The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-04-01
The PROGRESSIVE FARMER "
AND WHAT 1T IS DOING.
Prospects of the Alliance.

PROSPECTS OF E4InHuCSs
Mr.. EDIToR:-I like the tone of The
PROGRESSIVE FARMER-it has the right
r.ng about it. If the farmers would
heed its teachings they would soon be
independent and enrolled among the
influential lawmakers of the land.
You are doing great work, and
though your progress may appear
slow and unrewarded just now, the
fruit will appear in few years, and
then you may rejoice over your
abundant success. The poverty of
the farming class the baneful methods
Of debt and mortgage, the lack of
mutual confidence, the rut of over IS
years cut deep in their ways, all ope
rate to impede cooperation, self-de
pendence and the assertion of these
rights as freemen they have so long
waived and surrendered to others.
When we consider the farmers
condition from every standpoint, his
abject poverty, the dark cloud ever
hanging in his sky, without friends
or money, with money rings, combines
and trusts strongly arrayed against
him, and last but not least with gov
ernment whose every act adds insult
to injury, we wonder why it is that
they do not rise up as one man, unite
in one strong brotherhood, shake of
the shackles which bind them and
with an undaunted zeal, labor untir-
ingly for their universal betterment.
When we consider their real condition
and behold with what indifference the
farmers all over the land are treating
the question of a common brotherhood
and cooperative union, it is very dis
coursging, but you must not give up.
Revolutions work slow. A day of
relief will come. The gathering vol
cano of public feeling among the
farmers though slowly crystalizing,
will bee ome in the near future an ON
nipotent power, and its loud food of
wrath and resentment will be poured
out in relentless fury upon the heads
of their heartless oppressors. No
doubt the lack of cooperation in Gov
ering our cotton crop of 1889 with
something besides jute has given the
jute trust, as we'll as others, consider
able encouragement that the farmers
of the country are incapable of united
action, while on the other hand it has
had a depressing and disheartenmg
effect upon those who have sacredly
observed their pighted VOWS to their
several organizations, yet by working,
laboring and teaching we shall at
length secure that unity which will
level party, obliterate sections and
bring to our oppressed farmers and
laborers the welcome boon of better
life and living. l am not discour-
aged though l remember with humil.
iation the want of self,interest dis
played in the " Farmers Legislature :"
which last sat in Raleigh, which,
though numerically able to enact any
law, yielded, as in the past, to the
leadership of others, casting a reflec-
tion on ther own intelligence and
greatly violating the rights and best
interest of their constituents at home.
Negligent and Indifferent to our own
rights and interest which appeal to us
from the stand point of the first law of
nature, we would be sinful indeed to
expect the aid and friendly push of
other callings in these days of zeal for
selfish ends and self-agrandizement.
Once fully awake to our own interest,
fully realizing the power in united &C.
tion, ashamed of the past and humii-
ated over our subservient relation to
other callings, the farmers and labor
ers of the country will boom up as q
power which the politicians of our
land will not longer dare to ignore and
disregard. With your motto labor
Onania V5mcet and buoyed by the con-
scientiousness of a just cause, the day
will soon dawn and will be the brighter
and more glorious because of it's long
night of gloom and darkness. Every
farmer owes it to himself and family,
to his neighbor, his people and his
country to aid you in your noble
efforts to bring about a better condi-
tion for the producing classes by be.
coming and remaining paid up sub,
scribers to The PROGRESSIVE FARMER.
J. W. SANDERS.
Sanders Store, N. c., March 80, 80.