The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-07-15

mon sense ULd dGCtGte W0t W6 Vy I"
make 1T what 1t ought 70 be. Go L
boys, it may not be constitutional,
but we can make it constitutional
Nv farmer friends down in North
Carolina are nearly all in favor of it,
80 are the farmers of other States.
He should have said all Of this, and q
great deal more, and he should have
continued to talk it in unmistakable
language. Senator Vance may be the
biggest man in North Carolina; he
nav be the smartest; he may be the
noblest, but we have used his own
argument-his own words, against
his own logic in the Sub Treasury
matter, and we defy Senator Vance
or any other of the biggest" men in
North Carolina to successfully con-
trovert the position.
Now we are going to quote the fol
lowing from his letter to President
Carr:
"My own position remains the
same. l cannot support this bill in
it's present shape. But l am not op,
posed to the principle and purposes Of
the measure. On the contrary they are
those which I have for ten years ad,
vocated, and for the accomplishment
of which I have in every county in
North Carolina again and again urged
the organization fthe farmers, point
ing out to them how that all other
classes of society were organized for
the promotion of their separate inter
ests."
Now, the biggest man in North
Carolina has put his foot in it again.
The principles Of the Sub Treasury bill
are all right. "THey are those Ohich I
haze for ten gears advocated" The
principles of the silver bill are all
right, too, but the bill IS crude." "But
common sense would dictate then
that we try to make it what it ought
to be-" We think the most ardent
friends of our "junior senator" will
agree with US after a careful reading
of the above facts that he has placed
himself in another awkward position.
The principles of the Sub-Treasury
plan are all right. He "has been ad-
vocating them for ten years" If the
principles of a man are good he is
safe. He may make great mistakes.
But if his principles are good there is
hope that something may be done. If
the principles of a bill are wrong it
being an inanimate thing, it cannot
change. But when they are right, as
he admits, we have Senator Vance
and 4l6 other we'll paid Legislators in
Washington City, whose business it
to Try to put>them in f~rst,class shape.
Senator Vance says he cannot hon
estly support a measure that he thinks
is unconstitutional. There is another
circumstance for our course
in this. This is not the first time laws
for the relief of farmers have been
discarded. The farmers have about
come to the conclusion that every
thing they want is disposed of with
that sterotyped word-"U ~nconStjtu-
Now, why is this? The farmers as
a mass are generally very uuselish.
They will take one half if they can't
get a whole thing. The Constitution
of the United States is the most rea
sonaole thing in the world. 1t could
be improved. 1t grants free,
dom and liberty to all and equal rights
to all. Why is it that the most rea
sonable class Of people living under
that Constitution have failed year at
ter year in getting what little they
have asked for and after having made
all manner of concessions, have peer
met with that wonderful, wonderful
word-"unconstitutionall', All pro
fessional and business men agree that
the farmers prosperity is their pros
That is true. Then if the
farmers should ge: a little class legisLa,
tom would not everybody be benefit
ted to some degree. Our opinion is,
and many things point that way, that
many of our lawmakers and their as
sociates have decided that the farm.
and other laboring people must be
kept down-must be kept ignorant;
must be held in subsection or they
will feel their power and overthrow
their schemes to enrich themselves and
build palaces and wear fine linen
every day. That is opinion. God
alone can answer this correctly.
Now as to Senator Vance's opinion
of the Sub,Treasury bill may be
His opinion or yours, dear
reader, is only that of one man. 1t
is not a matter of opinion. A large
portion of u people have said they
wanted the bill or a better one passed.
They must have relief. Senator Vance
refuses to push the measure, and
after all u trouble he throws it
aside and writes a letter and advises
us to fight for relief inside the party
ranks; to fight for tariff reduction and
that. His advice is good if there
was a possibility to carry it out. We