Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Aug. 5, 1890, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. ol. 5. RAX.EIG-H, N. C, AUGUST 5, 1390. No. 26 THE NATIONAL FARMERS' AL LIANCE AND INDUSTRIAL UNION. President L. L. Polk, North Carolina. Address, 511 9th St., N. W., Washington, D. C. Vice-President B. H. Clover, Cain bridge, Kansas. Secretary J. H. Turner, G-eorgia. Ad dress, oil 9th St., N. W., Washington, D. C. Treasurer W. H. Hickman, Puxico, ilissouri. 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. N )3TH CAROLINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. President Elias Carr, Old Sparta, .C. Vice-President A. H. Hayes, Bird own, N. C. Secretary E. C. Beddingfield, Raleigh, " Treasurer J. D. Allen, Falls, N. C. Lecturer Thos. B. Long, Asheville, S C Assistant Lecturer R. B. Hunter, Char- ijtte, N. C. Chaplain J. J. Scott, Alfordsville, VT C Door Keeper W. H. Tomlinson, Fay--rteville, 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, P.aleigh, N. C. Trustee Business Agency Fund W. A. Graham, Machpelah, N. C. ITSCUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CARO LINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. S. B. Alexander, Charlotte, N. C, Chair oan; J. M. Mewborne, Kinston N. 0.: J. S. Johnston, Rutfin, N. C. WHAT WILL THEY DO? Olin, N. C. Mr. Editor: Will the present national and State legislators or other real politicians give the laboring masses the necessary relief asked for in the six demands made by the Farmers' Alliance and Co operative Union of America even if they sign the cards now being presented to them ? Some few may but a man tiiat will break a verbal promise will be very apt to find some way to evade a written one. " Absence on account of sickress :' when the tug of v an comes or when the votes are counted or some other excuse will doubtless be rendered as a reason why many of them will fail to carry out their pledges. Before election politicians are always the servants of the dear people, but after they are elected to office they are suddenly transformed inio master. They always appear to desire instruc tion before elected, but afterwards they do the instructing especially if free passes on railroads or other small favors are received by them from corporate bodies, or if lobbyists are on hand during the sitting of the various legislative bodies and dis tribute the boodle freely. It takes more nerve than the average politician can command to do justly to constitu ents when future rewards and present comforts stand between himself and duty. In fact there his been but lit tle legislation had since the war that has not been carried by undue and unfair means. This is easily proven by referring to the many unrighteous laws that have been enacted by Con gress and every State legislature since the war closed laws that have vastly increased the wealth of the fe?v and the poverty of the many and multi plied the corporative bodies without number which are now oppressing the people enormously. Many of those oppressive laws must be repealed and others more just enacted in their stead. Will it do to trust old politi cians and attorneys who have been working in the interest of their mi nority and against the majority for lo these years of corruption? Does not the order with her three and a half millions of members con tain enough brains and honesty to represent the working classes without continuing in office such as are not eligible to mem bership and not in sympathy with us? Is it reasonable to suppose that our enemies will do as much for us as our friends. And in this fight there is no middle ground for demagogues to stand upon. All men are either for or againt us All court house-ring men (however friendly) are against us and should not be continued in office, nor pro moted to one. Very few of them have records that will recommend them to us, and as one has said they have too "much experience." Both of the great political parties have shown that they care more for the "loaves an.l fishes" than for their con stituents, and neither can be relied on at this tim, and each is jealous ot the other that is the politician?. Wherever either of them are in pow er, the Alliance men in that party should attend the primary meetings and conventions and have suitable men nominated this year for all of fices who are not offensive to the op posite party, and who will relieve the masses. A very intelligent and fair-minded member of the party in his county which is greatly in the minority, said to the writer recently: "If the oppo site party will bring out new men, such as we can trust of the primary class, who have no unfavorable re cord, we will vote for them, but if they bring out old stagers we will not. And this is the feeling everywhere. "Rotation in office" is no new or Alli ance cry, but is one to be adopted just now if Alliance men expect re lief. The necessity of more money in circulation and other good reasons started the Greenbackers a few years ago, but the old parties killed off