The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-01-21

floods like Johnstown's with thou
sands of smaller disasters overtaking
the people, the National banks have
gained since they began to issue cur
rency over twenty five millions Of dol
lars by the causes just assigned.
Is it not time for the people to alb
olish a system that grows rich, and
vulture-like, fattens on the losses of
the poor
It should be the policy of our gov
ernment to restore silver to the place
it occupied prior to 1860. 1t was
then the unit of values, of exchange.
To-day, all the Republics of the New
World desire silver as the unit of eX-
change.
PARTISANSHIP DESTROYED.
am glad that Yankee and Con-
federate colonels and privates have
had the courage, the manliness and
the patriotism to bid their old par
ties get behind them, and thus cement
the brotherhood and destroy partisan
ship in our common country.
Their wise action at ST. Louis de-
stroyed prejudice and sectionalism in
the minds of all, save professional
place hunters.
The united orders gave to the coun-
try National issues, and all the people
can unite and fight as in 1875, the
kingly perogatives and vested ghts
that now form the burden of their
every wish and prayer that monopo-
lists have or utter.
The banks and combines have set
up an anti-Christ, a God Mammon,
and all the people are commanded to
follow and obey. But they, like the
prophet of old, will be more than
astonished to find how many have not
bowed the knee to Baal.
I thank God, patriotism is not
thing of the past with the yeomanry
of our country, and in their hearts the
love of liberty is far greater than the
love of gold.
GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF RAILROAD AND
TELEGRAPH LINES.
In England, telegraphic messages
are sent on government lines at
trif1e compared with the cost on the
Western Union. If the cost of send
ing messages and maintenance Of lines
in England is very much less than IN
this country, we ought to reduce the
present cost one-half All the people
are interested in commerce and trade
and cheap rapid communication is to
the best interests of all. The weather
bureau would be much more effective
than now, as each operator could also
be an observer, and the display of sig
mails would be as much more general
as the data would be more complete.
No false reports as to crops could then
be sent out, for each operator could
know the exact amount of crops
shipped or warehoused each day.
K RAILROADS.
In India, on the government rail
road, fares on the lowest class are
only one-half cent per mile, higher
class one cent per mile, and so on up
to two cents per mile.
l hold that passenger traffic ought
to be graded according to speed, com
fert and convenience, so that the poor
who could not afford to travel IN state
could go either on business or pleasure
at low rate.
1t is not just or right for any rail
road to charge as much per mile when
hauled on freight trains as when fly
ing over the country on a limited ex-
press; and yet in defiance of right the
poor are now charged more per mile
than the rich. If you doubt this see
the difference between local and
through rates of travel.
This seems to be the policy of the
government to make the rich richer
and the poor poorer.
All freight trains ought to be CON-
PEELED by law to run passenger cars
attached at lowest rates.
Government control would abolish
ruinous competition in favor of town
where the directors of the railroad
have their interests centered, as
against country villages and points
not terminal.
Competing roads now arrange their
schedule to injure competing lines,
and this is to the injury and detri-
ment of all who travel. All this
would be changed under control of
the government.
CAN RAILROAD RATES BE REDUCED AND
| x YET BE PROFITABLE?
For an answer let me cite you facts.
The Central Railroad, of New York
is limited by law to two (2) cents per
mile passenger trafic) and while the
stock has been watered and watered
until the road could be duplicated at
less than half its stock value, yet the
stock of the railroad in question sells
from l08 to lis.
The government railroads of India
have not nearly the advantages we