The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-04-05
FARMERS THE CREATORS OF A0NOP0-
LISTS.


Certain articles from honest, Aell.
meaning men, too, In the Farming
World, seem to insinuate that we !,
living under desperate government.
and are in danger of losing our liber
ties to-day. l must attempt to refute
such nonsensical vaporings, Nils.
sissippi Farmer" (''Personne'' in the
World Of Fen. Is, in advising the
formation Of Farmers Alliances,
which in themselves may be all vely
proper, says in regard to tyranny
OF monopoiies'' etc: My heart is
sick and tired of having this govern
Ment run in the interest OF all other
persons save the farmer, and when,
too, q large balance of power is vest.
ed in his hands" And farther on
he says, 1.-The golden opportunity is
now before US, and it is our duty to
improve it. ere the inhusnan and iron
heel OF the monster monopoly grind
US into powder" Now there is
enough in this monopoly terror"
to build upon, and it is we'll for
farmers to keep thoroughly wide
awake in al. matters pertaining to
finance and government; but l. g :
boring under the impression ,ba
farmers in tue United ga Zach
one, makes his ov ,vo-n,oar,
good or bad, and ,ha thoronoh
" Isf three clock in the morn.
ti!g larlner. when upon his soil,
never finds other than perfect liber-
ty. and entire exemption from nine
ty-nine one hundredths of all the
woes complained of by our star
spangled' cyclone dealers in ''liber-
ty or DEATH" and poor dear, down.
trodden people" orators, SO opulsr
to day. ! have never. in thirty years
Of business life. seen the diligent
and frugal farmer. (who has q dill
gent and frugal wife) "oppressed,''
"down-trodden" or .'enslaved" in
the slightest degree. But l have
always seen him, rich or poor, the
one in a host to escape the vast
aggregate of ills which atIiict tn
masses Of mankind, and institute
good government and all that the
name implies. within the domain
over which he has control.
But l have also seen q fearfully
large percentage of farmers, in the
past few years, try to 90 faster than
they could pay. and by either spread.
ing out wider than they could cover,
(like ambitious young pullets irving
to sit upon and hatch an acre of
goose eggs running into debt, and
by extravagancc and v aste letting
the Shyloek get his clutches fastened
upon them; and then l have seen
hosts of s.unlucky" farmers find most
terrible ''despotic governments"
"iron-heeled moAopolists." etc.
Farmers must first keep them
selves free from mo tgages and
notes, pay as they go, ieven if they
have to come down to sackclOth
clothing and q sack Of corn and .
cOfee-mill to grind it upon for bre ID
like the one I knew in this wilder
ness few years ago-always out
Of debt and lniepen ient.) trust In
Col, and get down low and dig and
wrench out Industrial and financial
freedom from the earth before they
can dictate terms to monopolists
and become politically free and indie
pen lent. l had to- have the truth
forced down my throat before could
see it, that it is the masses of The
borrowers-(m.n trying to.get fas:
er than they give) tins at force into
life the few Shylocks, that it is thu
millions Of slaves vino create desp0tt
in all Ian Is and that which is called
tyranny is the effects Of . certai.
Cause. over which tyrants have M
control. True freemen connot b,
made slaves by earthly power. They
can be made madmen, and ever
deadmsn, but bontlsmen :hev canno,
be made while God is. It is thu
masses OF free and independent busi
ness men, and particularly farmers
who have made this Government .
it ia to-day, The spirit manifestes
in cold kastness judgmsnt "a.
habits iof The n,aj ority of our psople
blossonfng ont in certain institu
lions And legislation and not legis
lation Il .sg0vcrnment." that ha
made thA- Qeonle.--Aild. il nrweE
6;n dahl LAsA THAR faIMe. and b,