the new party by a combined ef fort, though the new party had fifteen members in Congress at one time and after the old parties succeeded they made matters worse than they were before. And if the writer is not mis taken there was a contest over fifty years ago over coin and paper money, or a Sub Treasury or paper currency. The coin advocates triumphed, and times have gradually grown worse since. J no. P. Foard. PROCEEDINGS OF FORSYTH COUNTY ALLIANCE. Held at Philadelphia Church, July i8th and 19th, 1890 Met at 10 o'clock a. m. and opened in due form. Call of the roll it was found that thirty-three Sub-Alliances were represented. Next was election of officers for the coming year which was as follows: President, Junius W. Spease; Vice President, F. H. Lash; Secretary, E. A. Conrad; Treasurer, R. B. Flynt; Chaplain, E. M. Fishel; Lecturer, H. C. Fulton; Assis'ant Lecturer, H. M. Brown; Doorkeeper, J. C- Conrad; Assistant Doorkeeper, J. Henry Shouse; Sergeant at-Arms, B. R Kier; Business Agent, J. F. Griffith; Cor responding Secretary, Wm. M. Hin shaw. Committee on Good of the Order: John Q Huchins, J P. Bink ley, J. C. Faw. Executive Committee: F. N. Pfaff, Edgar Lineback, Ellis Hauser, E T. Kapp, R. C. Lineback. Rev. V. A. Wilson was elected dele gate to State Alliance, Rev. H. C. Fulton, alternate, which meets in Asheville. The following named gen tlemen were appointed township lec turers : Clemmonsville, E. M. Fishel. Lewisville, J. P. Binkley. Bethania, Edgar Lineback. South Fork, D. A. B.nkley and A. W. Bevil. Vienna, B. Hendrix and G. A. Wilson. Old Richmond, Wm. Hunter. Old Town, J. Q. Hutchins. Salem Chapel, John W. Staler. Belews Creek, H. 0. Fulton. Middle Fork, A. P. Dvis. Broad Bay, J. E. Faw. Winston, J. E Griffith. Kernersville and Abbott's Creek to be appointed by Lecturer. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted: Resolved, Tired as we are of crack mg of party whips of bosses and the rule or ruin tactics; tired as we are of machine politics which subordinate the general gooi of party supremacy; tired of representatives who misrep resent us, tired of servmts who do not serve both in the House of Lords, called the American Senate, and in the House of Representatives. Be it Resolved, by the Forsyth County Convention of the Farmers' Alliance, That we will suppport no man at the ballot bix for the Legislature who will not pledge himself to make every honest effort to elect a Senator who will heed the demands of the workirg people of this country. Resolved, by the County Alliance of Forsyth, that the expenditure of $350 for a picture of a court house, how ever praiworthy as a work of art, is to say the least extravagant and an utterly unjustifiable waste of the peo ple's money. Our motto is millions for the good of the people, but not a cent for the fine arts just now. Wm. Hixshaw, Cot. Sec'y. Winston, July 21st, 1890. NUTS TO CRACK AT THE FARM ER'S FIRESIDE. Press Opinions from Many Sources. Does farming pay ? Yes, but it pys the man that don't farm. Econ omist. The theory of protection briefly stated, is to take money by law and away from those who have earned and give it to those who have not earned it. Exchange. Kansas farmers are rushing their harvesting by moonlight and getting their grain laid by in the nigh;. Thi3 gives them a chance to study how to lay by the politician in the day time. Wichita Eagle. Will those men who oppose the Sub-Treasury plan place themselves on record against the national bank plans, the whisky warehouse plan and other like schemes ? We pause for a reply. Southern Alliance Farmer. How many Alliance men are still supporting old party papers which are doing their best to club the order to death ? Are they so flush with money that they can afford to supply the enemy with the sinews of war ? What next ? Statesman. If some of our esteemed exchanges could see the congregation of farmers "at Emporia to day to listen to the ad dress of their National President, they might change their minds aKout the Alliance " rapidly approaching disso lution." Emporim (A'cm.) Republican. The Alliance in Kansas is enjoying a rapid growth from tho best people among the people. No organization has ever yet been formed that has done as much toward arousing the people to a sense of their danger and duty as the Alliance has. Laborer's Iribune. The Alliance is already of so much importance in Michigan that the mo nopoly agents are at work trying to get .the farmers-to quarreling among themselves. The Senti?iel will be on guard and warn the fraternity of ap proaching danger. Lqnsing Mich., Sentinel. What good does it do to have Fourth of July celebrations and listen to ."spread eagle" speeches, and de clare that all men are born free and equal, while a large majority of man kind are deprived of their natural rights and have no inheritance on che earth ? Texas Labor Journal. We desire very much to have Sena tor Vest stay at home f rm this winter on, but if he is to be succeeded by another man of the same political complexion, we