The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-09-01
nv. surrendered ourselves tC

H-llLlll ' =. u
DOlitical preiudices and passion until
we have become party slaves, caring
nothing for facts and voting bllndly as
our leaders directed, believing what
ever they told us. Now, in order to see
how it is in our power to get out OF this
enchanting realm of bambOOzledom,
let's resort to a few figures hat Will
show, incontestably, that we have 1T
completely in III power to get released
from this miserable enthralment to
which we have voluntarily subjected
ourselves. BY the census OF 80 QVe
not seen q like computation OF the cen
sus of 800 the total number Of persons
engaged in gainful occupations IN the
United States, in round numbers, was
1892, 900, divided as follows: AgrIcul-
tural, 6,67O,OOO; manufacturers, me
chanics and mining, 4,O74,OOO; trade
and transportation, 1,S1O,OOO. These
figures give II, 507, 600 to the two former
classes of wealth-prOducers, which
leaves $3.50, coo to ell the other classes.
Now suppose we allow that there are
5000, 600 of non voters (an allowance
far beyOnda fair eStimate) in the strict
Iy wealth producing classes, and that
oil the other classes al cast a vote,
this will leave clear majority Of 2, 622,-
900 in favor of the agricultural, manu-
featuring, mechanical and mining
classes as q certain majority to free
them from enslavement in case (ah,
there's the rub they cooperate, AS
Stunning the proportion between the
different classes to be about the same
nOw, what a prepOnderance do these
figures give to the wealth-prOducers to
achieve their salvation from the thrai-
dom under which they are crushed,
and what a lesson does it teach Of the
voluntary ServitudG to which we sub
iect ourselves? With such a chance to
effect an escape out Of bambOOzledOm
we are, indeed, the Verlest subjects TO
bambOOzler8 in creation if we don't
show the hlOated plutOCratS and their
old corrupt mainstayes, the two q. ..
P.'s, a thing or two that will fetch EN-
up all standing in a way they affect
not TO dream Of, and which they o
cOntemptiously pOoh-pOoh, III the ldeS
Of November, %.
In the mean time, for heaven sake,
let's try our best not to be gulled any
longer by willy politicians, or to be in
duced among those sort Of geese Of
whom the witty Frenchman said that
the best sort of a goose is the one you
Cal pllICh jIIt IlOSG ECLGIlG1 lLOLl NIUII
the least quacking." Select men to
represent Us whose record IS such hat
they have not got to whitewash them
selves, and therefore, not to make
pledges and promises to cOndOne and
80 counter to culpable a~ntecedentS.
We allow our best men who dOn'tpush
themselves forward; who never try to
bambOoZle US, to rust away without
making Use Of their brains, their integ-
rity. their virtue for our benefit, while
We permit impudent m~ediOcrity to
push itself to the front with nothing to
recommend it but sheer audacity and
cheek, We seem, ~purpOsely, to ignore
high-tOncd men, men who love indie
pendence, who dcspise anything in the
shape Of u} cuptUudUmi&m Ctheir best
recommendation and who, before they
would hob mob Tom. Dick and Harry,
would see those individuals ut the mis-
chief before they would d~emagOgIe
them to curry their favor for Office.
And this is the reason why true men
are as scarce rs angels visits in repre-
sentative bodies. When viii We ever
be convinced OF the truism that the
best representative class Is composed
of those who don't sock office? BY rele-
gatingSuchmcn tOali of Improbable
sec!usionand neglectingto H,"Stthem,
uOlcns ~roicjj3, into places which they
would adOrn, we convert ourselves
into punny asteroides forever rcyolv-
ing round some played out, moony
planet of u own creation. 1t is high
time we were putting a stop to this
business of sending our longest-headed
men to the rear merely to make room
for the longest-eared specimens we can
pick out. Unless we are more self
reliant and do a little thinking for our
selves, we will forever be denizens of
that worst Of autOcracies-BamboOzle-
dom. I. B. GWYNN.