The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-11-26

OF all those unconstitutional laws Of Re.
truction, and the attempted humili.
alton of proud and chivalrous people
their patience in suffering, their Endurance
of wrong and oppression, and their manly
resolve, when patience was no longer a
virtue,
Rather than wear dishonored chains.
Or follow, captives, at the trophied car.
Give US again the wilderness of our
woods,
Or the fierce freedom of our great fore
fathers.''
And when he shall lower descend,
and comes to round up with the events
in the latter part of this illustrious Pc
riod, he will astound posterity by the
narration of deeds no less remarkable
for magnifcence in conception than cell
erity in their execution. He will write
of productive farms reclaimed from des-
olatedsfields, villages splung up in every
hamlet, cities reared upon the ruins OF
| towns. made so by enviOus foes. Rail-
roads lengthened-doubly heightened :
in but score of years, reaching out
their Briarian arms, piercing through
mountains and speeding on as if to span
the plains. machinery innumerable,
humming duets with every waterfall
and every gurgling brook, the student
of history will stand amazed, perfectly
amazed, contemplating sublimity itself
| Now, fellow farmers, there is fact,
| it is an axiom, observed in all correct
reasoning, and it is this! Every effect
has its cause and that cause is adequate
to the effect produced. What then is
| the cause of all this wonderful prOsperi-
| ity existing in our land and country of
to-day? Whence the source of the vast
wealth scattered over this great Repub-
| lie? Of all the trades, professions and
occupation of man; Of all the activities
of the human race, the products of agri
cultural labor is the very' chief corner
stone in this mighty superstructure, in
deed. it is the very mud-siH of all wealth,
of all prosperity, of all happiness.
IF this is true, it would seem that
farming being the primal occupation of
man. and the most important in all that
pertains to the well-being as well as the
very existence of the species, we, who
are engaged in this calling would be
entitled to that consideration our occu-
patton so Justly deserves. But such is
not the fact.
We are like the Roman General, start
inc out on campaign, in which he IS
wished success by his friends. He re-
piled l shall be more than successful. L
Shall deserve it, Or, as the idea IS
better expressed in the lines:
''Who by noble means, noble ends az
tains,
Or, failing, smiles in exile or in chains,
Like good Aurelius, let him reign, or
bleed
Like Socrates--that man is great indeed. y
But, however deserving, we may be
of success in our calling, and better
consideration by men in other profes
sions, it is our misfortune to be deprlv-
ed of what is justly ours, and SO ac-
knowledged by the Just and candid eve-
rywhere.
1t has been suggested by some that the
cause of our failure in not occupying the
position among men, which, by our oc-
cupatiOn, we are entitled, is owing to a
kind of a warfare existing between the
farmer, and all The other occupations of
man combined against HIM. This de-
claration is partly true, but not entirely
so. 1t does not explain the true and
only cause. We do admit that many of
the other professions combine against
US, and that they do so, on basis to
suit their welfare, regardless of every
consideration of justice to the farmer
The manufacturer, the merchant and
the Railroad men, do combine against
the poor farmer in many ways. They
so combine e.s TO discriminate against us
in many of their arbitrary laws of trade,
and being wealthy, selfish and tyranical,
as all monopolists are, they are able to
WELD an influence, sufficient to discrim-
mate against the farmer in the legisla-
ton of the country. 1t is intimated
that, in some sections, this discrimina-
ton is carried even to the social code.
If by the warfare, is meant the relative
strength of these belligerant forces; that
is, the farmers and all the other pro-
fessions combined against him; and
also the fact that all issues, partizan in
their nature, are settled in this country
by ballot, there is no warfare. If set
tied in this way, it would be like some
people said of the Mexican war In 1915
that it could not be dignifed by the name
Of war. 1t would be but a skirmish
and that would be before breakfast. No
, there is no warfare. But 1T is worse thar
war. We know by bitter experience
that there is a condition of life-a sldrisl
submission-which man can endure NOR,
; intolerable than war itself. 1t is, will
: the farmers of this country, a submis
sion, on their part, to the domination
of men whose cupidity is satiated onl,
i'll flching from them the honest gains
of their toll. This is the primary caus'
of all our wars.
| How are we to eXtricate ourselves
from this serfdom, this Egyptian bon
dage? The means are amply sufficient
and certainly available.
1t is said that in North Carolina, sew
) enty-six per cent. of our population art
fal mers and engaged on the farm. L
is. moreover said, that over fifty pei
cent, of our entire population in The
; United States. are likewise engaged
Now, if we would direct our forces as
uhit, combining, jndiciously, on meas
ures. so as to promote our welfare, We
could rule in the Councils of this natiOr
as supreme as Selkirk did in his lone islt
of the sea. "Our rights there would bt
none to dispute" But, instead of thi:
combination and cooperation among
farmers, this strength in unity" so a:
to rest and overthrow the arrogant die
tation of this avaricious minority, we are
doing just as Gov. Vance said we were
He said in his address before the Nation
ial ~
York last winter that we use the club o
our Celtic ancestors against our enc
mics, while they use against US the Win
chester and Springfield rifles.
This is quite true of us. and by ou