have no choice. Our hope lies in the possibilities of getting a true American elected who don't care for the g. o. p's. but the peopje. Laborer's Tribune. m When the New York Iribune says "stop," what must be thought of this pauperizing iniquity ? It explainf : One out of every 88 of our inhabitants gets an average pension of $224 an nually. One twentieth of the voting population are pensioners. It closes with " Further appropriations for pensions cannot be asked without im periling the continuance of all grants for that object." Farmers do you want a change ? Are you satisfied with 1 5 cent corn, 12 cent oats, 50 cent whea 1 1 4 cent corn, 5 per cent, taxes, 10 to 20 rer cent- money and mortgages unlimited? Hive you enough of it? Do you care for the comforts of life, for your wives and children ? Is your family not entitled 'to some pleasures and enjoyments, the same as the million air's family ? Union Banner. The editors of the St. Paul Great West are men who are doing a great work for the partisan blind farmers of the West. They have exposed the corrupt methods of the wheat com bines, and immediately wheat jumped from 60c. to 90c. a bushel, (which aras noted in the Torch at the time), after the expose. This combine had been making a clean steal of 20c. a bushel on wheat before the expose. Torch of Liberty. It is my firm conviction that the inexpressible miseries inflicted upon mankind by war, pestilence and famine, have been less cruel, unpity ing and unrelenting than the persist ent and remorseless exactions which this inexorable enemy has made upon society. As the volume of money contracts prices decline, and with the decline of prices comes stagnation of industry, and the relation to idleness of thousands ot willing workmen. Jones' Speech. Ex-Senator C. H. Van Wick, of Nebraska, in a recent speech at Grand Island said; "The financial policy which is straining the country at every joint is the result and has the protec tion of each party when in power. Wall street des to day and always has held in leading strings both and petitions of the people passed by as the idle wind. Even the cyclone ot in aroused public sentiment has scarcely made a spring zephyr at Washington. There is being per formed the same play as that Nero who fiddled while Rome was burning. We may meet, and talk, declaim and pas3 resolutions from now until dooms day, but unless we do our level best with what we work at, our wages will be cut don, and given to better men, or our farms be taken from us to be worked by other?. We musf, there is no use in mincing language, use every foot of land to advantage. We are wasteful, negligent, and lacking in the faculty of economizing at every point. We do not mean by this nig gardliness in the household but rather the making of the most and the best of our resources. Exchange. ANEW ERA OF SLAVERY. Wilkes Co , N. C. Mr. Editor: For many years 1 have been made to wonder why it is that the laboring classes of America have so long submitted to being trampled in the dust, as it were, by the despotic heel of the moneyed lords and bloated bond holders. Our he roic ancestors fought for seven long years in order to free themselves from despotic oppression and through the aid of Divine Providence they suc ceeded. But where are we now ? Has the patriotic blood of our heroic sires been absorbed in the veins of our monopolistic lords and nobles ? Surely not. Surely there are yet among the laboring classes, (the bone and sinew of the world), men through whose veins still course the geiu.ne pitriotic blood of our ancestors. Surely the blissful period is naar when the laboring classes will arise from their dusty beds of oppression and burst asunder the massive chains of monopolistic oppression with which they-have so long been bound, and each declare, as did James Oats of old: "To my dying day I will oppose, with all the power and faculties God has given me, all such instruments of slavery on the one hand and villiany on the other." Every one is bound to admit that the "firmer feeds the world." Of course our mechanics and miners do their full share towards developing the wealth of our world, We could not do without them, but what use have we for the money sharks, mo nopolies, bloated bond-holders, etc ? The laboring classes create and de velop all the wealth of the world and the monopolists gobble it up, being apparently as unthankful as the hog, " who never raisesmis head to see who it is that is throwing down the acorns to him. ' All the monopolists eem to care for is to accumulate wealth, which, in nine cases out of ten, they .do by op pressing the very ones who produce it. They are using every effort to make of us serfs and tenants as are the poor, oppre?s?d and down trodden inhabitants of Ireland. Too long have we borne wi,h these oppressors. Too long have we suffered them to rule us as with a rod of iron. Brethren, the time has arrived for us to throw off these galling chains of oppression and assert our freedom and independence. Now is the time to