The western sentinel., 1890-07-17
POLK,S BOOMERANG.

Last weeks issue of the Progressive
Farmer surprised and aroused the peo-
pie of North Carolina. 1t contained
an unfair and an undeserved attack
on Senator z. B. Vance, because he
thought that the sub-treasury bill was
unconstitutional and unwise and had
the frank manliness to tell his people
We quote:
"Senator Vance may have underes-
timated the strength of the Alliance.
Men living right here in the State
have done this. He may think he
can ignore its demands, but he will
find it contains more than one third of
the backbone of the State. Senator
Vance is brainy man, but we con-
tend that the thousands of Alliance
men in North Carolina know thing
or two. He would have US believe
that he knows more than the hundreds
of intelligent farmers from twenty
three States who met in ST. Louis last
December. The farmers of North
Carolina pay Senator Vance. 1t is
his business TO work for them whether
the measures are constitutional or not.
He should do it, and if the bill is not
in proper shape, he should have gone
to work and put it in shape. If he is
not willing to serve the people we
want to know it. We can't afford to
pay men $4,000 per annum and then
allow them to put up their brains
against the entire State"
( This extract may be put in other
words and it means just this: If
Vance knew the strength of the Alli-
ance he would approve the sub-treas-
ury bill, right or wrong. One third
of the people in North Carolina are
farmers, therefore they should rule
and the remaining two-thirds should
be voiceless! The farmers pay him
and the merchants and mechanics,
lawyers, doctors, machinists, editors,
and manufacturers do not pay one
cent of his salary, therefore Senator
Vance should obey only the farmers
That is exactly what it means.
The first proposition is a SANDER.
Zeb Vance would not go against his
conscience if every man in North
Carolina demanded it. He is not
sent to the Senate to work for what
he believes wrong. We would have
no repect for him if he did. He is
there to represent the whole people of
North Carolina and not class; he is
there to support the constitution of
the United States and not that of the
! Farmers Alliance or of the Masonic
Order or Of the Odd Fellows. He is
there to act as free and independent
man.
The second proposition is absurd on
its very face. 1t demands that one.
thi' d Of the people shall rule and it
says that only that third pays Vance's
salary. This is SO ridiculous and such
false reasoning that it requires no ar
Igument to show its absurdity. We
know that the majority of Alliance
men, in this piedmont section of North
Carolina, at least, are as honest, as
loyal and as sensible as any people
under the sun. They want reforms,
but they are content to work them
through party lines. They simply
want their fair and just proportion of
iqfnenee with the government and
tKey do not seek to monopolize and
dictate as the Progressive Farmer bids
them do. They will repudiate the
Pfogressiye Farmers words.
sTheL editorial of the Progressive
Farmer closes with these words:
ssThei moral of it all is this: We
must go back to the old way of elect
ing farmers to Congress and the
United States Senate. It becomes
more and more apparent that those we
call our friends are our enemies. Begin
this yesr. Delays are dangerous.
This means that Leonidas L. Polk,
theoretical farmer and unsuccessful
politician, wants to succeed Senator
Vance! is9s
THE SENTINEL does not believe
thatsthe Progressive Farmer voices
tRr sentiments Of the great majority
of alliancemen in its attack ON Vance.
The fact that Senator Vance does not
support the Sub Treasury bill does not
prove than be is an enemy to the farm
If this we're so, then the Alliance
hsuld have to disown the Caldwell
county Alliance and declare it an
eneny, because it repudiates the same
6iIt
NJ. R. A. Greer, president of the
Alliance in Mecklenburg county, is
opposed TO the bill. Thus, the Ali.
anoe eanrot fight Vance unless it first
disowns and dishonors the men in its
oun ranks who dare to think the sub
treisofy bih wrong:
IL senator Yanoe has always been true
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