The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-04-17
SOME POINTED TRUTHS FOR
FARMERS.

TTI6UU, writes illus
Can any one deny that there have
been laws enacted within the last
twenty-five years in this country for
the sole purpose of giving a compare
lively few of our people the power to
accumulate a vast amount of wealth
without labor. In that time over 5000
National banks have been chartered.
Ever since those that were interested
in them have been making a continuous
fort to have Congress give them the
entire control of the currency of this
country. They know if they can obtain
the control of the money of this country
they will have it in their power to con-
troll the destiny of the people. You all
must know how successful they have
been in carrying out their selfish pro-
jects. What could be more unjust, to
not only the farmers, but to those who
are engaged in the different industries,
than for our government to loan money
to the National banks for l per cent,
and then give them the power to exact
exorbitant rates of interest from those
who are obliged to have their money
to transact their business. Is it a very
difficult problem to solve why mort
cages are increasing in number and
quantity on the farms, and, as a con-
sequence, the farmers are becoming
more impoverished every year, when
we consider the eXhorbitant rates of
interest they are compelled to pay,
and that those high rates of interest
greatly increase the value of every
thing they have to purpose? In the
State of New Jersey the farmers
petitioned the Legislature to have the
rate of interest reduced. The bank
ers demanded that it should not be
done. Under our present political
condition they control a majority of
our lawmakers, and they will continue
to do so just as long as farmers will
allow themselves to be so far controlled
by partisan politics, that it makes
them willing to cast their ballots to
elect the tools of those who have been
Systematically robbing them of the
fruits of their toll, and they may rest
assured that their purpose is to still
further e~nslave the farmers if they
can possibly retain the power that has
been granted them of expanding and
contracting our currency to suit their
own selfish purposes. The overshadow-
ing curse in the United States is the
different monopolies and "trusts."
The one that has obtained the greatest
power Of them all is the money trust
-" the National banks" We are
assured by the most positive and IN
mistakable indications that the con-
federated monopolies are determined
to obtain possession of the wealth of
this country. The soil, fuel and foun-
tains of light which God has provided
SO bountifully for our people, are un-
der the ban Of monopolistic extortion.
The fruits Of the ~monopolies may be
seen in the very large number of
financial wrecks among the farmers,
and those that have been engaged in
the different trades and industries,
homeless families, penniless tramps, in
the strikes and other labor disturb
ances. The crime, misery, and moral
degradation on one hand, and the
princely fortunes on the other. The
farmers of to-day cannot possess the
manhood and patriotism that our
f~orefathers, the continental farmers,
did, or they would unite their ballots
as they did their muskets, and remove
the great wrongs that are being in
hicted upon them. Exorbitant rates
of interest, unjust taxation, discrim-
nation in freights, and other forms of
injustice have been the cause of the
farmers being in this present indebted
condition. The English ~aristocracy
was created by giving them land that
had been taken from it's rightful own
ers by force. The American aristoc-
racy have obtained their princely for
tunes by procuring class legislation
that has given them the power to
legally rob the masses of the people.
There is no class of ou1 people that
has been robbed to such an alarming
extent as those that are engaged in
agricultural pursuits. For is it not
evident to those who have given this
subject thoughtful consideration, that
there has been gross wrongs practiced
against the farmers, or there would
not be such a large number of them,
that after they had exerted all the
energies of themselves and their
families + compelled to increase
their mortgages. 1t is a hard matter
to conceive why there has been such
a large number of the farmers that
have displayed so much lethargy in