The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-10-22

which thus placed, will yield us double
selfish point of view, outside of other
considerations, we are instigated to
raise the fund, and we should use
every exertion forthwith to contribute
to it. The goose will continue to lay
US golden eggs so long as we maintain
this fund; but if, through q narrow
minded policy, we fail to establish it
through want of confidence or close
isted penuriousness, we will be guilty
of the folly of the husbandman in the
fable by q wanton decapitation of the
goose, thereby making geese Of our
selves indeed and in truth.
Are the brethren aware that North
Carolina is rather sluggish, if not de
cidedly 80, in this great movement ?
Aye, in comparison with other States
that have taken it up, we are veritable
laggards and need stirring up. Not
to speak of Georgia, Mississippi, Ala
bama and other States which are
booming along triumphantly and
have already knocked in the head and
buried for good and all the Infamous
jute trust without the least hope of
resurrection, [ will simply refer to lit
tie Florida. She began operation
about the same time we did, and just
see how far she has got ahead of us,
and hear what she has accomplished
with 10000 members in "a counties
and 372 Alliances. Her Farmers
Alliance Exchange was organized
only a little over a year ago, the
authorized capital stock being $780,
900, and, although the yellow fever
seriously interfered, the report of the
business manager makes a very salts
factory showing. There were 753
orders for supplies filed. This in.
cludes every thing from a paper of
pins to a steam engine. 1t received
and shipped 1872 packages of fruits
and vegetables, 1877 consignments of
other produce, inclusive of cotton and
every thing raised on the farm. The
financial statement shows net gain
over all expenses of more than $3.50,
and the farmers get their supplies at
wholesale with only interest added.
Suppose we had done likewise in
proportion to the numerical strength
OF our mem bership, what would have
been our condition now? Our busi-
ness agency fund would have been
established and we would have, ere
this, saved enough through the bene,
fits accruing therefrom to more than
payus back what we contributed. We
must get out of this nebulous state
and emerge into a more substantial
medium, and look with jealous eye
upon the example set us by our sister
States. A burnt child they say breads
the fire, but the assertion don't seem
to hold good with us, for we are such
salamanders that we seem to with
stand any degree of incandescence
with a callous indifference born of in
veterate habit. In fact, some farmers
bring to mind the story of the man
who died and went to the torrid
regions. There he saw them with
pftchforks throwing the newcomers
into furnace glowing with heat.
Walking along the passageway he
saw rows of men with their feet tied
together and hung upon hooks. He
asked, "who are these p The answer
was, ''these are farmers who are too
green to burn" Indeed, we seem to
have arrived at chronic state of sat-
isfaction and indifference as to our
lot, to which we are, so ennured that
we actually seem destitute of free
will, which seems better exercised in
squatting down in a. corner. twiddling
away at tweedle-d dunn and tweele dee
instead of arousing ourselves out of
such shameful state of helpless in
action which, indeed, our minds seem
incapable of soaring above the daily
theatre of life, or of going beyond the
narrow sphere traced by the limits of
the action of the 5 senses.
We seem to be fixtures of conser.
vatism par excellence, so immovable
that the wonder is we have not al
ready died of dry-rot. Old fogyism
seems to be ingrained, dyed in the
wool, stereotyped into our corporeal
structure with such an indelible grip
that streak of the greasiest lightning
turned losse to run down the slickest
toboggen slide upon us would fail to
awaken us out of our Rip van Winkle
takerootedness. We seem to have be-
come transmitted into set of poverty
stricken Symbarites luxuriating in
istless inaction and taking the world
as it goes with vengeance. Indeed
and in truth, if we don't want our
noses kept forever in contact with the
grindstone, we must awaken out of
this Rip van Winkle slumber with
stretch and yawn that will arouse US
to the refreshment of renewed ener-
gies and wide-awake impulses and in
coptivas tn fipht oI1r way through the