The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-05-13

In the race of life. They have per-
mltted corrupt politicians to lead them
IN, the1 wild goose chaseS. They have
been blinded by the oily tongued
place hunters who have for years
filled places of honor and trust with
out doing anything for the promotion
OF u agricultural interest. In the
South the cry has been "send me to
Congress and l will wipe out the
tariff and the internal revenue: in the
North 1t has been "send us to Con.
gress and we will settle the hash of
those secession, red-eyed reoels down
South" We say frankly that TINS
far our representatives have been
true to their promises. Our Southern
representatives have given the tariff
and the revenue Hail Columbia.u
the bloody shutters, with Senator Tn.
ga Is IN front, have managed to con-
sumo some more time discussing
southern outrages," while in add.
tlon to all this what time thew have
not taken up in nonsensica Iarguments,
winch children might have decided in
a few words, has been devoted to leo.
lsIatlon IN favor of national banks
railroads, manufacturers, public build.
1ngs, etc, which are of no value to the
farmers and much of it a positive in.
jury.
Now, it would not be fair to saw
that all Of our representatives, either
North or South, are responsible for
this State of affairs. Doubtless MANY
of them have honestly tried to accom-
plish better things. But somebody IS
responsible, as any welIinformed man
can see that they exist.
AS a natural result the prosperity
of nearly all other classes is without
precedent. The Congressman and
Senators who have become million
aires in a few years on a salary of
$4,000 per year (which is hardly suf-
ticlent to pay their annual expenses if
they live extravagantly) are, Of course,
included among the prosperous
people.
Another result of it all is that the
railroads can charge more for haul
ing a bushel of corr a few hundred
miles in a few. hours than the poor
farmer can get for it after working
hard for II months to raise the corn.
Combines can be made and the people
robbed of thousands and millions of
dollars. Yet representatives use
their stentorian lungs in crying out
against the tariff, the revenue and the
negro question and a few other out
rageous stereotyped hobbies. Admit
that these things need attention, but
are we any better off, The negro is
as black as ever, the tariff as oppres-
sive and the revenue as odious. Again
we ask, what has been done to benefit
our people ? We lay down the propo-
sition that for every dollars worth of
Legislation in favor of the farmers, five
dollars worth have been against
them. It is true that a great many
pensions have been granted, but it is
not possible hat all who draw pen
sions are justly entitled to them. The
time has been when our farmers
e the money loaners, but now
they are the borrowers, Now for
tunes are made in a day and lost in a
day. But somebody not in the farm
ing business is benefited in either
case.
But after all the farmers are a part
of the body polite" and they are
getting their eyes open to such an ex-
tent that in a few years more the
change will be so great that the pub
lie will realize the fact that they
constitute a large per cent. of our
population and that tariff and revenue
orasory alone will not suffice when
they r in trouble.