Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Feb. 26, 1895, edition 1 / Page 1
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r 1 1 1 -I J FABMMt jsr ' ! : ' ' : ; : ' : : 7 THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. j01.1O. RALEIGH. N. C FEBRUARY 26, 1895 - No. 3 9 5. f ' ..i-mMAL. FARMERS' ALLI- ' ANCE AND INDUSTRIAL UNION. president J- F. Willetts, Topeka, fee-President-H 0. Snavely, Leb Pa. srietaxy-Treasurer Col. D. P. Dun '. Columbia, 8. C. EXECUTIVE BOARD. f L. Loucks, Huron, S. D. ; Mann Brandon, Virginia; I. EL Dean, eoye Falls, New York; H. C. Dem Zr, Secretary. Harrisburg, Pennsyl Jfa; Marion Butler, Italeigb, N. C. JUDICIARY. x A. Southworth, Denver, Colo. i W. Beck, Alabama. I D. Davie, Kentucky. j VfH CAROLINA FARMERS' STATE AIX3- Resident J. M. Mew borne, Kinston, v "tee-President A. C. Shuford, New- N O cretary-Treasurer W. S. Barnes, jgh, N. C. . . uLjcturer Cyrus Thompson, Rich i N C Uf tward-J. T. B. Hoover, Elm City, ' ; iaplain Dr. T. T. Speight, Lewis- tf-c- ' i xr keeper Geo. T. Lane, Greens- "'i'iistant Door-keeper Jas. E. Lyon, L.ham, N. C. -jrgeant-at Arms J. R. Hancock, ensboro, N. C. '?ate Business Agent-W. H. Worth, Ka sigh, N. C. " irastee Business Agency Fund V. a Jraham, Machpelah, N. C. tnCUTIVE COMMITTED OF THE NORTH MOLINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. ilarion Butler, Goldsboro, N. C; J. . Long, Eoka, N. C. ; A. F. Hileman, fticord, N. C. iT& ALLIANCE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. t Rmtr notarnllo N C! Dr. J. f Harrell. Whiteville, N. C; John ..iinam, .tuageway, n. j. Carolina Reform Press Association. IZcersJ. L. Ramsey, President; rion Butler, VicerPresident ; W. S. .mes, Secretary, PAPERS. - passive Farmer. Sta Organ, RJeJzh, N. C. r s.n RaleiKh, N. C. . vv Hickory, N. C V, yery Whitakers, N. C. '? Home. Beaver Dam. N.C. -1 Populis t, Lumbertpn, N. C. i People's Parer. Charlotte, N. C. Vestibule, Concord, C. H , Plow- Boy. Wadesboro, N. C. ',.. low Blade, Peanut, N. C. lack of the above-named papers are guested to keep the list standing on IV first page and add others, provided 2 y are duly elected. Any paper fail- to advocate the Ocala platform will r. Iropped from the list promptly. Our -.pie can now see what papers are v tUKed in their interest. EDITORIAL SUGGESTIONS. Increase the number of hogs. So b:g as people eat pork and bacon, ?:ne use can be made of the meat. !he financial question still looms up, i rshadowing all others. Farmers & not the only people interested, :vter. ' he winter evening should be em wjyed in reading aloud and in amuse i? it. That is one way to make farm iui pleasant to the children. Just as well try to carry on religious ck without churches or other organ-, tVi bodies as to try to reform the ntry with unorganized forces. J. airy farmers who sell milk in New Vo k City get an average of about 10 r La per gallon. That is less than our y farmers get in Southern towns. .ive more attention to the garden r truck patches. Aside from the -isure derived from eating freely of fv,h vegetables, you add toyourcom :i and save doctors' bills. The question i3 not how much we -V- U raise, but what shall we raise, how will we manage to get fair r ;es for what we do raise! Answer: ;anize and stay so. Educate and T 9 for what you want. ome South, young man. Come and i" w up with the country. The South 4 "tains every variety of climate, soil, t Tber, minerals, etc.,' found on the r r:h. All we need now is good gov ""laieat, and the South and West will -i hands and get that before long. v7e hope to see one good Sub Alliance ' every agricultural community in erica. If this plan is carried out H -the right kind of reform papers ; in the hands of the readers, no ?er can prevent the people from get '' l hold of the reins'. 'a a very large farm there is more eas land that its owner would be bet ; ! 02 without. Sometimes it is said J t farmers should concentrate their t3 on a few acres, and let the rest idle in pa3ture and produce what it Ijmh little or no expense. Only ;rket gardeners and small fruit were have any adequate idea of the ;ountof money that can be made 4- a Email place. THE ANNUAL ADDRESS Of President Marion Butler, of the Na tional Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union. Brethren: This is an age of organ ization and co- operation. ' That organization was economical and otherwise beneficial for the co-operative advancement of mutual inter est, has long been evident. It is more evident to day. We have reached that point in our civilization, even under a republican form of government, where organization is not only beneficial, but also necessary. This is true with ref erence to every class of our citizens and to every division of our various in dustries and professions. To no one does it apply with more force than to the agricultural and industrial class. Yet they are among the last to avail them selves of the advantage of organization as well as the absolute necessity there for. At various times in the past, numer ous efforts to organize permanently have been made, and, with what result, is a matter of history and is well known. And while the result is well known, yet