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THE PROGRESSIVE JFiAEMEE APRIL 22 1 ' 0 2 5 it tostttt to gssmt. L L POLK., - Editor. JL.RAUSEY, - Associate Editor. F. DALY, - Business Manager. Raleigh, N. C. SUBSCRIPTION: BIsc ;e Subscriber, One Year. t 1- - Six Months ! Five Subscribers, One Year 5.0U Tj. One Year 10.00 Cue copy one year free, to the cue eroding Club C! Ti' CashTrivarlilAx.i .4fc?vw. puey st our risk, if sent by registered letter or BOi;v order. A ivrtisiiijr listen quoted os application. i i Cforreepo-i ts : rte all communications, designed Jor publica tla , on one side of the paper only. '-" want intelligent correepondente in every Ctcaty in the State". We want facts of value, re u . x comyli.-a of value, experience? of vstae, pi. v iyand brieiiy told. One solid, demonstrated ftk a worth a ilioasanJ theories. n-s? all communications to t he i'uo,usrvE Farmkb, Raleigh, fr. I. R, LEIGH, N. CM APRIL 22, 1890. r mr n tered as second-class matter at the Po ' ' ' 0'fice. in Raleigh, N. C r:.e Progressive Farmer is the 0r-rial Organ of the N. C. Farmers , sociation and N. C. State Farmers JLliiance. Ik. you want your paper changed to another office? State the one at which you have been getting it. Do you want your communication pub lished? If so, give us your real name ai your postoffice. ggf" Our friends in writing to any of ear advertisers, will favor us by mention ing the fact that they saw the advertise ment in The Progressive Farmer. -F? The date on your label tells you when your time is out. THE ALLIANCE VINDICATED. Our Figures No Longer to be Sneered At. THE Greenbackers and the Aili ance people have stated repeat edly that the volume of currency available for purposes of circulation is very small. The Secretary of the Treasury has arranged his figures so as to show that there was over $20 per capita. We farmers have proved that these figures" were false, time and again only to be sneered at and have the false and misleading reports of the Treasurer of the United States thrown in our teeth by men who know nothing of government book keeping. Bat at last " Old Fogy" has the great pleasure of announcing to the readers of The Progressive Parmer that even a Republican Senator has not only ad mitted it, out has stated practically that what we claimed is correct. Senator Pi urn b, of Kansas, said on Monday, April 14th, in. a speech in the Uu.ted States Senate: "Out of $1,650,000,000 of money, all told, in this country $25 0, 0 00, 0 0 0 some-titn-s much more, and sometimes a trifle, leas, are held in the Treasury of the United States. Of the remaining $1,400,000,000, more than $700,000, 000 are held for the purposes of re serves by the different banks, private, State and nitional. Less than $700, 000,000 of money is available for de livery for ihe uses of 65,000,000 people of the United States, or only about $15 per capita. This is all the money available for the purposes for which money as contradistinguished from credit is to day used in the United States' Hurrah ! hurrah ! "What will come next l canuoi tell. Evidently some body is getting frightened. The Alliance in Kansas has awakened Senator Plumb from his slumbers. It will waken some other Senators and Congressmen before we are done. We bave repeatedly said, and we challenge disproof, that the circula tioa is less that $8, and now comes th Kansas Plumb and admits thai; it is not over $10 per capita. I . our figures and facts have knocked them out $10 per capita in less than thrte months, it is fair to assume that in three months more we will have the truiii told just as h is in all its horri ble d norumy in the Ornate chamber. But listen to the Sector again: 'The system of finance which we have built up and maintained to this time ha3 brought about other results." "The Secretary of the Treasury con tracted the currency during the month of February over $10,000,000, at the very time when every legitimate in terest was craving an enlargement rather than a diminution of currency supply. This retention constitutes a menace to the business of this country and ought to be "prohibited by law." All honor to a Senator who so far forgets his party as to tell the plain truth, and such truths as bankers and brokers have paid to keep re tained a3 private property. The Senator then says $100,000,000 is held in obedience of the law of 1882, 60 odd millions u held for the redemption of national bank notes, that is to say the notes of banks which have gone out of business or are retiring a portion of their circu lation. Between five and six millions is held for the purpose of the redemption of such notes of national banks as from time to time come into the Treisury and are unfit for further circulation. About seven millions are held for the purpose of payment of interest on coupons which have not been pre- sented. Some of this probably never will be presented. .It is not certain for what purpose the remainder is held. I have given all possible scrutiny to the statement of the Treasurer and I cannot definitely tell. I have repeatedly said the same to you, and it has been said that the reason was because we hayseeders did not know anything about Treasury book-keeping. But the Senator wanted the people to know the truth and he finishes the Treasurer off in fine style: "The confusion of subjects and of amounts is such that I think it is impossible for any one to tell pre cisely the purpose in view in the re tention of about 75 millions." Now, I appeal to you, brethren, if this is not a complete