The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-03-18
LETTER FROM UNION COUNTY.
UNION Co., N. @.

ing to the inclemency OF the WeaCner
there was not a very large turnout,
vet brother Darden possesses one trait
that at least entities him to our re-
spect, and that is his tenaclty OF pur-
pose. He is a man of medium height,
has a keen eye and a we'll balanced
head, and possesses great powers OF
accelerations (which makes him a for
midable adversary. His speech was
short but sublime. | think he is equal
to Napoleon, who, in a seven minutes
speech, thrilled his army AMI all
Europe. He possesses the thrilling
oratory of a Cicero or Patrick Henry
and the e~xhilarating jokes of a Joe
Miller or Tom Brown.
He discussed the Importance Of
organization at some length and
showed the importance of economy
and the indispensable necessity of self
reli ance. He insists that we make
our home self-supporting al it means
independence, He spoke of combines,
trusts and m~onopolies as being the
great barriers to the agricultural in,
terests of our country, and he believes
that if our present system fails to
bring the de sired relief that in twenty
years or less the whole wealth of this
great nation will fall into the hands
of a few capitalist and there will be
but the two classes, the very rich and
the very poor. Ny God forbid it,
for my heart beats high within me
when [ hear men talk thus, and my
strength grows as the strength of ten
and if all the laboring men grow in
proportion to mine, Sampson-like, we
will shake the pillars about their tenn.
pies. When the crisis comes all we
want are leaders, and like Peter of old
we will go with them even unto
death. We desire to leave for the
consideration of those who shall occu-
py our places ONE proof that we hold
the blessings transmitted from our
fathers in just estimation; some proof
of our attachment to the cause of good
government and of civil and religious
liberty. The farmer is placed lower
in the scale of ignorance than any
other man or set of men on earth.
But 1 deny this charge, for if we will
all do our duty we may hope to see
the day when the enemies of this or.
%ganization will be like Napoleon, live
to see the day that they have rejected
a power greater than their<6wn; the
most learned men do not always sue
ceed the best. The lawyer who has
received a classical education is not
always the most successful. The men
who welded /power have not always
been graduates. Brindly and Step
henson did not learn to read and write
untiLthey were twenty years old, yet
the one gave England her railroads
and the other her canals. 1t is not
known where he who invented the
pillow was born or where he died, yet
he has effected more for the happiness
of the world than the whole race of
heroes and conquerors who drenched
it in tears and blood. Now, brethren,
when the world afforded no longer
any hope for the laboring classes, it
pleased heaven to open this last refuge
of humanity; the attemp5 has began
and is going on far and near on the
broadcast scale and under the most
h~attering prospects, and it certainly
rests with us to solve the great
problem, and to settle and that for
yer the question, car we ever have a
perfect organization among the farm
ers; a we be trusted with a purely
popular system? Now let US i'm
agine that the departed wise and good
of all places and times are looking
down from their happy seats to wit
ness what shall now be done by us.
Brother farmers, 1 should feel
ashamed if | did not feel some enthu-
siasm for this grand and noble organ
ization; but | say let the rage of party
spirit sleep; let our work be done
with clean hands and an honest heart.
True reforms are as silent as they are
deep. We can win the prize by re-
deemirg time, defying temptation and
0SO4A4uS R1OoouI0' Ills Qu0SGlOu Is
indeed one that trenches upon the
eminent present for d good or evil. 1t
should be the duty and it is clearly the
interest of every man that makes his
living by physical labor. AS individ-
Uals we have cause to be humble be-.
fore God for the imperfect discharge
Of our duties in this and in every
other relation of life, but for it's Justice
and morality as an element of our
social polity; we may confidently ap-
peal to those future ages which, when
the bedimming mists of passion and
prejudice have vanished, will examine
it in the pure light of truth. Politi-
Cal partisanship it should be remem-
bered, is begotten of intellectual dark
ness, a shining and harmonious citi-
zenship, such as the Farmers ALI.
ance and Laborers' Union is born only
by intellectual brightness, so then let
US have good members, not weak
tools for d~esipninu ncl;tioioo, Tn