The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-10-01


the money loaners of our country.
In carefully prepared paper by
G. G. Burr and read at Jeffersonian
anniversary, 1858, it was shown that
65 per cent. of the money loaned on
real estate was loaned by farmers,
and excluding cities of $4,000 inhabi-
tants and upward, SO per cent. OF the
money loaned on town and city prop
erty was also loaned by farmers.
I ask you to think of this. All over
our country the farmers and laborers
were then prosperous. The present
Secretary of State, Hon. James G..
Blaine, in his 20 years in Congress re-
fers to the Walker period as one
when prosperity was general-was
universal in our country.
ALL THIS IS NOW CHANGED.
The farmers as class are poor and
getting poorer. Their farms are mort
gagged for Is per cent. of their face
value. We are to-day race of
borro wers. We are paying from 4 to
10 times as much interest as our
money lords get on call. On time we
are paying or were before the Alliance
was organized, from 20 TO so times
as much as they, either in interest,
profits or commissions.
THE CYCLE COMPLETE. r-
In 1875, in the Lone Star State,
the Farmers Alliance gave to the
world its Declaration of Principles
1t attracted about as much attention
among the tyrants (now called CON-
bines and trusts) as did the Mecklen-
burg Declaration of Rights in ITS,
just one hundred years before. In
St. Louis in December, 1889, and like
a century ago, just l3 years later, we
will ratify our Constitution, broad and
Just as was the one our forefathers
ratified one hundred years ago.
We, too will have as they did, l3
States represented, and we will have
as great membership, 5000, 1000, as
the original colonies had inhabitants.
And we do intend to return to the
principles and practices that obtained
one century ago. We shall no longer
be dominated by astocrats, by the
money power, by trusts and combines.
Like them we must free ourselves
from this oppressive yoke. Instead
of sending now and then member
to our Legislature or Congress who
plays at farming we will do as they
did in the good olden time
To complete the parallel let me
quote from an address that Washing
ton was directed by the Continental
Congress to read to his troops:
1--WE have pursued every temper
ate, every respectful measure, we
have even proceeded to break off our
commercial intercourse with our fell
lows, as the last peaceable admonition
that our attachment to no nation on
earth should supplant our attachment
to Liberty" Does this not describe
our course today? even to the
breaking off of our intercourse with
those merchants who have upheld the
tyrant known as combines 2
Again, "We exhibit to mankind
the remarkable spectacle of a people
attacked without any imputation or
even suspicion of offence. They
boast of their privileges and proffer
no milder condition than servitude
or death. How applicable to our
railroads, who with force have thrust
back at the point of the bayonet,
laborers who were pleading for ad-
vances in wages to keep their wives
and families from starvation.
Iquote again, e'Humble and reason
able petitions from the people have
been fruitless." How like our last
legislature. Commerce has been
burthened with many useless and op-
pressive restrictions" How like our
National policy that has forced our
merchant marine off the sea.
Later on, these patriots gave to the
world these truths. eve hold these
truths to be self,evident, that all men
are created equal, that they are en-
dowed by their Creator with certain
inaienable rights, that among these
are life and liberty and the pursuit of
happiness" To-day as was the case
then, the pursuit is all that is left for
us.
"To secure these rights, govern.
ments are instituted among men, de-
irving their just pOsOers from the con-
sent of the governed To-day we ex-
hibit the remarkable spectacle of a
people governed and controlled by
combines without oar consent. A CEN
tury ago it was charged that King
George exacted taxation without, rep
resentation. To-day our railroads
here and the money kings elsewhere
are smarter than he, they reverse it
they have representation without
taxation. And as King George did,
SO do they-they fill our country with
snias in times of peace-P PsnkertOn's