vindication of our oft repeated statements that the books of the Treasury were in such a condition that no one could tell. But hear the Senator again. It is good reading, coming from a Republican Senator. From every quarter we have abundant evidence that the country needs for the transaction of it3 business that this money should be paid out. For all useful purposes it might as well be in the bottom of the sea as in the Treasury. During the last year nearly 40 millions of national bank circulation was retired. We have to meet that the coinage of 2,000,000 silver per month, and gold coinage. But the experience of the country shows that we need not only these two agencies but we need an amount of paper money equal to the maximum which has ever been outstanding. Yet the advancing tide of metalic money has been met and overcome by the reced ing tide of paper money. When the country needs more, it gets less. I remember at our last State Fair, held in Raleigh, that I said in a paper read to the brethren at our Alliance mass meeting that the evils we com plained of had been brought o a us by legislation, and our aid could only come by legislations. Hear the distinguished Senator on that subjecs. "This condition of things will continue until relief is af forded, and that relief under present conditions can only come by legisla tion, because legislation, combined with executive action, has brought the country to its present condition." "Behold a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." I would advise that you read to your Sub-alliances the quotations given from Senator Plumb at your next meeting. I will show the brotherhood that the " hayseeders " are not in error. I will show you just as soon as I can get the time, the actual amount of money in circulation, and I will show you that our claims are correct. IN another column will be found a communication from our very efficient Superintendent of Public In struction, Maj. S. M. Finger. In reply to his query as to the posi tion of the North Carolina Alliance, we say emphatically that the mem bers of the order are in favor of higher and better education. A few months ago some of the papers of the State triei to create the impression that the Alliance was op posed to the present school system. Doubtless a few people are, but the trouble is that the present syslem does not go far enough. The tax levied is only 12- cents on the hundred dollars' worth of property. Where this is properly applied it is doing a great deal of good. We think that the amount levied for the support of our public schools is too small; that a great many school committeemen and other patrons of the schools fail to take as much interest as they might. The lecturers of the Alliancts have said a good deal on these matters. No, the Alliance ii not opposed to education. The taany noble men and women who belo; to the order would never aid an org i.-iization that sought to cramp or tear down our school sys tem, even though it is so limited. MILLION'S OF DOLLARS IN DANGER. TREASURER HUSTON is re sponsible for about S770.000.000 now in the Treasury. He recently concluded that it was unsafe and had an expert try it. The expert bored a hole in the vault m seventeen seconds and made a hole through which a man could creep in less than twenty min- T 1 m - utes. in the old vault alone there is over $600,000,000. Now they pro pose to strengthen the vaults. The true plan is to pay this money all out and then there will be no danger. The new steel vault is capable of holding 150,000,000, and that is suffi cient when the revenues come in daily by the millions. Bro. J. B. Holman. President of Iredell Countv Alliance, and who has been one of Iredell's- representa tives in the legislature for seyeral years, was m the city last week. He and the other members of the Railroad Leglislative Committee were in ses sion try ins: to settle the railroad trouble. Up to this time nothing positive has resulted irom this investigation. EDITORIAL NOTES. Mr. S. S. Nash, of Tarboro, will sell you several different kinds of peas. Read the advertisement of Mr. T.W. Blake. He will sell you seals at a fair price. The motto of the money lords is:" In God we trust" all others must mortgage to us at 2 per cent per month. , Fisher, Shuping & Ritchie, of Salisoury, N. C, will sell you mill stones and other granite work. Read their ad. Bro. W. A. Graham writes tnat he and Capt. Alexander ad dressed a large crowd at Mt. Holly on the 11th. Thanks, good brother for the cIud of six subscribers. Keep at it. We quote from a private letter from one of the most prominent editors in the State, as follows: " There has been a wonderful improve ment in The Progressive Farmer lately." The horse book advertised, in this issue for free distribution, by James McKimmon & Co., Raleigh, is highly recommended by Mr. W. C. McMakin, a well-known liveryman of Raleigh. The Progressive Farmer is growing in circulation and popularity every week. Allowing an average of five persons to each family who subscribe to it, we find that not less than 60,000 people read it weekly. Bro. S. B. Alexander, Chair man of the State Executive Commit tee, gives notice that his committee will meet in the office of the State Secretary, in Raleigh, on the 6 th of May, (Tuesday.) All matters withm the jurisdiction of that committee should be brought before it at that time. , If you have anything to sell or wish to buy anything, remember that The Progressive Farmer has the largest circulation of any paper in North Carolina