North Carolina Newspapers

.1' s I M . r THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PABAHOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OP STATE POLICY. VoL 5. RALEIGH, N. C, MARCH 11, 1890. No. 5 r. THE NATIONAL FARMERS' AL LIANCE AND INDUSTRIAL UNION. President L. L. Polk, North 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. 0. Treasurer W. H. Hickman, Puxico, Missouri. Lecturer Ben Terrell, Texas. EXECUTIVE BOARD. O. W. Macune, Washington, D. Alonzo Wardall, Huron, South Dakota. 1 J. F. Tillman, Palmetto, Tennessee. . JUDICIARY. R. C. Patty, Macon, Mississippi. Isaac McCracken, Ozone, Arkansas. Evan Jones, Dublin, Texas. rQ2TH CAROLINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. President Elias Carr, Old Sparta, tf.C. Vice-President A. H. Hayes, Bird town, N. C. Secretary E. C. Beddingfield, Raleigh, N. 0. Treasurer J. D. Allen, Falls, N. 0. Lecturer Thos. B. Long, Asheville, N. C. Assistant Lecturer R. B. Hunter, Char lotte, N. C. Chaplain J. J. Scott, Alfordsville, IT. C. Door Keeper W. H. Tomlinson, Fay etteville, N. 0. 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, K C. Trustee Business Agency Fund W. A. Graham, Machpelah, N. 0. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OT THE NORTH CARO LINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. S. B. Alexander, Charlotte, N. CM '' Chair .nan; J. M. Mewborne, KinstonN. 0.; J. S. Johnston, Ruffin, N. C. THE IMPENDING REVOLUTION. Mb. Editob: I will take for my text our motto, " Equal rights to all - and special privileges to none," and respectfully ask you and the readers t of The Progressive Farmer to bear with me patiently. In endorsing the above motto, the Farmers' Alliance sets forth its principles. I saw not long since m the editorial columns of a certain (deep) and widely circulated journal of this city a remark to this - , effect: that said paper supposed that be- fore long some one would be advocating that the " will of the people should be - the law of the land." In reply to vbich we would like to ask whose will should govern this land, if not the people's . will ? If one man has cot as much right as another to par ticipate in the management of our government as far as he has the sense, andjas far as God has given him talents, then this is not a free country. Bat, dees the majority rule ? What chance his a man without money or popularity, ro matter how well qualified he is for helping to enact laws; what chance, - j say has such a man for getting a seat 'in a Senate or legislative hall? The combined forces of millions of dollars and shrewdness gained by long con- tact with men and politics, and last, but by no means least, the utter lack .oft that much-to-be-desired faculty palled conscience, all go to show why yuie laws are maae ior me iew instead of for the many. Education is more desirable than anything else, at the present age. It is human nature for man to descend rather than ascend. Let a good man be elected to the Legislature, for instance, and how oftenwill he be corrupted, so quickly, that ue will not once think of his re sponsible position, of his duty to him coif, yhis constituents, his country "'and to his God. There are trusts, ,monopolies and combines of every description. Politicians have a trust by which they, corrupt as a large per cent, of them are, keep their offices. The money trust, combined with the unpatriotic shrewdness which pos sesses it, is the -curse of this land. r-s, Why it that "hard times" is heard from the Pacific to the Atlantic, from the Gulf t the Lakes ? "Why is it that the wid of the people is not the supreme law of the land ? The ma jority should always rule, and if they do not, justice holds not her full sway. 'Tis the people's fault that the engine of oppression is so rapidly pulling them down the hills of misery. The people will vote for a fellow and place him on duty, but, do . they always stop voting for him, when he I fails to do his duty? Statistics prove I . to the contrary. There will have to be a turning point somewhere. Doctors, lawyers, merchants, farmers, me (, chanics, the people will have to go to ar, so to speak, with the "powers that be" and have matters adjusted. The farmers have started the fight against monopoly, &c, and the powers whish are threatening this land as a dark cloud. They were wise enough to see that to fight the organized and monopolized wealth of the nadon, it was absolutely necessary to organize themselves, which has won them the title of the "farmers' trust." This noble trust is censured by the " bosses " as being a band of anarchists, and by politicians as 4 4 a good thing if it don't get into politics." It is thought to be a " money trap, only," by a few non posted persons who possibly are not eligible to membership. Now, for what it is: a band of over 3,000,000 determined men; men who have come together for the purpose of improving themselves, their neighbors and their country. They are determined to go into politics as far as is