The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-11-03
AN ADDRESS OF WELCOME TO
THE COUNTY ALLIANCE
BY Bro. A. NJ. Darden.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN 81 nave
been appointed by Cool Spring Alliance
TO extend a welcome to this meeting,
and allow me to assure you that L do
so without any reservation and bid you
all a sincere, warm hearted Alliance
welcome to our hearts and hOSpitalitieS.
Nj. Tabor Church has generously ten
dered usthe use of its house OF worship,
4 temple erected to God, and dedicated
TO his service, in which to hold u
meeting and brethren, let us vie with
each other in not doing or saying any
thing that will bring reprOach either
upon the church or the nus of the
Master; but let all OF our proceedings
De tempered with wisdom, and above
ali, charity. Let us be all Of one &C
cord, and If there shall arise differences
Of opinion among US, be c~harltably IN
ciined one toward another, remember
ing that each one of us has the same
right to his own opinion.
If any have gone aStray, deal gently
With them. [ would not advise 10y any
means a compromise of principle, but
discuss all measures for the advance
Elent of our cause in a spirit of Chris
Jian fairness; and If there are any
among us who cannot fully endorse our
demands, it is, in my opinion, their
Christian duty to withdraw from the
organization, as peace and harmony
is the strength of all institutions,
especially this of ours, for it is the
Zrandest cause that has ever enlisted
the services of a patriotic people, and
It's rapid growth and widespread mem
0orship, together with kindred organ
iZatiOns, has surely become phenOme-
non of great interest to statesmen and
students of political science, as we'll as
TO politicians. and it seems to me that
the time has arrived when men should
lay aside hat blind idOlatTOus, worship
u party, and contend for principles
the Justice of which no man a gain
sac. And Just here may it not be well
10 inquire if some of our blinded par
risan leaders would not do we'll to leaTn
something from historical parallels? Are
they hugging to their hearts the delu
size hope that they are deluding Us by
their prOtestatiOnS Of affection for the
Alliance and their desire for advance
mont of the interests of the agricultu-
raj and mechanical masses when they
antagOnize every proposition put forth
0y them for their own betterment, and
when they allow no opportunity to
pass of hurting through the partisan
press every %invective at leaders
Jnat human deviltry and ingenuity
can devise.
Nc, gentlemen, nc, we have been
hoodwinked and cajoled quite long
enough. We must educate ourselves
ou the great issue of the day. While
I fully admit that the metaphysical
in~tricacies of the financial system of a
colossal government like urS is beyond
the comprehension of the average
farmer. Yet there are questions which
can be asked that are SC simple that
the most illiterate a comprehend.
For instance, how much more of the
products of your labor will q dollar
BUY now than twenty years ago. How
does the price of cotton or peanuts, or
any other product of your labor con
pare with the value of the purchasing
agent, money?
Interest, taxes, mortgages, salaries
and professional fees are as high as
ever while what You have to sell has
deprecated from 100 to 200 per cent.
Now tell me, is there any chance for
prosperity among the agricultural
masses while such conditions prevail?
Not the ghost of a chance. Your mem
Der of Congress draws salary of s., 600
per year and a buy three times as
much of your produce now for his
salary as he could when it was Pstab-
lished; or in other words, it takes three
times as much of your cotton to pay
your proportional part Of his salary as
it did then.
Can any reasonable man deny that
. fair and impartial consideration of
the situation will irresistibly force upon
LS-, tho ooO01I1CiOo +Io+ tho ErO,,,1ol
question is the one that OvershadOws
every other.
The farmers have been the worst i'm
posed upon, and most long suffering
PEOPLE on earth; but thanks to the
Farmers Alliance, they are getting
their eyes open to the situation, are
educating themselves and the light is
beginning to dawn upon their hereto
fore dormant minds, and gentlemen.
they are marching today to the front
with determined tread.
[ remarked a moment ago that it
might be well for Our political bosses
20 learn a lesson from past events.
Does any al suppose for a single
moment that had Charles I dreamed
Of the fatal consequences attending his
interference with the sailing of emf
grants from England to settle in
America, that he would have persisted
IN his despotic policy? No! A thou
sand times no! Had he allowed CrOm-
we'll and Hampden to depart in peace
md establish themselves in America;
the fearful tragedy in which they
played such important parts, might
have been averted, and Charles 1 re
tanned his kingdom and his land. Let
enemies remember there are CrOm
wells now equal to the emergency.
Let tyrants beware! The despot Nero,
after indulging in all the diabolical ex-
CeSses of his deviliSh nature, was con
demned to die an ignominious death
after being marched naked through the
streets of Rome, and only evaded the
execution by taking his own worthless
Life