by several thousand and is steadily growing. It has sub scribers in every State in the Union. It therefore is the best advertising medium in the State. Not long since at an Alliance meeting where a number of delegates were assembled there was a good deal of confusion, several speakers claimed the floor at the same time. Fnally the Sergeant-at-Arms arose and after getting everything quiet he said: "Brethren,(I hope you all will recollect that this is neither the New York Legislature nor the United States Congress." About twenty members of Con gress, composing the National Alli ance Legislative Committee, have been in session during the past week. The sub-treasury scheme has been fully discussed. It is understood that this bill has about 40 supporters in the House. It will have more than that in less than five years, if we are not mistaken. Col. L. L. Polk will go before the committee this week to present the claims of the Alliance. FOR CONGRESS IN THE SECOND DISTRICT. Terboro Southerner. The Southerner would ask the voters of this Congressional district, Why not send Col. Elias Carr to Con gress ? Col. Carr is well equipped for an important office like this as the best in the land; and besides, he belongs to and is at the head of that class which is suffering from and for leg- lsianon. He is aware of the needs of the farmers, while his acquaintance with the well settled principles of govern ment and political economy enables him to diagnose the case and prescribe the remedy. These reasons are sufficient, but the Southerner has one other: it won id make the representative branch of the federal legislature as a stepping stone to a nigner ana more important office, Governor of the State. In the former he will gain valuable experience which will stand him in good stead when he becomes the Chief Executive of his State. Besides, Congress will open to him possibilities of even greater moment than gubernatorial promotion. So with one accord, when the con vention meets this summer, let us de clare for Elias Carr for Congress, and in November elect him. The Progressive Farmer wants to go on record as seconding the nomi nation. We are prepared to mae a speech on the subject, and brethren, "Old Fogy" is particularly anxious for you to give him .your attention. Most of you know that I have, year after year, spent much time in you capital city, and now if it were left with me to say I should say elect farmers and only farmers to the next Congress. Do not imagine that if all the offices in the State from Governor down were placed on one side and Congressional offices on the other that I should hesitate one mmute to say, give the Alliance the members of Congress and you may nave tne rebt "Letters have been received by me from warm personal f ciends asking if it would be wise to nominate Mr. A. or B. or C. I would not seek to in fluence ona voter if I could as to the man that he should vote for, but I do propose to say my say about the kind of raen the Farmers' Alliance ought to nominate. Your lawyer has been teaching you at every court some practical lessons. You have paid for your information. Now is the time to use it. Your lawyer wquld object to having a man on the jury that was related to your opponent. Why ? He would tell you that his sympathies would naturally go out in favor of your opponent. And yet some of you think of aiding Mr. A. or B. or Co. who has opposed your interests because his interests were in another line. A railroad man naturally leans to wards railroads, a banker towards the laws that aid his business, and so on; and I want to tell you once more that you cannot get relief except through Congress, and you cannot hooe to get relief through Congress unles3 you send men who are one with you. Just now, men who a few months ago sneered at you, who made fun of the Alliance, who called us hayseeders, just now they are smiling whenever they see a homey hand, they want to join the Alliance; its a grand institu tion, they are trying to get in, and some of you " weak kneed " brethren will sign their applications. If I were a member of your Alli ance I would prefer charges against the Alliance if it admitted these wolves in sheep's clothing. You are virtual ly saying, we farmers are such fools that we will have to hunt around out side of our ranks to find somebody to represent us. "Oh! Ye of little faith." Don't you know that every good fellow, and they are the most dangerous politicians we have, will swear to aid you, and yet I know men who represent farmer districts that here in Washington laugh at you and ridicule you, and yet you will vote for such men. This is why I advocate Bro. Carr. He is in my district, he is an able, honest, upright, conscientious, intelli gent farmer, a good business man, a man of fine sense and just the man for the position. I tell you no w that it is your duty to nominate such men as Carr, Alexander, Graham and Mc Clammy, men who have in the past stood by you, men who for years have been with you. Trust your old friends. If these men are real friends of the movement, we will be glad to extend to them the right hand of fel fellowship we will be glad to bid them God speed, but when they tell us they love the farmer, and that the Alliance is a grand organization, and then' smilingly say, if you could con sistently vote for me I would do all I could for you for the Alliance be fore you promise, recall a scene 1850 years ago when one nice, sleek, pol ished politician undermined our Saviour; and promised, ah! he was full of promise why, he would give him all the erth, etc. I say just re call that and then have the manliness to say just a your Saviour said when almost famished, get behind me. I feel free to talk with you. I an not an office-seeker. There is no office save one that 1 am competent to fill that I would have, and that is a road overseer. 