necessary. They will find out the rottenness and seek to abolish it. They will try to have their part of the Ship of State piloted aright, or die in the attempt. The people have been submitting blindly to the voices of the leaders. But they are awaken ing to a sense of the situation, and have decided that all official reports are not' absolutely perfect, that this government is exceedingly imperfect. True pilots have got to be found if such an article does not exist, they must be educated. We must have improvement. A revolution is impending and the peo ple must gird on their armor and get ready for the fight. The " wheel of battle " will turn either for the better or for the worse. Let every one be a strong and brave soldier, and the battle will surely be won. With right and justice on our side, how can we know such word as "fail?" Fraternally, C. W. D. RESOLUTIONS. Whebeas, Tne Farmers' Alliance throughout the State of North Caro lina petitioned the last General As sembly of North Carolina to pass the Railroad Commission bill; and where as, Messrs. Blanton, Blair ana Briggs, our representatives of the 36th district opposed said bill; therefore be it Resolved, That we, the members of the McDowell County Farmers' Alli ance disapprove of their action in this matter. Resolved, That a copy of this resolu tion be sent to The Pbogbessive Fabmeb and one to the Western Free Lance for publication. A. L. Bright, Sec'y. RESOLUTIONS. Hopewell, N. C. Mb. Editob: The following reso lutions were adopted by Hopewell Alliance, No. 331, on the 22d inst.: Resolved, That this Alliance will not give its support for any candidates, either for the State Legislature or Congress, who will not pledge them selves to give their immediate and un qualified support to enact into law the three leading propositions, viz: A thorough modification of the present financial policy, the transportation policy and the land policy formulated at the St. Louis Convention December 3d, 1889, by the National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union. Resolved, That a copy of these reso lutions be forwarded, under seal, by the Secretary, to Hon. A. Rowland to Hon. Z. B. Vance, to Hon. M. W. Ransom, and a copy to The Pbo gekbsie Fabmeb for publication, and that all Sub-Alliances be requested to co-operate. Fraternally, R. S. Babnett, Sec'y. f 1 RESOLUTIONS BY WILSON CO. At a regular meeting of the Wilson County Alliance, Tield February 14th, the following resolutions were adopted : Whereas, Believing that our dele gates to the St. Louis Convention were true men and acted in that body for the good of the whole country, and we, from the light before us, and after careful study of the demands made by that body, do therefore Resolve, That we, the Wilson County Farmers' Alliance of North Carolina, on this the 14th day of February, 1890, endorse in full the demands made at bt. Louis in December by the National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union, and especially the Sub-Treasury plan, and we respectfully request our Senators and Representatives in Congress to use all means in their power to carry out these demands. Resolved, That a copy of these reso lutions be sent to each Senator and Representative in Congress from N. C. and to our National, State and local organ. Yours respectfully, W. L. Gbimmen, Sec'y. FACTS FOR FARMERS. Paste Them ia Your Old Hat. BT OLD FOOT. ; No doubt I often weary you with my opinions or conclusions. This week 1 will give you fact3 and figures. They may furnish food for thought, and may prove troublesome to the politician when he wants your vote. They are far more eloquent than any words of mine. In 1850 the total wealth of the United States was $7,135,780,228. Total amount assessed for taxation, $6, 024,666,909. Total population, 23, 191,876. The farmers owned $5, 016,123,127. That is 84 per cent, of the taxed property and 70 per cent, of the total wealth of our country. The average wealth, per capita was $308. In 1880 the total wealth of the United States was $43,642,000,000; assessed for purposes of . taxation, $16,902,993,543. Total population, 49,371,340. Average wealth per capita, $870. Our best statisticians, estimating on State and Territorial reports, puts the wealth of the United States in 1890 at 64 billions of dollars; assessed for purposes of taxation, 24 billions of dollars. Population, estimated, 65 millions; average wealth per capita, $985. Farmers' wealth, 15 billions, or less than 24 per cent, of the wealth of the country. Remember that in 1850 you owned 70 per cent, of all the wealth of the United States, and paid taxes on 84 per cent. In 1890 you own 24 per cent, instead of 70, and yet pay tax on 62 per cent, of all that is taxed in this country. Farmers' families should average, if your wealth was no greater nor less than others every farmer ought to be worth $68.95 per family. Had you kept up with the proces sion and stood as you did proportion ately in 1850 you ought to be worth and would be worth over twenty