I hardly think the cause of f uch failures is generally understood by us. It i3 true, that whenever an organi zation has been started or attempted, that those classes of our citizens who, being organized, have had fche advan tage of us being -unorganized, (and knowing that our organization on our part would soon result in increased in telligence, and therefore united action for the protection of our rights and in terest,) have used every agency that united brain could devise and com bined money could control, to demoral ize, defeat and disrupt the organiza tion. The newspapers and politicians have been largely used to make the at tack from the outside by misrepresen tation and appeals to prejudice, while the Judases in the organization, whose price was thirty pieces of silver (more or less,) have always been found to do the work of spies and traitors on the inside. But this is not necessirily the cause of the failures. The basic cause that makes such hostile agencies successful, in my opinion, lies deeper. In fact, it is inherent in the rank and file of the majority of the members themselves of such organizations. It is a cause pro duced by our surroundings, supple mented by false teachings. It is a cause that may be termed accumula tive, hereditary trait of our social character. I refer to a cause which, for the want of name, I will describe as produced by the want of a sufficient social contact and a fair and toler ant exchange of opinions and ideas. I refer to the want of cohesion; to our failure to pool our divergent opinions and agree upon a common line of action that would represent the combined wisdom of all. When we violate God's great social laws ; when we fail to put our hearts next to our neighbors' hearts ; when we fail to bring our intellect in contact with our neighbors, then both the soul and the intellect, instead of developing, broadening and elevating, making us more like our Maker, and becoming fit to work out the highest destiny of in tellectual Christianity, our souls con tract and shrivel, our intellects grow weak and narrow. Here is the great trouble, here lies the defeat; here lies the cause of failure. To bridge over the great want of so cial intercourse in rural life, to stimu late intellectual development by the contact of intellect with intellect, to exchange opinions so as to avoid ex perimental errors in business as well as to get the benefit of a multitude of counsel for future efforts, to learn the lesson of making two blades of grass grow where one grew before, has been the great object of the past efforts among the agricultural and industrial classes at organization. And especially is this the great original purpose of the Alliance, and is now the basic idea for its perpetual existence. So we see that the corner stones on which the Alliance was founded and is standing to-day, are : First, social and moral development; second, intellec tual development, followed by co-operation in business efforts and industrial pursuits. In towns and cities the various busi ness, professional and monopoly organ izations have for their original purpose the second of the above objects. There, a close or compact population gives the opportunity for social advantages without an organization for that specific purpose. But the organizations of towns and cities have another pur pose and mission, though incidental, yet highly important in a republican form of government. What is it? It is to use the power and influence of their organization in the legislative halls, and at the ballot box to prevent hostile legislation against the clats of citizens which their organization rep resents. So far, such use of their, power is proper and necessary, and it is our duty to use our organization for the same purpose. But prompted by selfishness and greed these organiza tions often go further. They use their power to inaugurate and execute hos tile legislation against other classes not organized, or poorly organized and weak. The latter exercise of this power in defiance of right, but too often under the cover of law is the snake in our body politic, and the curse of our civilization. This is the fright ful game where the big fish eat the smaller fish, and then turn to eat each other. We have this game played with growing force and intensity, and for the last few months we have seen it in its most frightful aspect. None have suffered more from this evil condition, as a rule, than the in dustrial and agricultural classes the bone and sinew, the wealth producers of the land.