The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-03-20

causes, OutSlueeOl lSbllc AtllduCo, VI du
other farmers Organization, have re-
duced it from $50 pounds of middling
cotton to 800, 2874 pounds, &c. One
main cause in our community is the
springing up of q little inland town
somewhere down in Nash or Franklin
county by the name of Spring Hope,
/ believe. Well, Spring Hope had to
have a living and a trade from some
where, and of course looked east
of the Raleigh & CASTOR Railroad
route, back of Wake Forest and
YoungsviHe for it. To obtain it, and
make trade, they dropped guano to
800 pounds of cotton. [ can assure
you the Alliance had nothing to do
with it, And it viii always be very
hard for farmers to cooperate and ac-
complish anything, for there is al.
ways something that has, caused every
thing for farmers before they will or
can do anything for themselves. All
merchants have the good of farmers
and the working class at heart, and
will always do for them rather than
see them go to the trouble of organ
izing and holding meetings of any
sort-(except their church meetings).
Farmers are slow to take hold of this
sort of thing, for most of us really
believe it is against the laws of our
country to have secret meetings, and
try in any way to benefit ourselves
against monopolies and moneyed men
of our land. The idea of an old
farmers expressing himself about any
thing that he thinks is for the good
of the sons of toll, or that would ben
eft the country at large, IS simply
ridiculous. All he ought to do is to
work for merchants, doctors, &C., and
vote as the lawyers and politicians of
his county tell him is right: Farm
ers are not free men, and it is not be'
coming in any of us to be too for
ward. First thing we know we will
be put down, and our mopeyed lords
will have laws made to take away
what few privileges we now enjoy.
1 see in your paper that it has been
suggested that there are farmers in
our State that would grace the chair
of Governor. ...... .,
How absurd to think about such a
thing! 1 would just like to know
how an old farmer would look in the
new Jarvis mansion. We have had
cyclones and earthquakes, but what
would happen next, no one could pre-
dict
Our farmers are sowing oats, plough
ing up cotton stalks, and getting ready
as fast as the weather will permit for
another crop. If, in the meantime,
we can manage to buy less and give
fewer mortgages, we WILL in the course
of time, come, hope.
~ did not think of saying so much,
and will only mention the public roads,
with few suggestions, as it seems to
be one of the leading questions of the
day. 1t is fact that for the past
twenty years we have grumbled and
quarreled over our roads, and not
withstanding it all, they have contin-'
ued to grow worse each year; and it
really seems that the time is not far
distant when we will have to abandon
them, or at least, stay at home during
the winter season. What can and
must be done is the question for us to
decide. A great many ideas have
been advanced for the past ten years,
as to how they might be improved.
In the first place, however, [ would
notice that most all of the fuss made
over roads from persons who do
not have to help keep the roads in
order; it is very seldom that you, or
any one, hears an old farmer COM
planning about the roads; but he sim
ply, when asked by his town falend
how the roads are, answers that they
are bad. The row is from men who
have nothing to do but ride about and
cuss, when his last meal is settled by
some rut or stone in the road. But
as farmers, we all want better roads,
and how to get them is the thing for
us to consider. The roads are worked
according to law by men who, as rule,
have no wagons or horses, mules or
oxen, to haul and cut up the roads;
the most they do is to walk them, and
of course oug ght to help keep them in
order, and as rule are willing to do