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Vol, 5. No. 34.
GASTONIA, N. C., AUGUST 24, 1911
One Dollar a Year
(By Taylor McRae.)
Ihe progressive element among the people
of the United States are surely developing a
great desire for return to the rule of the peo
ple instead of the rule of the party by .poli
ticians in the interest of the “Interests.” This
is termed~the direct rule of the people as Ck)v-
ernor Woodrow Wilson terms it a return to a
government really representative. To enable
the people to recall their officers when they are
not representing the people who sent them to
Washington or to the legislatures, but are
representing” special interests which are or
ganized for the purpose of robbing the peo
ple. The whole nation is intent upon this and
are fast accepting the conclusion as expressed
by Governor Wilson in the following expres
sions :
Back of all reform ideas lies the means
of getting it. Back of the question, what we
want, is the question, How are you going to
get it? The immediate thing that we have got
tc do is to resume popular government.
^ is a statement of the whole progressive
movement, and in addition to this there can
be no clearer statement of the fact than that
which Ex-Speaker E. J. Justice, of North
Carolina, has made recently:
“When representative government proves
disapp>ointing, the remedy should be to take
a step nearer to direct government by the
people.
When nominating political conventions have
proved disappointing, the remedy is the legal
ized primary for all parties on the same day.”
W hen elections have bene secured by the
corrupt use of money the remedy is a corrupt
l^ractices act that will insure publicity before
and after the election of the use of money in
campaigns, and the disqualification to hold of
fice of those who have engaged in corrupt
l)ractices, and the disfranchisement of the
bribe-giver and the bribe taker.
“When the United States Senators have
misrepresented the people of their State, and
when they speak with scorn and contempt of
public opinion, the remedy is the election of
Lnited States Senators by the direct vote of
the people.
“When oppressive and unjust laws are en
acted contrary to the interests and against the
will of the masses, the remedy is the refer
endum, whereby the assent of the people must
be obtained before objectional statutes be
come operative.
“When the lobbies that are maintained in
our State capitals and in Washington are more
powerful than the people at home, and laws
required by the public welfare cannot be en
acted, the remedy is an act against secret lob-
bying, and the adoption of the initiative so
that the people can, by petition and election,
enact their own laws when they desire to do
so.
“When office seekers run on a platform and
fail to keep their contracts with the people,
the remedy is to adopt the recall.”
The fact is that had the law of the initia
tive, referendum and recall, with the direct
vote of the people for United States Sena
tors been in force in the South, there can be
no manner of doubt but that the Scott bill for
the elimination of cotton exchanges and the
gambling in farm products, would have long
ago been brought up in the Senate and passed
easily and effectively just as the people wanted
it.
As it is no attention has been paid to the
demands of the farmers of the South and of
the whole nation, in fact, for the elimination
of these evils,, but through the tariff, our noble
Senators have shown their utter contempt for
the peoples’ demands, and are daily deceiving
the people by grandstand plays for reforming
the customs laws- While the farmers, as a
rule, may wish the tariff settled for good and
all, one way or the other, they have made no
great demand for the work, but they have
strongly urged, by petition and letters and by
representatives of their class on hand in Wash
ington during the sessions of Congress, that
the gambling in farm products be outlawed
and the operators be forced to seek other and
more honorable methods of earning their feed
through the sweat of their faces.
It is time that the farmers should have
learned their lesson and through the broken
pledges of their public servants, should be re
minded that the time is here for them to stand
behind this new movement of the people for
a return to a peoples’ government and the de
struction of the politicians’ government that
has stood in the way of their progress to their
great detriment and sorrow. If they will
watch the so-called market reports each day,
they will see that the gamblers, speculators,
street buyers and country merchants are all
gleefully getting their knives sharpened so
that they can cheerfully and easily slit the
bagging on the bales and then offer the price
fixed in New York by the Cotton Exchange
for the cotton. Don’t fall to the swan songs of
the politicians, for they are rneant to deceive
you now as they have in the past, but make
up ybur minds to join with the progressives
of the National and help them to place the
country on a basis of direct votes on your
Senators and the adoption of the initiative,
the referendum, and the “imperative man
date,” the Fanners’ Alliance named it, or the
recall as it is now understood. Your wives
and your children demand that you do this.
Great Meeting in Lee County.
On last Saturday a large crowd gathered
at Big Springs school house, near Cole’s Store,
the occasion being a joint picnic held by the
Farmer’s Union, Woodmen of the World and
the Junior Order of American Mechanics.
First the Farmers’ Union held a private
session inside the- school house, the principal
feature being the reports of delegates who at
tended the recent State meeting at Salisbury.
This was a great occasion, reports being re
ceived from seventy-five counties in the State.
The first speech of the day-was made by
Senator Rives, State Business Agent, who was
listened to attentively for about a half hour.
He introduced Mr. J. Z. Green, State Organ
izer of theFarmers’ Union, who made a
splendid speech, full of valuable information,
wit and humor. He spoke of the need for
farmers to be organized, pointing out the fact
that men in nearly all trades and professions
had their unions and associations.
The subject of over production of cotton
and proper methods of marketing farm pro
duce, were two subjects Mr. Green handled
with skill of an expert. Dinner was an
nounced and all repaired to the three long
tables which were loaded with those delicacies
which the country housewife is so skilled in
preparing. The school house had been newly
painted white, striped with green and repre
sented a very attractive appearance. Splendid
order prevailed all day, many remarking on
the excellent behavior of so large a crowd.
After dinner, Prof. J. W. Cameron introduced
Prof. McLeod of Broadway, who in an elo
quent speech presented the beaufiful flag to the
school in the name of the Junior Order. Next
came a sweet touching recitation by Miss Net
tie Cole, a bright and talented young lady of
Big Springs community. The Bible was then
presented by Prof. Cameron in a few well
chosen words. At the request of many, the
crowd again was treated to a thirty minute
talk from Mr. Green. Some thought this
even better than his morning speech.—San
ford Express-