1 have been elected and appointed to office and would not serve, so that when I advise it is for your good and not for my gain. Once more let me say, nominate and elect men of your own vocation for legislators and Congress and if you must vote for a good fellow let it be for a county or State office. JOURNALISTIC. What the Knights of the Quill are Doing. The able and accomplished Col. John D. Cameron has retired from the editorial chair of the Asheville Citizen. The Lexington Dispatch under the management of Bro. Sherrill is rapid ly coming to the front as one of the- best local papers in the State. The Alexander county Journal has suspended. The Clansman is the name of a new paper that will be published in Taylorsville beginning May 1st.. The Charlotte dailies will report Sam Jones' sermons verbatim, having engaged professional stenographers for that purpose. We are glad to note the improve ment in the Country Homes, of Ashe ville. Bro. Tomlinson is making an interesting and useful paper. Mr. Z. V. Rogers, editor of the Waynesville Courier, and Miss Lizzie Sentell, daughter of Rev. R. A. Sen tell, were married at Asheville on the 15th inst. Our sprightly contemporary, the Reidsville Review, says that Reidsville will be a splendid place for the next meeting of the N. C. Press Associa tion. The Greensboro Patriot will issue an extra edition of nearly four thou sand copies this week. It is gratifying to note the evidence of prosperity among the editors of the fotate. Good papers are excei.ent educators and when the people read more we may expect better things. We : learn from the Landmark than an Alliance tobacco warehouse will be erected m Statesville at an early day. A LETTER TO MR. CLEVELAND. In Which a Lady Gives Her Opinion of The Alliance. Christmax, Rockingham Co., Va., March 22, 1890. Grover Cleveland, Ex President of the United States: Dear Sir: You may think me very presumptive, but I assure you it is a sincere wish for your good and that of the nation that prompts my letter. The Hon. Daniel E. Griffin, chairman of the New York Demo cratic State committee, while guessing very wisely as to the issues on which the campaign of 1862 will be run, says: "No one can tell now who will lead the ticket." The thing that makes all doubtful is the great con solidation of the labor combines in the United States. All classes of labor have had organizations for their own individual help out the farmers; they have been slow to move, but there is a universal uprising of the farmers all over this United States, and more men are studying the best means of freeing labor from the slav ery of wealth than ever thought on politics since this country was dis covered. It is not a choice of men or of measures which they do not under stand and care little about, but a veri table struggle for freedom. It is not the price of gas in Baltimore that is stirring up such action among the laboring classes, but the out cropping of that immense wave of thought that has swept over our land from East to West and from North to South. The tax was a small matter, but served to show Great Britain that Americans meant to be free. The Baltimore gas bill sho ws as plainly that the American people are the same to day. They do not mean any longer to wear the shackles of the. rich, and the man who espouses their cause is the man who will head their ticket and on whom they will all unite. You have done more to start this move than any one man living, and if you will add mone tary reform to your other reforms you will rejoice the hearts of every labor organization in this whole United States, for it is the lack of this one thing that makes you unfitted and will prevent your heading this great army of voters. We want you as our President and Mrs. Cleveland in the White House. God bless her heart. The National Economist, published in Washington City, will give you better and clearer ideas of what these Alli ance men want than I can. It is their organ and ought to be carefully studied by all politicians of the pres ent day, for as surely as these men feed the nation they mean to rule it in the next campaign. Your sincere friend, Mrs. George Chrisman. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Raleigh, N. C, April 18th, '90. ''Mr. Editor: I notice that the Executive Committee of the Geor gia State Alliance, with the President concurring, earnestly urge upon all Alliances in the State to demand of any candidates seeking to represent them in the Georgia State Legislature to pledge themselves, among other things, as ioilows : "To a revision of the public school system, thereby affording more ex tended facilities for common educa tion." This action on the part of the Alli ance is significant, especially in view of the fact that recently large addi tional appropriations to public schools were made by the Georgia Legisla ture. May I suggest that, The Prosress ive Farmer inform the people what is the position of the North Carolini State Alliance and of the Executive Committee on this subject ? This is a subject of vital importance to the farmers. Certainly our schools are not satisfactory as to length of terms or efficiency. Certainly the schools cannot be made much better