The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-07-15
HARRY TRACY
Replies to Hon. R. Q. Mills Letter to
the Milan County Farm
x ers' Alliance.

which he was a candidate since Milan
county was attached to the Ninth
Congressional district, and having at
every election since 1860 voted the
straight Democratic ticket and being
now a Democrat, it was but natural
that myself in common with every
other Democrat, did hope and believe
that champion (Col. Mills in his
reply to the communication from the
Milan County Farmers Alliance,
would contain his reply to the merits
of the Sub Treasury bill, now under
consideration by the Ways and Means
Committee of the 5lst Congress, and
that said reply would set forth reasons
conclusive and arguments unanswer
able, because Hon. r. 0. Mills is a
member of the Ways and Means Com
mittee, and had he discharged his
duty as such would necessarily have
heard all the arguments pro and con,
and also being recognized as an able
statesman, every one had a right to
expect that he would discuss the bill
dispassionately, fairly and in a states
manlike manner
His reply has rudely~ dispelled that
hope, for from start to finish it is full
of wild miss5atements and as wild con
illusions, not one provision of the bill
has been fairly stated and to cover up
these radical confortions of the work
ings of the Sub Il easury, he ingeni-
ously fl rts the bloody shirt in a way
to make even ingalls, smile. Col.
Mills either does not understand the
bill or wi.fully comforts and m~isrepre-
sents it.
His reply is so long a ramble and
contradicts itself so ba1ly that in this
reply l shall only notice those points
raised that have any color of truth in
them. | am sure that the brave deeds
of Col. Mills in the past will arouse
the admiration and gratitude of the
people, but they will not answer for
arguments upon so important a meas.
ure. His first objection, the cost of
warehouses is not founded on fac s.
It viii not do to base the estimate of
warehouse on the cost of granite court
houses, for it is we'll known to every
one, who has investigated the matter,
that substantial cotton warehouses,
400 by 900 feet, can be cree ed for
less than $40, 900. One of these
warehouses would hold more cotton
than the present State house of the
Safe of New York that has cost
about ST. 600, 600. His second OBJ
lection is that under the workings of
the Sub Treasury bill, the government
will absorb all the private business of
the people. This proposition is wholly
refuted by the facts. For under the
workings IF the Sub Treasury system
the pe0pe elect the agent in the same
manner that they now elect any other
county officer, he like the rest will
select his own assistants, and as a mat
ter f course he will select them from
among his constituents. This also up.
sets Col. Mills assertion that the sys.
tenn will fill the South tull of RepuDll-
can federal Office holders These
agents duty is to receive, store, AMI
when desired by the owner to advance
money on produce stored, ne has no
power to in any way dispose of any Of
this produce until after twelve months
has expired, The statistics clearly
show that all of these produces mus
be consumed within the year, or The
wheels o : civilization must stop, hence
the depositoI runs no risk of having
his produce sold at auction by the
agent. Under The provisions of this
bill no agent can receive over $1,000
annually for his services, therefore it
is seen that a price is put upon the
labor of the agent, for every agent
elected under this bill will be dis.
placed who are now self appointed,
and they place their own price upon
their labor and compel the farmers to
pay it, for the warehousemen and
elevator associations fix the prices, and
under present systems the farmers
connot escape them. Foreigners are
fast absorbing all the elevators and
will soon take in the mills and brew
cries. Thus it is een that under the
workings of the Sub Treasury b Il the
farmers VIII be enabled to escape the
merciless cold grip of the usurer and
spe3ulator as we'll as the warehouse
and elevator combinations and again
take charge of their own business
which every one knows is utterly i'm
possible under existing conditions.
Col. Mills says N effect that the Sub
Treasury bill will be Of no financial
benefit to the farmers, but on the con.
trary will drive them into bankruptcy.
Under the workings of the Sub Treas
ury bill the farmers will save ST.,
OOO,O 600 in interest, $25, 600, 600 in
the economy of handling their prOduoe
$50, 600, 900 in insurance, $88, 600, 600
in the price of their grain, $4,000 OOO
in the price of their cotton, and at
least ST, 900, 900 in the price of their
tobacco, all these savings added to
gether make the snug sum OF $22l,