The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-09-24
Interview No. IL

Gu0 1DI1OSOpu0E Vi hIpSutu LII,
and as no time had been fixed for the
interview, [ felt that possibly [ might
be guilty of rudeness to "drop in
upon him" without due notice. How.
ever, I moved courageously on, and
was royalty received. | found him
walking to and fro, meditating in the
porch of his cabin, as the shades OF
the surrounding hills e deepening
into darkness around his peaceful
home.
AS [ halted, hat in hand, upon the
wet doorstep, his attention was at
tracted, and he at once, with hand ex'
tended, approached me very cordi,
ally, inviting me to walk in and be
seated.
[ felt perfectly composed in his
presence, for his smile, as he greeted
me, had spread itself over my heart,
like the light of sunset over the land,
scape at "summer's eve"
[ felt completely calm, and without
indulging in the usual platitudes as to
the weather, or curious inquisitive.
ness as to his health, [ stated the OBJ
ject of my visit, and expressed the
hope, that for the sake of the general
weitare, he would grant me the privil-
eye and honor of frequent "sittings
at his feet"
He replied at once substantially as
follows, viz "You r a farmer-a
horny-hand son of toil'-you repre-
sent a class of men who, at the pres
ent time, seem to be awaking out of a
deep sleep, rubbing your eyes and
getting yourselves ready for the in
fux of the light, which seems to be
putting men everywhere into a state
Of unrest positively painful. [ my
self rejoice to see it, and [ anticipate
great results therefrom. [ presume
you, of course, are n Of that great
company of Alliance men who are
hsupposed, by those who are not Of
them, to be in hot haste to turn the
world upside down."
Farmer" You are correct; | am a
farmer, and these hands of mine have
ministered to my necessitis, and the
necessities of those who are with me,
my wyfe and my children. lhave not
certainly lived off the sweat of other
mems faces. I am not, however, one
of that great compGGy of which you
speak. | confess to a strong lnclina-
ton to go with them and share their
fate, whatever it may be. The bur-
dens we bear, the expressions we suf-
fer, the neglect we feel, the hardships
we endure, the dangers that threaten
us are common, and standing apart
from them as | am, I iceland I can't
help it-that my soul has Sprung
a leak and my manhood is dripping
away"
Phil =
"Lives there a man with soul go dead,
Who nerver to himself hath said,
love my oaCn my mGttUe land
"While my age forbids my becom-
ing formally a member of the organ
ization Called the Alliance), l take
great pleasure. on all proper occasions,
to give unmistakable expression of
my sympathy with it, and unqualified
appreciation and approval of it. [
regard this wonderful upheaval among
the masses-this agonizing unrest
among the t~oilers, burdrn- bearers and
despised drudges Of the world, as an
unmistakable sign that the better day
coming' is not far of, but at hand
The Farmers and laborers' Union
of America is beyond all question
the grandest movement of the CEN
fury, and absolutely without prece-
dent in the history of the world. [
am glad to know that upheavals and
popular commotson are not limited to
the States of the American Union.
Permit me just here to read a para
graph from the London correspondent
of the World. The correspondent is
a member of Parliament, and his re-
marks are very significant: Another
sign of the times says he, upon
which you will doubtless have COM
mented long before you receive this
letter, is the interview between the
Emperor of getmany and the striking
1u1AO10 al l. low OFO1 0AO ONO4
again forecast in your columns, the
demands Of labor mow occupy the first
place. There is a difference with re-
gard to methods and final ends, but
now nobody, from the Emperor on the
trone to the private member of Par
lament, is able to resist the pressure
of the strong agitation in favor of a
larger share of the wealM of the world
by it's toi1ers. There are fve thousand
men on strike to-day in the city of
London. While we think every strike
a mistake as a remedy for the ills that
aflict the laboring class, they never
theless have their educational value.
Men learn much from their mistakes.
They are cropping now, and are some
what confused by the very light,
which will, in due time, reveal to