without more money. Do the people want better schools ? Are they able to increase the school fund ? Are they willing to increase it ? These are questions which should be freely discussed, not only by the Alliance, but by all the people. The schools cannot be abolished. If it were possible to abolish them, the State cannot afford to do it. Such a step would be in opposition to the practice and experience of all civilized countries. Therefore the only practical question about schools is, will we furnish more money and make them better ? It must be borne in mind that ex cept in a few cities our general prop erty tax for schools is only 12 cents on the $100 worth. of property. That is to say, if a man is assessed for tax ation at $4,000, he pays on it for schools $5.00 ; if assessed at $2,000, he pays only $2.50. S. M. Finger, Sup't Public Instruction. The Alliance at Smithville, Caro line county, is building a hall to hold their meetings in. This is the young est of the Caroline Alliances and has good prospects in every way for mak ing one of our best and most prosper ous Alliances. Peninsula Parmer. The farmers throughout the coun try are very far advanced in work. AMONG THE ALLIANCES. What the Organization is Doing Throughout the Country.. The Farmers' Alliance will save the Western people. Trinidad Advertiser. Merchants in Central Kansas kick against the co-operative store of the Farmers Alliance. G. B. Gate has been appointed trade agent for the Farmers' Alliance of Bradley county, Tennessee. Wheelers are not talking very loud; but like Paddy 's owl, they are doing a "divil " of a lot of thinking. Ad vocate. t From all the adjoining counties we are receiving reports of the Alliance, its growth and influence. Country Homes. S. P. Lackey and W. E. Walton are laying off the grounds for an. Alliance fair in Burka county this, fall. Farmers can attend the primaries,, smash the rings, and nominate and elect good men regardless of party. Advocate. Springdale Alliance, which was re cently organized in Haywood with only a few members now has thirty. Country Homes. Denton Alliance, No. 1,224, David son county, is going to erect a build ing for the purpose of keeping supplies for the members of the order. It is reported that a well-known banker has said that " it would be an advantage to the country if a few of the Alliance leaders were hung." Several members of Paint Gap Al liance were in to see us recently, who tell us that they have a banner organ ization in Yancey. Country Homes. The Alliance people of Lenoir township are going to leave the court building. Topic. The Farmers Alliance is gaining a strong footing in the Indian Territory. About one hundred organizations are already in operation and new ones being formed all the time. The Farmers' Alliance wave that has swept over the South and West with such gratifying results is now doing good work in the Northwest. Some 28 States have been organized in this country. At the quarterly meeting of the Farmers' Alliance at Asheboroon the 5 th inst. permanent arrangements were made for the purchase of the Trogdon Hotel property, on which will be erected an Alliance depot. 5 We now have thirty-five Alliances in Buncombe and we have been solicited to organize three more in the southeastern and the southwestern parts of the county. The membership is about 2,300. Country Homes. The Alliance denounces our late boodle legislature. The conduct of that legislature is in part responsible for the existence of the Alliance. It will see that the State is not t imilarly disgraced again. Emporia Llepulli. can. If the Alliance plug and smoking tobacco factories continue to succeed as they are doing now in Oxford and other places, they will suiely not want to see their brethren crippling their plug enterprises by selling raw leaf to consumers. These mast now howl with the wolves. Southern Tobacco nist. The Farmers' Alliance is just what we want in Colorado. The meeting here yesterday was important. Push on the organization throughout the State. It is the only club to bring subservient politicians to their knees. If the farmers do not work for them selves the politicians will not work for them. Trinidad 8. uiaveruser, jipni 4 7 , A -7 WHAT WE WANT. Congressmen are every where anxi ously asking their farmer constitu ents " what they want." And these seekers after reelection are getting right down on their knees and swear ing to "do anything for the dear peo pie " if they can only find out what the dear people "want." In our humble opinion a Congressman who has not been able to find out what his constituents need by this time had better stay at home and try his hand at pounding sand into a rat-hole. Chicago Sentinel. The Progressive Farmer wants to endorse every word of the above. Congressmen that have to be 'told what to do, that do not know" the wants of their people, aro not fit for Congressmen. Tne way for us to do is to nomi nate men who will not have to be told what we want. We have enough farmers that are entirely competent. If you waat members who will vote your money away, if you want members that will aid railroads and banks, elect men whose interests are in that direction, but if you want low taxes, laws that will aid you, nominate farmers and peti ion and not have to petition your members they will know your interests, and they will
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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April 22, 1890, edition 1
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