The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-12-06

successor ought to be himself, or some
other Eastern man. I am willing tc
leave the matter to the good sense o.
the members of the Legislature.
Mr.. Fuel Fulton, leading farmer
of Forsyth county, writes
1 will try to give you my views on
certain items that the farmers are in
terested in.
1st. We think the homestead law
should not be tackled at present.
End. We favor working public
roads by tax on property and poll,-
as much on the poll as the constitution
will allow, so arranged as to include
| the residents of towns and cities
With 100 Countless we have about 1 400
townships. Two con7icts to each
township would be $500, so we would
not have convicts enough to work all
the roads and would have to work
free labour at last, or work part of
the roads by tax.
3rd. Should the State limit freight
and passenger rates on the railroads
We think it should. If Wall Street
gets control of the roads, we would be
at their mercy.
4th. Should the State lower the
legal rate of interest ? We can't see
how that would benefit any person,
while hanks and monied men are al
lowed to loan or sell money for any
price they can get for it, just as they
would an article of merchandise.
5th. Should the State tax fertilizer
companies? We think not. That is
a heavy tariff on the farmers of this
State, paid by tillers of the soil, every
cent of it. While the democratic party
favors tariff reform in the nation, I
can't see how they can let that go with
out attending to it. It is an unequal
tax, which about one-third of the peo-
pie have to pay.
9th. Can the Legislature do any
thing for the farmer We say it can
do more than it ever has, by the work.
ing of convicts for the benefit of the
farmers, and the taxpayers of the
State. Suppose they build factory
at Raleigh, one at Winston and Que
at Statesville, and manufacture fer
tilizers for the farmers with convict
labour.
Let the State Chemist be the super
sorswith assistants enough to attend
to the business. We think that would
be a great saving to all the people in
the State, and at the same time the
penitentiary would be selfsupporting
by selling the fertilizers to faamers at
cost, after deducting about $500 per
month for each convict. But even if
we had to be taxed few thousand dol
lars 10 pay expenses, it would be moth
ing in comparison with whai we are
paying. By referring to the annual
report of the State Chemist for the
year 'S2, we find that the farmers used
10000 tons, being 9O0,0 ,06O bags, worth
$2,8O0,O0O. Agents received of that
amount about $1.00 on the bag, which
would be 100000. Then it is not a
wonder that men are selling fertilizers
at every cross road III the State. We:
have paid middle men enough to pay
all expenses of manufacturing. Take
the year 'S2 as an average year, multi
ply $2,800,000 by 20 years and we
will have $56,000,000 gone from the
State, and it will continue to go as
long as the command given to Adam
and Eve in the Garden of Eden re-
mains in force.
Then why not stop it before the
farmer is ruined? say, stop it and
that quick, before we all belong to
monied kings.
7th. Whom should we have for our
next U. S. Senator? If the people
are tired of Hon M. w. Ransom then
my next choice would be the Hon.
S. B. Alexander, who understands all
needs of the farmers. His speech in
Winston was the best heard during
the campaign. He told the farmers
that it was only a question of time
when they would be owned by nation
al banks and railroad corporations.
l would be satisfied with j. G. Bux-
ton or G. B. Watson. They both
know our needs and would make USE
full members. But we need Cy. Wat
son at home. We have a work for
him to do, when the Legislature meets.
We need our election law changed
and must have it without fail. Mr.
Watson owes his services to the peo
pie of this State for defeating the law
some years ago. He must work if the
change can be made.
Mr.. J. g. III. Mitchell, Democratic
nominee for the Senate in Stokes and
Forsyth, says:
Answering your questions as to my
views concerning what legislation will
conduce to the benefit of our farmers,
I will say: reduce their taxes as much
as possible, bet the laws be simplified
SO as to prevent unnecessary legisla-
ton and keep all frivolous matters
/ out ofcourt, reduce fees as much as
may be allowed to meet the ends OF
Justice.
1. Should the Homestead be chang
/ ed or abolished?
Answer I believe there should be
an exemption, but no more than one
third what it is new.
2. As to road law, I think the
public roals ought TO be improved,
and as far as practicable, should be
worked by convicts, but am not pre-.
pared to advocate tax to keep up the
roads, as have not seen the workings
of such law.
8. I belive that freight and passen-
/ ger rates on railroads should be limit.
ed.
4. The rate OF interest might be re
! duced if there was plenty of money il