arose after vociferous calls in a "oiled" shirt and a spiked tailed coat, the onjy one in the room. He had a fn enbonpoint and a short speech and a face much like and as handsome as De la Roche's Napoleon. His speech was ra y, timely, and cut off in 'three minutes, and to tell the truth took the town. It was considered the gem of the evening, and eame from a man who, with proper appreciation, will in time to come be to Charlotte, what Grady was to Atlanta. W, E. Christian was - called n ; he arose, spake, ami, to the delight of his audience, sat down. Wade Harris ws called on enthu siastically and made an eloquent ad dress, but unfortunately not a word of it could be heard by the audience. Dear old Wade, we don't love him for ' his enemies, but for his friends who are unanimously so in this burg. The Statesville Landmark says: " Mr. Haydn made the brightest speech of the evening and negatived the prevalent idea that a man cannot both write and speak well The manner as well as the matter of his speech was admirable, but really his person is so good to look upon that one loses much of what he says through the physicial man. The personal qualities of the animals to be used in breeding are more im portant than those of their ancestors; the qualities of parents more important than grandparents, and vastly -more important than those of any more re mote ancestors. The offspring re sembles the parent much more fre quently than'it does some remote an-' cestor. Among all the efforts that have been made by the great dailies and small weeklies to discourage or ridicule the " farmer in politics " not one cf them has committed tbe absurdity of suggesting that any harm could come to the country thereby. Faulkner County Wheel.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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March 4, 1890, edition 1
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