The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-02-11
FROM UNION coUN ~.

MIR, EDITOR:-Y u humble CORES
Dondent has for some time been as
silent as death, but having enjoyed
the pleasure of being in the town OF
Monroe on the l4th inst, and also
having the pleasure of seeing and hear
ing. for the first time in his life, the
high-toned and highly honored and
manly son of M~ecklenburg county,
S. B. Alexander, address the people
of Union county, has decided to come
again.
The farmers of Union county have
known sgd. from reputation ever
since the Alliance has been introduced
into the county, and long desired to
see him and hear him talk. Their de-
sire has at last been granted. He is
the very man they expected to see.
The court house was full 20 its ut
most capacity with eager listeners.
All were anxious. to see him as well
as hear him. All were pleased and
benefited, for he dives deep into the
very core of things, and flies through
the mysteries on fairy wings.
AS a governor he would reflect
honor on the old North State, as a
Senator he would reflect credit to that
body. We can do no better if we can
emily get him In the United States
Congress.
Your humble correspondent is not
capable of reaching those graceful
touches, however his desire is that
Syd. may live a thousand years. 1t
NAV seem somewhat boastful to re
peat the fact that within the limits of
our State there does not seem to be a
man who is endowed with wisdom be
yond the age in which they live as old
sgd. Old Fogy and Col. L.. L.. Polk,
of such men the people of North Caro-
lima ought to be proud. Why L
answer because ever since the year
1855 the farmers have been misled
and misrepresented by the two great
political parties until the country is
financially bankrupt. While it is ad-
mitted that the farmer is the bone and
sinew of the world they are totally
left to the mercy of every rascal in
the world. Why, sir, a few years
back the farmers used to think it was
q crime, punishable by law, to take
cotton to the market and not have it
cut by a cotton buyer.
Brother farmers, when our country
was invaded by the powers of Great
Britain the common people were
forced to look up to such men as
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Ben
jamin Franklin, Roger Sherman,
Robert Livingston and George Wash
ington, who were considered the
leading patriots of this country. Had
it not been for such men we would
have been worse than slaves, and so
it is with us, the farmers and labor
ing classes to-day. We must look up
to such men as Col. L. L. Polk, S. B.
Alexander, S. N. Adams, II. G. Ran.
dolph, J. D. Fields and G. 7. Barbee,
for ours is a similar fight, for if the
present remedy fails l know not how
soon another bloody revolution may
have to be fought for this lovely land,
this glorious liberty, these benign in
stitutions, the dear purchase of our
fathers are ours, ours to enjoy, ours
to preserve, urs to transmit. Genera
tions past and generations to come
holds us responsible for this sacred
trust. Our fathers from behind ad-
monish us with their anxious parental
voices; posterity calls out to US from
the bosom of the future; the world
turns hither with its solicitous eye; all,
all conjure us to act wisely and faith
fully in this relation which we sustain.
We can never, indeed, pay the debt
which is upon us but by virtue, by
morality, by religion, by the cultiva-
tion of every good habit; so, then, let
us feel deeply how much of what we
are and what we possess. We certain.
ly have the right to act and think for
yourselves. AS a class it has been said
that we are living in a free country,
and Washington himself q principal
agent by which it has been accom-
plished. History is not without hel
examples of hard fought fields, where
the banner of liberty has aoated tri
Umphantly on the widest storm o.
battle, but she is without her examples
of a people by whom the dear bought
treasure has been wisely employed
and safely handed down, but the eyes
of the world are turned for that ex
ample to the National Alliance anC
Laborers' Union. So let us meet il
like men who know their duty anc
prize their blessings. Our position il
the most enviable, the most RESPONSE
bic which men can FL, and if this gen
Grafton does its duty, the cause o
constitutional freedom is safe, but
and if we fail, not only do we de
fraud our children of the inheritanc,
which we received from our fathers
but we blast the hopes of the friendt
of liberty throughout u continent tt
+ha oDd Of time So fbon if ~,