The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-07-09
TWO THINGS NEEDED-AS COL.
TRACY SEES IT.
He Writes as He Talks-Straight to
the Point,

the Point.
ME-. EDIToR:-I find the Farmers
Alliance in North Carolina that | have
visited, lacking in two essential points.
The first one is q great many OF the
brethren do not read Alliance htera-
ture enough to be progressive Alliance
workers. We are living In an age of
rapid progress, and he who does not
read cannot keep up with the process
sion. Under our civilization, Ignorance
ia considered a crime and is univer
sally punished by extortion. A man
must be a competitor or become a.
victim.
"A great movement like the Alliance.
to be successful in its undertakings
must be compactly organized and Its
members must act in concert. They
cannot do this unless their official
organ, The PROGRESSIVE FARMER, Is
in the homes of all its workers. 1t Is
useless to attempt to succeed without
this.
We must be educated alike before
we can think alike; we must think alike
before we can act in concert. The
only means to this end within the
reach of the members of III order is
our newspapers. To read them means
success; to neglect it means defeat.
No great enterprise In this age Is
attempted without putting some ably
edited newspaper behind the throne.
Therefore to succeed, we must build
up a powerful press; when we do this
we will succeed. The power OF a
is in the number Of its
readers. Such newspapers are always
well and ably edited because the
patronage enables the management to
employ able talent, while a newspaper
sparsely circulated will be a failure
and the principles it advocates will as
a consequence fail to be a success.
If the brethren in North Carolina
will subscribe to The PROGRESSIVE
FARMER, it will enable Bro. Polk to
improve it, and l know he is now
keeping it up to Is high standard as
the limited patronage will allow.
Every cent received from subscribers
is invested in necessary expenses upon
the paper.
The PROGRESSIVE FARMER is the
ablest State Alliance organ in the
order, and if the brethren run up the
subscription list, it will continue to
lead the battle, and through it's edu-
cational influences the membership in
North Carolina will be the banner
State in our great organization. This
can only be effected by the enthusiast
tic brother in every neighborhood
considering himself a committee of
one to push the paper upon every
occasion. And remember, every
reader you secure, you at the same
time secure a fighting soldier enlisted
for the wal.
Brethren, push this matter in all
parts of the State; it is the only sure
method of success.
AT Newbern, urged this important
matter on the attention of the mem
bers. I asked all who were readers Of |
The PROGRESSIVE FARMER to stand up,
and every Alliance man in the house
arose to his feet. Some of them, l
ascertained, came fifteen miles, bad as
was the weather, to the meeting. Of
course these were not all in the county
who read the paper, but was it not a
significant fact that of all the mem
bers in the county who do not read it,
not one of them vas present? The
The statement of the fact carries with
it it's own comment and it's own lesson.
In Texas, when we wanted to start
a paper, we had to put our hands in
our pockets and put down several
thousands of dollars to start it. Here
in North Carolina you did not pay one
cent, and l repeat here what l have
often said in my lectures: if a member
will take The PROGRESSIVE FARMER
and read it carefully for eight weeks
and will drop me a line and tell me
he OF she is not satisfied, I will not
only refund the money, but I will pay
for the years subscription and let them
read it free of cost.
Secondly. The ladies eligible must
join the order before we can succeed.
If our organization means anything,
it means a moral reformation, moral
ity must be our guide. The ladies
are and always have been the great
moral element in society; therefore it
is impossible to succeed without call
ing to aid the greatest moral ele-
ment in the country.
Put The PROGRESSIVE FARMER in the
hands of the brethren and the ladies'
Of North Carolina in the Alliance and
the combined world cannot success
fully Withstand our efforts.
F~raternally,
HARRY TRACY.