The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-05-22
INTERESTING LETTER FROM
ONSLOW. aa- ar h,a
ONshow Co. Nc May H. 49,

i Was T0QueStou
for your paper. Hoping that 1 shall
be pardoned 4fo11tmy transgression
upon your time in asking for pub
LEGATION of this, communication, I will
by way of general information state
that the ordereis progressing finely in
our county. il cor c5 3so-2r-3 OF gil
AS a matter of course, it meets with
opposition at the hands of professional
men and merchants who are ineligible,
and upon this point it might be well
to state that in the minds of some
thinking gentlemen a nor liberal
construction of the constitution might
work to the advantage of the order,
as when men who do not rely entirely
upon law or merchandising for a live
lihood, but are farmers too. / offer
the suggestion for debate, not saying
that L endorse it, or favor it,, would it
not be better to exclude or declare in
eligible those only who pursue law or
merchandising exclusively for a liv-
ing | admit that this question has
been answered very emphatically by
the President, but as a matter of
course, it was. SO declared because
authorized by the Constitution. If
the admission of these classes of
society would breed discord or mar
the symmetry of the order, it would
be we'll to exclude. But if upon the
other hand they would lend their, as
sistance and aid us in a more complete
protection from the clutches of the
omniverous wholesale or middle-men,
then they would be Of benefit. But
would they not be demolishing their
own trade, and you know that "self-
preservation is the first law of nature"
Politically, if l shall be allowed so to
speak, they would contribute to our
strength; financially, | am of the
opinion they would be detrimental,
The proper interpretation of Farm
ers' Alliance means a binding together
of certain elements of society. IL
shall say to morally accomplish some
thing. ?. Socially to advance in in
telligence. Third and last, and yet
not least, politically in SO as to meet
the requirements of citizenship and
demand recognition and nor protee-
ton. There is nothing in the order
which interferes with ones religion,
yet it inculcates morality and discoun-
t~enances vice and prostitution. 1 am
not aware hat it teaches that honor
and responsibility should descend to
meet the embraces of the low and
vulgar, but possibly by coming in
contact with them, they may be able
to ennoble and elevate; if SO, then a
Christian injunction has been fulfilled.
Out upon the hustings or in politi-
cal warfare when Greek meets Greek
or Turk meets Turk, we. then meet
upon a common level and contend for
recognition, No one, because of po-
litical utilization, is excluded and in no
one county [ believe they of the order
. all are like the handle of the jug-oni
one side. 1t is in, this field, that we
shall meet opposition. Professional
men have already declared that from
u ranks the prisons are filed; pos
sibly we may contribute our pro rata
part, but | venture the assertion that
as a class we have more virtue and
less rascality than any other calling
in life, if numbers, and especially
early training and circumstances are
taken in consideration. We can &C
%complish great good if we be true to
ourselves. We have the members, we
constitute the bone and sinew of the
land, the world is dependent upon us
and yet we are hewers of wood and
drawers of water. s.a .
Why this bondage and this slavery?
By virtue of our position we are de-
barred from the honorable Offices,
such as judges and other positions
requiring an intimate knowledge. of
law, but as lawmakers and county
officers, We might possibly succeed, but
should we attempt to assert u rights
we would be met upon the very TIRES
hold with the cry that we have no
rights which are binding or ought to
be respected. I, sir, have a case in
hand now, but will defer till another
time its publication. I assert now,
and always, that it is our duty to shake
off the shackles which bind us, and
teach professional characters that we
are as essential to the unity of the
whole as they. Aesop's fable of the
members of the body is good, but he
does not state that any particular
member has precedence of another,
but that all constitute one symetrical
whole.
Farmers, workmen, laborers, arouse
yourselves and show the world that
we are good for something else be-