The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-09-02
BILL ARP ON THE FARMERS
ALLIANCE.

Things are not altogether calm and
serene in these parts. The farmers
ground swell has amazed and bewildered
the people. I asked my friend, John
Black, what he was doing in polIti S over
in Rome. Nothing, nothing at all"
said he in a sad, sweet tone Of voice.
"Im staying inside the house now, and
waiting for the storm to blow over"
"Suppose it dont blow over at al" said
I. "Mayba the thing is like the deluge
and all you political sinners are out of the
ark and floating around on the logs and
chicken coops, and every little while you
look up at the great floating warehouse
with its closed doors and say, Boys,
how long is this internal shower to
last?' "
Blessed is he who hath a boat of his
own and does not have to depend upon
the peoples hue. Blessed is he who
don't banker after office. This whole
thing would be funny if it wasn't death
to the frogs A few months ago our town
boys were puzzling around and laying
their plans for the legislature, and were
fixing 70 catch the Alliance vote, for it
had net gone il O politics then, and the
boys 2 t ov-r their rights, but they have
all Sv aged down and ! ok as meek and
| humble as g run over calf. The farmers
ma3e no noise, but simply said: "Boys,
we don't think your sort are ftten, and
yol amt fIten to get ftten, so we will
| attic nd to this little business ourselves"
And the boys made a bow and said {:
g. Jesse"
I. reminds me of a story they tell on
| Ms. Blown. the Senator's PLAIN spoken
and discerning wife. After old Joe had
| Sc we'd nearly two terms as Governor,
| some gentlemen were dis -usslng in her
presence, the ques Ion as to who would
be his successor. Mrs Brown was stitch
ing away on some garment and took no
part in the conversation u til one OF hem
said: "MrS. Brown, who do you think
will wear the Governors mantle when he
retires?" She looked up and replied IN
a matter of-fact way, 81 don't think he is
| gong to retire he calculates to wear it
himself for two years more" And he
did.
I heard a big Alliance man say well
show you how to run a legislature when
our boys get there. The boys will eat
breakfast by sun up, just like they do at
home, and in an houc ~ re . will hear
a horn blow at the capitol and they will
all be there and 60 to work, and there
won't be no fooling around and no ex-
cuses nor ~absentees, nor going down town
to get a drink, nor running off on exc1r-
sions to Tybee and ~Chautauqua. Mark
Hardin shant have fourteen clerks, dog-on
him, but he shall do the clerking himself.
We can't do without him, and don't ex
pect to, but he will have to knuckle down
to work. The last session cost $3.50, 900,
but the next won't cost the third Of it.
I'll bet any may a suit of clothes 1t don't.
We are going to rent out about half the
State house. Every one of them stall
fed fellows have got a front room, AMI a
back room, and a sanctum, and a sancto-
rum, and a fifty dollar sofa to sleep on,
and they have their business hours just
like the banks, and you can't see 'em only
when you don't a to see en-; and
they haven't got to 60 to mill, either, or
take up he fodder, dog-on 'em. Well
straighten out their trace chains when
the boys get there"
81 hear" said /, "that some Of your
members are opposed to George Lester
for encouragement because he is a
lawyer"
"Well, yes" said he, "some of 'em
was, but I told 'em that George was a
poor man and a good soldier, and was no
lawyer to hurt, and I think they will go
for him. l know he amt much of a
lawyer, for l had a case in his court when
he was judge, and he decided it pint blank
agin me, though I knowed l was right all
the time. No, he amt much of alawyer,
but we don't expect to need any--we are
going to run the machine in a common
sense farmer way, without any red tape
or Sallymagundy, and if these judges and
solicitors don't do better than they have
been doing, we'l turn 'em all out and