thousand dollars to the family on the average. I saw the week just passed news papers from Michigan and Kansas, one having twelve and the other thirteen and a half columns of sheriff's sales of farms in the counties the papers were published in. -Does that look like keeping up the average or falling be hind ? Are you not as intelligent as you were in 1850 ? If not, the boast that our schools are dissipating ignor auce is a sham. Do you not do as much work as the farmer did in 1850? If not, the claims that improved ma chinery enables you to do four men's work is a delusion. Don't you think there is something wrong? In 185 about 85 per ceiit. of the wealth of our country was taxed. Now, in 1880, there was nearly 17 billions of property assessed for tax ation and nearly 26 billions that was not. In 1899 the estimate is 10 billions not assessed. Does this look as if our law makers were bending all their energies to make laws for your good ? The philosophy, the very genius of our government is, the greatest good to the greatest number. Do you think the greatest number is getting the greatest good ? The United States has given from its revenues 130 millions for rivers and harbors, 20 millions for roads and canals, 92 millions for public build ings, 80 millions for lighthouses, etc., six millions for mints and essays and 100 millions for forts armories and arsenals, or a total of 428 millions of dollars. Pretty liberal with your funds, and yet an appropriation of 50 millions for warehouses would bring out a storm of righteous indignation (?) Did you know that the tobacco you have raised has turned into the gov ernment vaults the enormous sum of $798,765,605, and that banks and bankers only turned in $67,719,876 ? Do you not have twelve times as much influence as the banks and bankers ? Don't you think you are the odd one on the baker's dozen in this case ? Did you know that the internal revenue had reached the enormous aggregate of $3,676,847,177 ? . But 1 will close lest I weary you with facts. Our national banking system has btrne its fruits in making the very few rich and the many very poor. Saall we contiue this curse, that our children may become even worse slaves to the bankers than we are now ? WHO ARE COMPETENT LEGIS LATORS ? ; BY DB. JOHN F. FOARD. This question is just now of vital importance to the millions of wage- earners and the greatly robbed and oppressed borrowers of money of these States since the war. The financial panic which was inaugurated fifteen years ago by money sharks and their (hired servants is a child of Satan, and created for the selfish purpose of rob rbing the majority to enrich the few by class legislation of the basest kind. 'The National Banking sj steal was the first step, and the mother of many subsequent national swindles. The bonded debt, contraction of the cur rency, demonetizing silver, the many railway swindles, and others too numerous to mention, are the legiti mate fruits of such wicked parentage, the great harlot of the United States Congress. Those acts of legalized robbery were reduced to a system anH perpetuated, and designed to run vd in finitum, by unprincipaled politicians and their employers to create million aires by the hundred, and paupers r-y the million. Their nefarious work was well executed ; for, in less than ten years the finmcial machinery of fthe nation was in a wrecked condition. Thousands of millions of dollars' worth of property changed hands at ruinous prices 8 fast as mortgages matured. Tens of thousands of once active, suc cessful and useful business men were thrown out of employment, their homes bought in by mortgages at less than half their cost and real value, their helpless, innocent and needy wives and children were made to ex change comfortable and luxurious homes for hired homes of very in ferior quality, to live as surfs or die prematurely frocn over-work and want while many of their fathers and husbands died without disease, others Tere carried off by diseases contract d from undue exposure and suffering before unknown to then, and many others became inmate3 of asylums and almshouses or left un honored and unwept to drag out a miserable existence in a cold, heartless world, (thus created) by the inevitable scramble for filthy lucre which natur ally followed in the wake of such wicked legislation. "Who will be held responsible for all these dire calamities? Who can at tone for them? The oppressed mil lions, of whose sufferings no human mind can conceive are now calling for relief. How can relief be had? Not by continuing to elect the kind of men to Congress and State legislatures as a majority have been since the war. Men who belong to or are in sympathy whh the present system of money lending, corporations, monopolies, trusts and rings, their agents or at torneys are not to be trusted. If they promise relief, it will never come. Men of true courage and honest hearts who fear no party lashes, who cannot be bought by corruption, bulldozed by black-guards, duped