The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-04-03

any of these classes OF cOnCeuII"'o"
wealth, bearing upon their interests,
are not their lobbyists to be found at
the Capitol, pleading, matchmaking,
| working in every way to secure a
defeat or passage of the bill, as the
case may be? And representation IN
the lobby seems o quite as efectual
as representation in the halls OF Con-
gress. And where is the farmer when
measures bearing upon his interests
are being taken? At home, reading
the reports of Congress in the news.
papers, complaining Of oppression and
idly berating the lawmakers
Do you not remember Senator
Vance's remark, that during his whole
term of office, farmers are the only
class which has not had delegates IN
the Capitol lobby?
Whittier are we drifting? VIII
the times get better OF worse? am
not by nature a pressimist, inclined to
look on the black side of life, but l
firmly believe that unless there is a
| barrier opposed to this gradually en-
c~roaching tide of oppression, the time
will come when this fair Southern
land will groan beneath the weight of
a tenantry system almost as burden
some, almost as %enslaving as that now
in Ireland, and your children will be
the tenants. Too extreme a view,
some may say. There is an old adage
that "History repeats itself" I'm
rolling the time-stained parchment Of
the past we might read in more than
one record of the changing condition
of nations the prophecy of u future
fate. But there is no need of con-
sulting history for proof. The ten
dency bears a proof in itself. Let us
see. 1t is stated upon high authority
that a large majority of the farms
of this State are encountered with
mortgage debts, many of them mort
gagged to their present full value.
Within the past few years the aggre-
gate debt has increased, and every
year there are changes in possession.
This is the tendency, need l state the
result?
"But," says the farmer, off worse
comes to worst and 1 lose my land I
can be employed by the owner to
superintend it." Fallacious thought !!
In exceptional cases this may be, in
the majority of instances the capitals
tic owner will reason thus: "He has
barely succeeded in paying the interest
on his debt any one year, will it pay
me to give him a salary to superintend
it now? No, [ will rent, for even
though my land may become impover-
ished, [ will get a good per cent"
And as he will own several farms in a
community, he will deem 1t necessary
to place over several of them an agent
to attend to his interests and collect
rents. And this will be the beginning
of the end. I only state this as the
general condition. Some by force Of
unwonted energy and good fortune
might ride safely over this enguling
maelstrom, pay their debts, keep their
land and continue successful. l have
merely stated the tendency to a re-
suit. God grant we may be success
LII IL O1IONo1uS CACCh
What is our greatest need? You
know that land which twenty years
ago sold readily for from SIS to $40
per acre, would now barely bring SIS,
and if forced upon the market, even
much less. Is this because the land
has become impoverished By no
means. Lands that are even in a
higher state of improvement than for
merly would not, as you know, sell
for so per cent. of their price then.
No, it is chiefly because through
various measures passed in Congress,
through the influence of money power
all the money has been drawn from
agricultural sections to manufacturing
centers, and into the National Treas
ury, to pension every scoundrel who
lies about having been in the war.
And if good farm lands were worth
now from SIS to 500 per acre the in
debtedness of farmers would be of
small moment.
Fellow members, if the Farmers
Alliance fails to effect a change, we
may as we'll lie supinely down to be
crushed under the wheels of this
juggernaut. For farmers themselves
will then lose confidence in their own
ability for effective organization.
Whether it will or will not, rests with
every Individual member. Until this
feeling of individual responsibility be
fully felt, all efforts at union will be
vain. Do not be negative. It is as