work together as a united brother hood of laborers for the betterment of mankind in general and for the laboring classes in particular. Then let all who have at heart the true principles of freedom, justice and right, at once rally to the standard of the Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union of America. And soon we'il hiil with joy sublime The dawning of a brighter day. They may call us old mossy back, hayseed fogies if it seemeth good for them to do so, but all -this will not de ter us from pressing " onward and up ward " until our efforts are crowned by the enactment of laws giving " equal justice to all and special privi leges to none." Witb- ju tice for our bittle cry, What power on earth can us defy With truth and justice for our htJm, Ere long cu foes we'll ever whelm. We battle not for martial fame, 11 cruel warefare wc disdain. Our weapons are not sword and spear, But Tru h anr Jus ice everywhere. Though crushed to earth, we long have lain, We know our cause will rise again. We know ttat ju-tice, truth and ri?ht Wi!l pat oppressive foes to flight. Then all ye laborers arise, For justice strike . rd win the prize, And then with joy we'll taU the cay ! We first resolved to walk the way Our good old fathers trcd. T. C. Land, Pres't. Thistles, daisies, dock weeds and wild morning glories are pets that should be kept down from the start. ARE THE POLITICAL GRIEV ANCES COMPLAINED OF REAL OR IMAGINARY? Mr. Editor: It is alleged by some would be politicians that all is well; That there is no cau?e for complain ; that all are, or may be, happy and prosperous under the present laws as they are now administered; that noh ing can help the farmeis except a president that 6an give thern good crops, and none are dissatisfie i except those who fail to get office. Is this so ? If it is, then every man elong ing to the Alliance or in sympathy with it is either a knave or a fool. All the Alliance demands, both State and Natibnal, are unjust and uncal ed for, and all the politicians and political platforms that have promised the re peal of the internal revenue, the pas sage of the Blair educational bill, the Su "-Treasury bill, or any law aiding the farmers, are all humbugs, for none of these things have been done, and if the people can and do prosper without them, then it is folly to pass them, and they are nothing but the clap. trap of demagogues gotten up o catch votes. We for one cannot agree with the political siren who" sings that all is well and says to the farmer go to work and I will attend to the finances. Nor do I intend knowingly to imitate the rabled fly by walking into the parlor of the political spider only to be consumed by him. We have had enough of that, and thank God the dear people are beginning to think for themselves and do not propose that the politician shall longer think for them. It appears that the thinker " gits the coon " and the farmers are getting tired of doing ail the hunting while others get the meat and fur. Then let the laboring classes stand firmly -together, irrespective of old party affiliations, and support for office only such men as are in accord with, and 'will pledge themselves to use their influence to have passed the laws now demanded by the Farmers' Alliance. It is not the purpose of this com munication to discuss in detail the demands of the Alliance, for they have been ratified by every Alliance in the State, and that is or ought to be enough to justify the farmers in not voting for any man who is not pledged to their suppDrt. Let ushave no wavering, no weak knee3, no falling into old ruts under the old pirty lash, nor no more boss ing by the politicians, but let the peo pie say to the political candidates what they want done and demand that they do it, and unless they will pledge themselves to do what they want, let them alone. All who have a common interest should join hands and march shoulder to shoulder and vote together until the list politician, who is opposed to the interests of the laboring class, U put to flight. Do not go to sleep under the lullaby that all is well nor be deceived by the old politician who says that whit the farmer asks is "unconstitutional," nor theU. S. Sen ator who tells you that he has known for ten years that you are oppressed, yet during all that time has offered no relief, and now has no substitute for the " unconstitutional." It does seem that we have had enough of that kind of statesmanshi p, and no thinking people will longer be deceived by it. So we 3ay read The Progressive Farmer, thereby keep posted in regard to your interests, vote and act accordingly and ail will be well. Fraternally, H. OKISKO ALLIANCE, NO. 1,044. Mr. Editor: Pasquotank County A'liance met in the cour house in Edzibeth City on the 4th inst. with quite flattering prospects for the future, with a full delegation and an agree able interchange of views with ref erence to all matter3 of interest con nected with the organization, besides we had the presence of a good and orderly ordinance of