by tricksters or frightened by ostracizing political ring masters of any party are the only men from whose legislation relief can be had. There are many wicked laws to be repealed in every State and Congress, and others to be enacted for the relief of & majority of the free men, women and children in this great nation or utter ruin is to be the result. Burnt children should be afraid of fire ! Our past sufferings and present troubles are quite enough to alarm the most confideing; and to remain in a passive state is to have the irons of servitude visited per manently on the limbs of unnumbered millions of the present and future generations of American citizens. The rule has been for the quiet, peaceful, hardworking tillers of the soil and those mostly in terested in its management, to allow court house rings and their friends to bring out candidates to fill all offices of county, State and general government, and then apply party lashes to whip into obedient servitude all who are needed to elect their man or read out of party lines such as may demur from their self appointed guar dians of the people's rights. Office seekers are not the men now needed to undo the mischief of the past. The ofiBce should seek the man instead of the man the office. Both Church and State are now cursed by self-appointed offic als or those placed in power by unholy combinations, and for sinister mo ives and not for the well being of society. Such men cannot be trusted in a great revolution like the one now before us. Besides, in this republican government no man or set of men should hold office for life irrespective of the right3 of others. A change often prevents the development of cor ruption. Few men can bear constant promotion and uninterrupted success without partakiDg of the sins around them. " Vigilance is the price of lib. erty." Mt. Cabmkl Alliance, No. 544. According to announcement in your most excellent paper, Bro, J. B. Smith, District Lecturer, met with us on the 28th ult. The hall was crowded and many had to stand, yet the best atten tion was given him. Bro. Smith made no effort to create a reputation as an orator, but deliberately spoke of the evils that hurt us most and the remedies for our relief. He depicted very clearly the evils of the national banking system, and demonstrated the necessity of a return to the free coin age of silver. He incidently spoke of the munificence of 'the business men of Oxford and declared it as his opin ion that if viewed as a business trans action only that it will ultimately prove to have been a wise one. The idea that social equality might result, if ring3 and combinations are al lowed to carry on their nefarious work of extortion and robbing the produc ing classes until they are reduced to such extreme and abject poverty and ignorance and become common serfs and collapse is not without foun dation. Then, brethren, let us be very care ful lest we give our suffrage to men who will further enslave rather than free us. The Alliance was urged to act in unity, promptly discharging all obligations and to acquit themselves like men at all times. Bro. Smith is doing a good work for our cause. A goodly number sent in their applications for membership after the speaking was over, and we all feel encouraged. Yours fraternally, P. P. Fosteb, Cor. Sec'y. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRI CULTURE. Office of the Secbetaby, Washington, D. C, Feb. 24, '90. To the Managers and A gents of Railroad and Iransportation Companies of the United States: In accordance with Section 7 of an Act of Congress approved May 29 th, 1884, entitled "An Act for the estab lishment of a Bureau of Animal In dustry, to prevent the exportation of diseased cattle and to provide means for the suppression and extirpation of pleuropneumonia and other contagious diseases among domestic animals," you are hereby notified that a contagi ous and infectious disease known as splenetic or Texas fever exists among catde in the following described area of the United States: All that country lying south and east of a line commencing on the Mississippi river at latitude 36 deg. 30 min. north, thence running west ward on that parallel of latitude, be ing the southern boundary of Missouri, to the eastern boundary of the Indian Territory, thence running northward to the soutbern boundary of Kansas, thence west yard along said boundary of Kansas to the 100th meridian of longitude, thence southward along said 100th meridian of longitude to the southern boundary of Childress county in Texas, thence westward along the southern boundary of the counties of Childress, Hall, Briscoe, Swisher, Castro, and Parmer to the eastern boundary of New Mexico. From the 15th day of March to the 1st day of December, 1890, no cattle are to be transported from said area to any portion of the United States north, east or west of the above de scribed line except in accordance with the following regulations: Provided, that these regulations shall not apply to any cattle