The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-10-16
4 FHEPRoGREss11E FARMER, OCTOBER 16,1888.

progress we are making we crave in
diligence while we glance at the CEN
sus report of 1860, which shows that
the value of all property in this coun-
try at that time vas $14, 600, 600, 900.
Twenty years afterwards, or in 1880,
it had increased to $4,000, 900, 900;
while the population had increased so
per cent. the value Of property had
increased 214 per cent. This gain of
$125, 000, 900 per month in actual
wealth surpasses the experience of all
other nations ancient or modern.
The commercial cities of the Union
never had such growth as they have
enjoyed within the last 90 years, and
the agricultural States West and South
have made even more rapid progress
than the manufacturing States.
Twenty years ago Massachusetts and
Illinois ranked about the same in
wealth, between eight and nine hun
.dred million dollars each. AT the
date of the last census Massachusetts
had advanced to So, 600, 100000, and
Illinois had advanced to $4,000, OOO,-
600. The nine leading agricultural
States have grown SO rapidly in pros
perity that the aggregate addition to
their wealth since 1860 is as great as
the wealth Of the entire country in
that year. The South, which is almost
exclusively agricultural, has shared in
the general prosperity, and having
recovered from the loss and devasta-
ton of war, has gained so rapidly that
it's total wealth to-day is at least the
double of that which it possessed in
1850. In these extraordinary develop
NETS we can see the beneficial results
of our American system of govern
ment and the effect Of our glorious in
situations. I advert to these facts not
for political OF partisan purposes. but
to impress you with the greatness of
our country and the vastness of our
resources and to inspire you with the
patriotism that to be an American
citizen is greater than to be subjects
of a European nobility.
do not wish to be understood as
saying OF, ven intimating that all our
laws are just and fair to all classes of
our people alike; because we all know
that many Of them are unjust and
odious-the outcroppings of the
European idea of a servant or peasant
class paying tribute to a nobility
discrimination, in favor of a portion
of our people and against others and
forcing upon one class, the largest
class, an undue and altogether dispro-
portionate share of the expenses of
government, local, county, State and
National. The European idea of a
l%andlordism and a tenant is abroad in
this land. It is an innovation that
must be resisted. In the great State
of Pennsylvania alone there are over
$4,000 tenant farmers. It is upon
these farmers and those that till their
own farms, and not upon the landlord,
that the unequal burdens of taxation
fall. 1t is the innovation of the
European idea Of government that is
making tenants Of our farmers. It is
robbery on the part of the State to
collect an average tax of II mills from
the farmer and only i mills from the
corporations. It is robbery to collect
II mills from the farmer and only |
mill from the merchant. It is robbery
to tax the farmer II mills and build
ing and loan associations nothing. 1t
Is robbery to tax the farmer II mills
and the individual money lender only
3 mills. 1t is robbery to tax the
farmer II mills and the corporation
money lender nothing. It is robbery
to tax the farmer II mills and the
banking institutions nothing on their
loans. 'o 1le
It is robbery for the National Gov.
eminent to admit all raw agricultural
products free of duty and giving the
manufacturers an average protective
duty of 40 per cent. To redress these
wrongs we shall wage an aggressive
warfare. eve desire a proper equal
ity, equity and fairness; protection
for the weak, restraint upon the strong,
In short, justly distributed burdens
and justly distributed power. These
r American ideas, the very essence
of American, independence, and to
advocate the contrary is unworthy of
the sons and daughters of an Ameri
can Republic" 1t is gratifying to
know that our American people, as a
general thing, love fair play, and when
once fully convinced that our present
tax laws are unequal in their opera
tions will demand of the law-making