The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-07-17
SENATORS NASCE'S LETTER.

I oss ~ - -
| SENATE CHAMBER, June 2s, $50
| Elias Carr, President Of Far
! mer-' AllIance OF NTH Caro-
Ina, Old Sparta, y. {.
| Dear Sir:--So many report
! concerning my position on wha'
/ i known a. the Sub-Treasury
or Farmers Warehouse bill har,
/ been circulated i'll Our State, an(
{ ! have received so many letter:
of inquiry or the subject tina
! Lave deemed it my duty /,
!answer them all in this way.
write TO yOn as the honorct
! head Of the Farmers Alliance
of North Carolina, and desire
! in this manner 10 make known
to the people my honest opinion
on this and cOgnate subjects.
! do this all the more readily be
cause ! am cnnciOus that
have never, III the course OF
my political life, concealed
from the people who have
ho"ored lie any candid con
VictiOn i'll regard to any i'm
! rortant public III liter. 1t is toe
late now for me to begin such
{; course.
! On the 2lth day of February,
1890, at the request of Col. l.. L.
Folk, president Of the an. G. +.
Alliance and Industrial Union"
introduced in the Senate, bill
2SO6, popularity known as the
Sub-Treasury bill, aud procured
its reference to the committee
on agriculture and forestry,
where it was supposed that it
would receive more friendly
consideration than from the
committee. on finance. to which
1T otherwise would have gone
according to the rules. On re-
ceiving it / told both Col. Polk
and DR.. Macune, the chairman
of the legislative committee of
the Alliance, that was not
prepared to promise them to
support the bill; that it was a
great aud radical departure
from the accustomed policy of
our legislation, and that there
We're questions both of practi-
cability and constitutionality,
which | wished to reserve.
told them also that | hoped for
good results from its introduce
ton, and believed that its dis
cusSiun would attract the at
tention of the country to the
condition and the wants Of The
agricultural classes, and il this
bill was not deemed The proper
one, that some other would be
formulated i'll the direction of
tie needed relief. | procured
an early consideration Of the
bill by the committee, and a
Very able and most interesting
discussion by Messrs Polk and
Macune was had. But 50 far
without result. The committee
has not yet made a report,
though / am assured that a
majority OF its members are
, %nXiously seeking to devise a
method of relief which shall
not be open to the objections
of that bill.
My own position remains the
same. | cannot support this
bill i'll its present shape. But |
am not opposed to the principle
and purposes of the measure.
On the contrary, they are those
which [ have for ten years
advocated, and for the accom-
plishment OF which I have in
every county i'll North Carolina
again and again urged the
organization of farmers, point
ing out to them how that all
other classes Of society were
organized for the promotion of
their separate interests. 1t is a
shameful truth, that in the
enormous growth of the wealth
OF our country i'll the last
twenty years, the farmers have
not pr 'portionately participate
ed. All candid men admit that
they have not had their share
OF the aggregate prosI Gritty of
our coui try. The reason of this
is as plain to be seen as any
cause for any effect. For a
quarter of a century the legisla-
ton OF our country has been
VIGOROUSLY i'll the interest of
certain combinations of capital.
The manufacturers have been
protected by enormous duties
upon foreign imports, many of
which are absolutely prohibi-
tory. The currency has been
systematically contracted by
the withdrawal of circulation
and the characterization of silver
i'll the interest of the bankers,
brokers, bond-holders and ali
tue creditor class. In this wav
the inevitable results have been
produced. The enormous wealth
OF our country has more and
more ceased to he widely dis
tributed and has become con-
centrated in the hands of few
| OVer-grOWn fortunes have been
accumulated py the favored
ones, while mortgages have been
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