taken into or through the State of Colorado for feeding purposes in accordance with the regu lations of that State. FACTS AND FIGURES. As anition, during five years, we purchased in addition to what we raised ourselves, $50,000,000 worth of breadstuffs and other farinaceous food; $50,000,000 of wool, $400,000, 000 of sugar and molasse3, $150,000, 000 of cotton goods, $250,000,000 of woolen goods, 100,000,000 of silk goods, $100,000,000 of linen goods, $250,000,000 of iron and steel, $25, 000,000 of tarthen and china ware, $50,000,000 of glassware, $50,000,000 of leather oods. Can we wonder at commerce being paralyzed? If the farmers of the na tion cannot stand thejearly drain how can the nation prosper. RAILROADS AND RAILROAD COMMISSIONS. No. 7. Cor. Scotland Neck Democrat. I trust no one will consider me an enemy to the railroads because I de sire to see them under the control of the State. It would be very unfor tunate for the State if the people should array themselves against the railroads and the railroads against the people. This seems to be the tendency now; and anything that will bring harmony between these corporations and the people will add greatly to the contentment and prosperity of the whole State. Every reader of the times knows that there is an unrest among the peo ple and a dissatisfaction towards the railroads. Whether this discontent arises from any injustice from these corporations towards the people or not, is not the question we are con sidering. Suppose the feeling against the railroads is unjust, it exists all the . same; and the railroad authorities ought to do all in their power to quiet it. A railroad commission to stand between the people and the roads would satisfy the people and would not damage the roads in their legiti mate and honest business. There is no power in the legislature to cripple the roads or cut their rates so as to prevent them from clearing a dividend ontheir capital invested; and the legislature cannot delegate to a commission greater power than it has itself. If this is so, how can a commission hurt the roads in their business ? The difference between the legisla ture and a commission dealing with the roads is this: The legislature is an unwieldy body composed of more than a hundred minds, each acting for itself. This body is also composed of members of two political parties, many times striving for the mastery of ,thfi PSt..t rtcrflrr? Ipsa of t.Vip. rfpat.pp.t cmnn.'r to t.hft cTP.atp.st number. En,ch mera-t 0 ber is swayed more or less by local issues and local surroundings, forget ting all interest except that of his own locality and the gratification of his own personal ambition. You may say this is an insult to the legislature, but it is not. It is the plain truth and ought not to be construed otherwise.. The legislature never has been, and never will be composed of Solomons and saints. They are fallible human beings like other men, moved with like passions, motives and sentiments. This body being large, each party and each individual attempts to, and often does, shift responsibilities of shortcomings to the shoulders of others. Then the legislature is incapable of correcting the mistakes of the cor porations as they arise. Not so with a commission. It would be composed of one or three members (one better), who could have only so many minds as compose it; not more than so many special localities to look after; who could not shift any responsibilities from themselves to others, and who could and would be held responsible both by the people and the railroads for any short comings, fraud, or cor ruption. The only possible motive that could actuate an honest man on this com mission would be a desire to do exact justice to all parties concerned, re gardless of public sentiment. It is impossible to elecs one hundred un biased men from the two political parties in any one election. But from among the more than one hundred and fifty thousand white men of the State, surely one or three honest men could be eelected. Dishonest men who are not tampered with will vote for honest men for a positron of trust. Besides thesa advantages a commis sion would look into any individual charge against the roads. It would investigate every alleged wrong. It could ascertain the facts in each case against the railroads and publish the same to the country, and public opin ion would drive both the people and the roads to do each other justice. A commission would do justice to the courts and jurors of the State. Nearly all th-i judges of the State are charged by many good people with favors towards the railroads, and the jurors are charged by many of the judges and railroads with preju dice against the roads, and this charge is not without foundation. A com mission would soon eradicate all preju dice of evry kind against the rail roads, and the railroad h would take pride in doing right in all thirds. The heaviest fat sheep at the Chicago show came from Canada. It was a Leicesester and weighed 367 pounds.