brethren from the various Sub-Alliances of the county with an occasional sprinkling of brethren from adjoining counties. Notwithstanding our opportunities have in a great measure been poor, from theiac that the six northeastern counties have never had the benefit of but one assistant State Lecturer (Bro. Hunter) since our organization. Bro. Darden had but just crossed the historic Chowan ere the messenger of death suddenly called him to join that happy alliance of spirits in a better land. And now in view of that sai disappointment to us and the grand cause in which he was engaged, may we not indulge the hope thit the Ex ecutive Committee will at the earli est possible opportunity send to our relief and aid a man . full of the fire ot patriotism which is so essential to the success of the noble cause. Politicians in this section are wait ing with anxious solicitation the ac tion of the Alliance men, and we of the east are patiently biding: our time and looking with an eagle's eje to the instructions from the National Council as to what steps to take in the coming campaign. Our object is to keep the line dressed standing shoulder to shoulder, elbow touching elbow in our unbroken phalanx with south, east and west. Let there be concert of action among us, otherwise our cause will be irretrievably lost. " In union there is strength," " ex perience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other." " By diligence the no use eat the cable in two." I have passed the meridian ot life and I unhesitatingly assert thaf at no period of my life have I known so much demagoguery among partisan politicians, and for one 1 demand a halt. Brethren everywhere, let me say to yon, it is time we lay aside the damnable influence of partisanship and let better councils prevail. One more decade, if we persist in this suicidal manner, will wreck the ship of liberty and all will perish in a vor tex of anarchy and ruin. I appeal to men and brethren of my section and party. I feel great interest in not only the " free coinage of silver," but a universal circulation of The PKOOhES sive Farmer. I do not see how any Aliianceman can get along without it. Down this way we call it " our paper," then let us practice what we preach by taking it. It advocates our rights and therefore merits our support. We have hoisted our colors to the breeze; let us stand by them, inviting God's blesdngs upon the members of our order, both male and femile, and the toiling millions everywhere, and not forget to pray for our enemies, who love money and power better than their G)d and country's good and the happiness of their fellow beings. Yours f ratern ally, M G. Gregory. A BROTHER GIVES US ALL SOME GOOD ADVICE. Mr. Editor: The Farmers' Alli ance aas now reached a critical point in its career. A large per cent, of its members are so carried away with en thusiasm and political ambition that they are liable to speak and act in ways that are not in harmony with our principles. It certainly is not best for us to be carried away'with such ideas. Our government has been one of principle since its formation, and if we would take a hand in it we must do so with the determination to improve and not to degrade it. I am satisfied that farmers as a class have taken too little interest in political affairs in the past. And that such neglect has been the cause of the present oppression of the agricultural interests, but we must remember that undue enthusiasm has given us of the South trouble in times past, and has caused this very neglect. In the days of reconstruction, if we had looked more closely to our interest as a class and not been completely carried away with the idea of sosial equality, we would not have allowed ourselves to , have been trodden down by class leg islation. Now, Mr. Editor, our prin ciples are .he very best, and the best men of our country are in harmony with them, and were they carried out onr best interests, both as a clas3 and as a nation, would be fully met. This being true, let us strive to install con fidence in the heart3 of others and show to the world our determination to exact justice and equity and noth ing more. Now this may strike some of your readers as uncalled for, but I can assure you that we have members aad leading ones at that who seem to utterly disregard the principles of good government, and think the Alli ance was founded simply to scare the world into righteousness. I would thit even our popular organ could view these things in a more conserva tive light. I would not detract an iota from the bright anticipatioas of any member of our order, but would have them base their hopes on their determination to stand by truth and principle. God bie3S the Farmers' Alliance and may He so guard her principles that when our children have become men and women they may point to it a3 the salvation, of our common conn try. Yours fraternally, T. H. Raney.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 5, 1890, edition 1
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