The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-04-08
REPEAL OUR NATIONAL LAND
ING act.

Mr.. EDITOR:-Qur present landing
system is q monopoly of the most 81
Rantic stature, usurous n its tendency
and oppressive IN its operations. 1t
was conceived in sin, born In ln1qulty,
and has lived, fattensd and grown to
be a giant at the expense OF the oooy
polite. 1t was made expressly to en-
rich the few and impOEerish the many.
And from it all other monopolles n
this government have sprung or drawn
their elixir of life. 1t handles and
controls the circulating medium of
this great nation at the expense OF
those who produce everything to sup
port it, and sends corruption into the
entire system of the financial
body from which all national prosper
ity should emanate. All this and
much more may be truthfully said OF
this national harlot and mother OF all
our financial evils. Those who con-
troll it contract the currency at will,
place the property of the masses
under heavy mortgages without fur.
nishing the borrowers with adequate
means to transact legitimate business
and take from them their property
thus mortgaged at less than half its
real value. Those financial vulGlres,
first cripple their prey, then close the
net into which they have decoyed
their game and proceed to dismember
each one thus %entrapped, while the
helpless wives and dependent children
of the victims are left to weep and
over lost fortunes without
sympathy or the comforts of life and
are told "no one is to be blamed ex-
cept the venturous and reckless
husbands and fathers" when really
they knew nothing of the traps thus
set for them. How many thousands
of such cases have occurred in the
United States of America within the
last quarter of a century no mortal
man knoweth. While millions who
may not have suffered thus, have felt
the sting of the viper in various other
ways and that very keenly. The
Great I Am only knows or can have
the least idea of the misery, suffering,
poverty and shame which have come
out of all the monopol,es, panics and
expressions which are the legitimate
offspring of this great and enriched
NATIONAL BANKING SYSTEM.
To remedy this evil the law Great
ing it must be repealed. Past and
present Legislators thus far have failed
to do so. They fail to see or point
out to their constituents the tremen-
-dous evils that have followed in the
wake of this giant monster. Is this
the result of ignorance or corruption
on the part of the majority of our
national and State lawmakers 2 For
one branch of Congress is made by
State legislation.
After repeating this national bank
act and requiring all it's pets to close
up, refuse to charter any others except
banks of deposit or savings banks,
and they prohibited from lending at a
greater rate of interest than six per
cent. per annum; and allow all post
masters to issue or sell bills of ex-
change or draughts on other Offices
which may be honored a a circulating
medium thus far.
Add to this the election of all gov
eminent officials by the people, re.
monetize silver, increase our circulat-
ing medium to $50 per capita, and
give us the warehouse system and sub
treasury plan as put forth by the con-
vention at St. Louis in December, and
relief will come to the masses.
Ask all this and take nothing less.
JNO. F. FOARD.
Olin, N. G..