The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-04-15

One smoked q pipe Of brisr wood,
Blackened and Charred from constant use,
A good sized quid the other cheWed,
And squirted out tobacco juice.
And while discussing earnestly
In rough, but honest, country style,
Their hands were busy as could be
With jackknives whiting all the while,
For Yankee, one might well be taken,
From his peculiar speech and nod;
The others accent told quite plain
That he was from the Ancient Sod.
The name of one was Thomas Horne,
That Of the other, Dan McGreW,
Though patched their clothes, and slightly torl
Twas plain they knew a thing or two.
81 tell you W at said Mr.. Horne;
Ard folks may say just what they please:
But since the hour that / was born
Inever saw such times as these.
With taxes g%rieVous to be borne,
And interest fast becoming due,
And only Is cents fer corn;
wonder where we're drifting to?'
give lived in Kansas twenty years,
And many ups and downs have seen;
To me, in truth, it . oW appears,
Such times as these have never been.
Why it is thus l can't conceive,
Though some think that the WORST Is past
But, Dan, / verify believe,
From bad to wor. e we're going fast
"That something's wrong said Dan McGrev
Fair minded men must all agree,
And what we farmer folks will do
Is really more than l can see.
Whatever stuff we have to sell,
Will scarcely pay for horses lea;
l tell you things are going to-
Or getting there at railroad speed
"Wher wheat is only forty cents
And oats go begging at a dime,
Iwonder what's to recompense
The farmer for his toll and timeg
The time has been when cattle pa1o.
And steers 8 fair price would command,
But now there's nothing to be made
At raising stock or farming n d
"Why -hings should be so very low,
IReither know or yet pretend,
But for m life why it is so
Is more than l can comprehend.
Some say it is the syndicate
That Keeps the price of products down
But this I know, at any rate,
Meat sells at fifteen cents a pound"
"Now figure by the rule of three,
And tbs susceptible of proof,
With Meat so high a steer should be
Worth more than two cents on the hoot
And Wheat we need not figure tW1c:
Until we very plainly see,
That flour at its present price,
Is double what it ought to be-"
s'TeIl you what" continued Dan,
"'Tis verse than slaves we are to-day;
To think that he who t1lls the land,
Can't raise enough his tax TO pay,
Here I'm a tiller OF the SOL,
With scarce a boot or shoe to wear,
And all the products Of my toll,
Must go to feed the millionaire"
Said Mr.. Horne: 1T seems to me
We're governed by a set Of knaVes,
Aad we who boast Of being free
Are nothing but a ace Of slaves
Slaves to trusts and corporations,
q That daily on the people prey.
II YES to thieVing combinations
\ THAT rob and steal from day to day.
And Z on about election time
SomS It nabOb Will sound the note,
And fem 3ceme with cheek sublime
And tell farmers how to vole.
You know, McGreW, we haven't h1tched,
On politics in years zone by,
But now l say though l be switched,
You have been nea. er right than l.
{ Republican I've always been,
One Of the straDgest kind at that,
But things are so corrupt, / ween.
I'll turn and be a democrat"
"a democrat" said Dan aloud,
Some, to that. might make objection,
Because you always led the crowd,
In advC eating high protection"
"Confound protection Horne replied.
"NO greater wrong have we to bear;
Do wolves protect the sheep ? he cried,
cor hounds the frightened, haunted hare
Declare it by what mama you may,
IT'S fraud but will another name;
I do Lot care what others say,
Protection, theft, are the same.
'Ask the farmer who's protected,
He'll answer with the pr ce Of wheat,
Ask working men how they respect it?
They'll say protection is a cheat,
Protective laws are Only meant
More riches to the rich TO give;
The SONS of toll must be content
That they're allowed the chance to live.
EETis tariff this and tariff that,
Specific and ad valorem
Tariff on coat and tariff on hat,
And tarif 70 pay Tor jofdm.
Tt ere's tariff low, and CaTiH nigh,
Tariff On all the rag We wear,
/. And next we hear, no doubt they'll try
To place a tariff on the air."
A stan2erby broke in to cay:
Your language, sir, is rather strong,
And ThOugu emphatic III your way.
l think you're altogether wrong.
Protection made Us what we are;
And surely, sir, you do not want,
To place our WOrkmen on a par,
With nl-paid foreign mendIcant."
Its light you are responded Dac.
And here examples you may see,
Of how protection helps the man,
who labOrs in this land so free.
Under what you call protection,
On us the pauper's doom will fall,
Aided by its differentiation,
The poor house soon will get us all.
sin vain for work mechanics seek,
And orkm idle must remain,
And yet some fellows have the cheek
To say that we should not complain,
a OF pauper labor they will prate,
: Who never s0iled their dainty hands,
As though it helped our wretched state
To say they're worse in other lands"
"Come Dan" said Horne; "time flies apace.
These fello vs. yet may be impressed
That freedom still finds q resting place
= Within the AngIO-SaxOn's breast.
IT'S little that is left us now
Worth fighting for, l must confess;
And here, most frankly / avoW,
That lit els fast becoming less.
"Oh that some champion might be found
Who would the peoples cause advance,
Unite the bands with which they're bound
And give the poor mFn half q chance;
Put down the trusts, reform the laws.
: From corporations set US free,
Offend the peoples righteous cause,
The cause Of right AID liberty.
MEANS OF AN EASY LIVELI
I HOOD.
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