- Yet, viewed from the standpoint of numbers, none were, and are to day better able, not only to pro tect themselves, but to force justice to be done to all other classes alike. That we have failed in this, is little short of a crime a crime not only against those dependent upon us, but against all oppressed and suffering humanity. But why have we failed? The basic cause lies in the cumulative hereditary defeat of ourselves. The isolated lives i we have lived have resulted in each one following his own way, unaided and ung aided by the wisdom, that ccmes from the association of ideas. We have not pooled our intellects and manhood ; we have fought single handed and alone have been beaten in detail. Past organizations and lodges of the present organization, the Alliance have disbanded because every man could not see alike and agree. Our in tellects are made different. We were intended to differ and in differing to find the truth, or at least a safe line of action between our divergent opinions. Ail other classes and organizations have learned the use and value of divergent opinions, and have learned the perfection of human wisdom from organizitiozl, by acting as a unit on a line of action, that was the combined wisdom of all, though it did not repre sent the individual opinion of a eingle member of their organization. They have practiced co operation them selves, but have preached competition to us. Competition is destructive it is the devil's game. When we learn this les son ; when we overcome this fatal de fect in our own organization, and un learn the false education that has been taught us by selfish and designing mo nopoly ; when we begin to protect co operation, we will not only be able to protect ourselves, but to advance our mutual interests. Then we will not only be prosperous, but also well nigh invincible. v And though every effort at organiza tion in the past has failed, yet every effort has done good. Every effort has to a certain extent overcome the fatal defect, and taught us the folly and danger of competition and the value of possibilities of co operation. The same cause that produced the other organi zations produced the Alliance, but the cause is intensified. The same defect that made the other organizations fail may wreck this organization, but the defect is growing less is disappearing. I trust that the time has come, that the hour has struck, when the people's orJ ganization, under the guidance of a Divine Providence, will be successful will become permanent. But let this be as it may ; let every reformer feel that it is his duty to press forward the Lord helps those who help them selves. Let every reformer buckle on his armor with new zeal. The struggle will be great, but the results will be greater. The result will be either jus tice and liberty, or oppression and ser vitude. We have so long allowed other classes, organized to control legisla tures, congresses, and to exercise un due influence on the executives and the courts, and to encroach upon our rights through the form of law, that to day we find heartless greed and soulless monopoly entrenched behind unjust laws, and watching the rising tide of discontent from the millions they have oppressed, bled, made poor, and who are well nigh desperate. These monop oly organizations understand the sig nificance of this last, great uprising of the people. They are preparing for the struggle. Kindred monopolies are or ganizing into associations of monopo lies with one central head. They see that the people are learning to stand together and that the people may, therefore, succeed. They see that the reforms demanded by the people, if successful, will force them to discon tinue their game of speculation and wholesale preying upon the masses. They are growing arrogant as well as more vigilant and subtle. And still at this critical hour, when liberty, justice and even a republican form of government are hanging in the balance, and it seems that nothing can save the people but a united effort on their part to regain their government, and re-establish the principles of Jeffer son and Jackson, the hired press and the servile politicians howl that 4the Alliance has gone into politics." They would have the people to devote their whole time to making more wheat, corn, cotton and tobacco, while they want you to have confidence in them to run the government, to make money scarcer, to make products cheaper, make debts bigger, and lay a larger tribute and a heavier burden upon the masses for the benefit of the monopo lies and the bondholders. I wish to say to you that the supreme duty of this organization to day, in my opin ion, is to throw its whole power and influence to correct the evils that have grown up in our government; to re establish the principles of justice so as to make it possible for the great, origi nal purposes of the organization, to be carried out, to bless and elevate man kind ; and in my opinion the question of questions to be considered, and first forced to a just conclusion, is financial reform. But let me beseech you in striving to accomplish this high and all important duty not to give up your organization and tie your faith to a political party. It is true that all political reforms must be gotten through political par ties. But we must keep up our organ ization in order to have influence with political parties. Political parties are a necessity, but our organization is a greater necessity. Professional poli ticians too often control them; and politicians act more from a sense of selfishness and fear than from a sense of justice and right. Therefore let the organization hold itself independent of all political parties, and be ever ready to help to defeat or to elect a party ac cording to the principles that it holds and acta upon. By such independent action only can we