The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-12-09
PROGRESS.
An Essay Read by Miss Blanche Liver
man, Before St John Alliance,
Hertford County.
Menola, N. G.

Hertford County.
Who will say this is not an age of
pro gress Look 81 .he speed Of travel
and transporta ion with the iron
horses. Look at the telegraph opera
tor dispatching news from one coun,
try to another with lightning speed;
and again the telephone men convers-
ing with each other in different cities.
See how the churches and schools are
being magnifed. Look at the popula
tion of the United States now, then go
back 80 or 40 years and compare with
tae present, and who will say this is
not progressive age2
But then there is something else to
be thought Of: How came this such
progressive age2 OF course the
answer will be, money and brain. Now
you will say I thought there were hard
times, and money very scarce; SO it
is with the poor farmer; but not so
with the monopo)ists (our mastery You
must remember that the monopolists
(bondholders and speculstors) own all
these progresses except the popula-
tions, churches and schools, and they
control them for their own benefit.
Now, then, you will say what good
is all this progress to ma as a farmer?
Have you not the brains? can they not
be cultivated ? No, you will say, not
without the money. That's the point.
Let us as much as possible, by good
farming and economy, save little
money, and not run every dollar into
the towns and cities before it is made,
to try to keep up with their styles
Mother earth feeds us all. The farm
ers and toilers are the extractors; so
it ought to come into our possess sion
before it goes into theirs. They ought
to have to seek us through their agent,
and not for us to have to seek them.
But this will not be until we learn to
live inside of our income, and save a
little money to cultivate the brains of
our farmer boys; to turn some Of their
progresses to our account, and 30 may
it be.
We should not become discouraged
because our plans are opposed by
few moss backed politicians who are
controlled by the money power. We
should be prepared to meet this oppo
sitlon, and there is no better place
than at .he balot-box
Another good feature of the Ali
ance is that it is dong more to heal
the chasm made by our civil war than
all the efforts of our politicians, be-
cause the people North and South,
East and West rec ognize the fact that
the masses are marching in one solid
phalanx to overthrow the yoke of
oppression that they have been forced
to carry for years If l understand
the object of the Alliance, they are
to raise suffering humanity to higher
plane mentally, morally, socially and
financially through that party which
is willing to labor to secure this end.
It is the Alliance of all the most pro
gressive elements of society in favor
of measures that would be beneficial
to all classes of useful people.
Le' the good work go on. Those
who are not for US are against us, and
should be showed under whenever an
opportunity presents itself. Let them
learn that it is the farmer who to day
needs legislation, and not of the kind
they have been receiving. "Choose
you to-day whom you will serve. "
The people are striving to gain their
lost inheritance-the power behind
the throne-which has been ruthlessly
stolen from them. Whi III will pay
you best2 Hang this question in the
balance no longer. Tines up; you
hear the rumbling of distant thunder,
and rising wind is moving the tree
tops prophetic of coming storm. AS
laundering, peal after peal, is rolled
across the mountains and plains, the
echo will be distinctly heard, "down
with syranny," and as the voice of
many waters the shout will 90 up,
The people are free; America still
lives, the home of the free and the
brave