purify, politics, and be able to preserve our country and our liberties. The partisan the political tool serves his party, right or .wrong. The highest type of a patriot is a non-par tisan; he supports any party that f uthers the principles of honest govern ment ; he fights any party that serves monopoly and class interest to the det riment of the people; he cares nothing for the name of the label of the party, but whatever party his conscience, en lightened by a correct knowledge of facts, shows him he should support for that one election, he supports with all the zeal and ability that his Maker has blessed him with. This I conceive to be the duty of all true Alliancemen with reference to politics. When the political evils from which we are suffering are corrected, and mark my words no part j will ever do it if this organization goes down, then let the Alliance give its chief attention to its original purpose. But also re member that it will be necessary for us to keep well informed on political questions, and take a keen and active interest in the actions of all political parties, less the enemy of the people should then corrupt our government again. Our victory so far has come through education. Let us spread reform litera ture. We have done much, but we can, should do more. I feel like congratulating the Alli ance on its success in political reforma tion so far. For we have succeeded in two very important points two points that make genuine reform a certainty in the near f u ure. First. We have succeeded in getting the real issue, finance, before the peo ple, and the issue is clearly defined. Second. We have succeeded in' plac ing the responsibility for bad govern ment where it belongs. It cannot be shifted from party to party any longer. The author of the game of shifting responsibility is no lessr a personage than Satan himself. He commenced the game in the gar den of Eden and will continue to try to work it till the -end of time. But the politician is now nearing the end of his row. The party now in power the goldbug party must face the people with its record and go down, or it must fail to do so and be swept out of existence. There are but two parties now in this country, the one the gold bond monopoly party, the other the great masses of the people who are en gaged in productive and legitimate business. Some true Alliancemen have differed as to methods and party agencies in the past, but the time is near at hand when there will be no excuse or chance for honest men to differ. Let every reformer take fresh hope and courage. Our victory so far has come through education. Let us spread reform literature. We have done much but we can and should do more. Yes, let us continue to educate, let us con tinue to organize, build the organiza tion stronger as well as larger. Stand by your guns, press forward with your banner and victory will crown your heroic efforts. BROOM CORN CULTURE. Paper prepared by Mr. Jesee W. Johnson, of Williamson county, for the farmers' conven tion held at t o. umbla, Nov. 15, 1894. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention: I have noticed with pleasure for eqme time, the interest you are taking in agricultural products and the better management of farming in general, the raising of better crops and the most economical and profitable way of handling them. To secure the best results, both to the producer and the consumer, to be profitable interests must be guarded and looked after. I have thought it would be well, as the crop is becoming more and more an article of general culture, that I would give you a few thoughts in regard to the growiDg, harvesting and putting upon the market 'broom corn." The preparation of the land and produc tiveness are the first requisites. The land should be thoroughly broken with a good two-horse plow, drawn by a good team, just as early as the land is in condition to plow ; harrowed thor oughly that all decaying matter may decompose, and become food for the crop, then again, just as early in the spring as you are safe from frost, with a good one-horse plow, two furrows should be thrown together and with a drag driven with one horse, two rows should be knocked off. Then with good one-horse drill, with roller attachment, plant the seed not too deep, say 1 to H inches in the soil. The advantage of the bed is quite a feature, it enables a more early and cleaner cultivation, which should be begun as soon as the corn is 2 or 2 inches up in growth. This is important with this crop, as with all others, to advance it as rapidly as possible, in view of drouth striking it in the summer with small growth and less root, with which to be sus tained. Then one other point should be guarded, that you do not have it too thick. It should stand in the row about as your fingers would look when holding them up, being too thick is more detrimental than being a little too thin in the former case. The after "culture is very simple, ex cept you must not neglect it and stop working it too soon, as some imagine that all that is necessary is to give it up. You must cultivate it to get the "brush" just as you would any corn, and make the roots grow to sustain the stalk and seed. It is a nice crop to cultivate if properly attended to, and on fairly good land that would yield from 30 to 30 bunches of corn ought to make from 700 to 800 pounds of corn commanding the best market price. The harvesting and threshing the crop to rid the seed from husk, is a simple matter, and if carelessly done, may greatly injure the selling value by leaving seed and cutting irregularly, having some stems long and others short, which makes an uneven sample of brush. Now you are to an important point with the crop the drying and putting it upon the market. The corn, if a fair day should be "spread out upon sails laid in regular .order to have the day's sun, and that it should be carefully at tended to that it is not too thick and some of it remain green. It should be carefully housed, as it will heat very easily if too thick, or in too much bulk, as it is cured you can begin to bulk until you get a good large quantity in a small space. You must not let it mold or mildew. As soon as it is dry you may begin to bundle it, putting it in bundles of from 18 to 20 pounds. Then you are ready for market. CREAM OF THE PRESS. Hard Hits, Bold Sayings and Patriotic Paragraphs from Reform Papers They are Worth the Price of One Paper a Whole Year. It is said that every one in Congress thinks that it is high time for someone else to do something. National Watchman. A pitched battle with the money power is inevitable. It must be won by the people or the country is lost. The Calliope. One convert now is worth a dozen -during a campaign. This" iK timo to sow the seed and spread the light.' Chicago Sentinel. " If the silver dollar is good enough for the workingman and merchant, it should be good enough for the bond speculator. Labor Advocate. The bankers, merchants, lawyers, doctors, railroad capitalists and all stick togetht r, and why should not the farmers? A lliance Vindicator. There are annoyances in newspaper life as well as any other, but worry about the demands of the income tax; isn't one of them. Chicago Sentinel, Wheat 15 cents lower than one year ago and 35 cents lower than two years ago. Sherman's fight will soon- ac complish its work. Labors' Tribune. In England they, call Cleveland a statesman. They are not so particular as they used to be. Arnold was not well received in England. Dalton, Qa., Tribune. It is neither gold or silver that pays the money we owe foreign nations for imports or debts, it is our agricultural products. They pay every dollar. Farmers'' Voice. Senator Vest writes that he does not look for the present Congress to da anything. Vest is several months be hind the rest of the country in thai expectation. Messenger. Prices are low because so many wha used to buy and eat and wear are now unemployed, and must stint them selves to the cheapest food and coarsest clothing. Mt. Vernon Progressive Farmer. There are very few prominent Peo ple's party writers but who could make more money working for plutoc racy but they prefer to work in a good cause for lees wages. National Reformer. . The bondholders want the income tax to be declared unconstitutional. How do they want their interest and principal paid? Let them express their desires and Congress will do the rest, - Labette Statesman. So Grover wants more, bonds, and don't care a cent about the robber Mc Kinley tariff. Well, we told you sot but you yelled, calamity howler. Well, it's good for you, let the bonds be issued by all means; master Grover knows what is best for his slaves. In' dustrial Union. As a result of falling prices, it takes 20 per cent, more commodities to buy a dollar than it did a year ago, accord ing to the Chicago Tribune, although that paper does not state the problem in that way. There isn't much profit in business under these circumstance?. Brockton Diamond. f Your old party friends will tell you wheat is so low because there is an over-production. Yet a cry for 'bread or work" is going up from hundreds of thousands of lips. When the people get lead instead of bread the cry dies out only to be renewed with greater strength in another part of the so called civilized world. Industrial News., To break up and scatter the manure and to loosen up the spots where thcro is no grass, they plant and harrow tho pastures at the Ohio State University according to the Agricultural Student. For this purpose they use four fenca rails nailed together side by side and tied behind a light smoothing harrow. If a horflfl balks, do not whir 1 - " ..jr aaju, but let him stop and think it over. After a littto reflection nne n. fw of the head he will often start of his owa volition. Talk to him kindly, pet him,, loosen a strapper a buckle, and he may forget his obstinate spell. An apple or may win him. Artichokes are not fullv n.rnrpn?f - - VV&tVM as a food. They are good enough for any stock, even poultry. Their yield is 700 or 800 bushels an acre, and they have somewhat of the flavor cf cab bage. Conditions of heat or moisturo do not seem essential, and they arot therefore, a cure crop. The best i3 ths White Jerusalem variety. v 1
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 26, 1895, edition 1
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