The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-09-15

things charity
Gentlemen, these are lessons we
must learn-learn not in letter, but III
spirit. We will accomplish little or
nothing until we live by these truths.
They are as essential tOus as faith, hope
and charity are to the Christian relig-
ion; without the proper exercise of
these principles, like Sampson ShOrne
Of his locks, our strength will be gone.
We must select our best men for
leaders, meet together often in your
Sub-Alliances, read and discuss all
matters that concerns your interests,
and learn to go as a unit for what suits
the majority. We have to make some
sacrifices that are GOd-ike, but selfish
ness is devilish and leads to de5truc-
ton. Stand by your factories, con
tribute to them literally; that is the
only way you can succeed and protect
| yourselves. Do not be suspicious, and
think your fellow Alliance men will
rob you. Are any of you lukewarm or
Indifferent ? Do you think nothing has
been done for your relief? Look to
your county offices, your State LeglS-
lature, and your hall Of Congress, and
you will see our many friends. This
Alliance Peanut Union last fall, when
it contracted for three hundred thou
sand sacks at 81 cents, when we had
paid as much as i cents, saved to our
farmers in this one transaction about
| SIS. 600. \ great deal more than this
can be saved in the purchase Of fertlL-
iZerS, because many of you spend ten
times S much for fertilizers as you do
for peanut sacks. You will find by
reference to your papers that ALI
anCe brethren all over this nation are
being brought to knowledge of the
the things which Cypress and the way |
to redress their wrongs.
"NNhile we are nOn-partisan, yet
through politics we must apply the
remedy.
Il said before, we farmers used to
discuss how to make a crop, but now
the trouble IS for us to get Il share
out of it. Transportation takes a part,
carriage, ratage and storage a part,
then the commission merchant; while
too often the producer does not get the
cost of production. To get better pri-
ces for our produce we must needs
have Il markets extended by reduc-
ing our tariff 50 as to meet the de
mandS of government economically ad-
ministeged. whereby the farmer will
be able to buy wheat he needs much
cheaper, and u crops Will find better
markets III other countries.
High tariff IS a continual barrier to
commercial prosperity an active com
merce Will relieve us of our surplus. |
Can any nation grow rich by buying
from itself and selling to itself! 4 few
spectators and mOnOpOlies Will, at the
expense of the many. Can the general
condition Of our people be much I'M
proved as long as heavy internal
revenue Is collected from them to
be %wantOnS expended on a favored
few-disbursed almost exclusively in
one section whilst collected from the
whole. Large accommodations of wealth
in the treasury Is cOrrupting to the gov
eminent and impOVerishing to the
people.
Currency: The masses Of the PEG
| pie rarely ever see a piece of gold, and
know of it as money only by name
and tradition. All of us who employ |
much labor know from experience
that we have little or no use for
gold. 1t does not suit us; too much
value in a small piece. 1t IS not the
poor mans money; silver is much
more convenient, while gold is suited
to importers and other large trans
actions. We want a silver dollar to
buy as much as a gold dollar. But
as long as the gold bugs can discredit
silver Just so long will a gold dollar
buy an undue proportion of our crops
by depressing the price of farm labor,
which is distressingly low as compared
with other labor,
In our declaration of principles we
oppose everything like class legislation,
and favor the equal distribution of the
burdens Of taxation, and that all shall
be required to pay an equitable and just
| share of tareS.
How can we condemn in our gov
eminent class legislation, and ask for
the same ourselves? This is hypO-
critical, and would be severely crlti
cised by many who would otherwise
be u friends, and bring failure /
fear, to our cause.
Let us make haste slowly, be |
moderate in our dem ndS, look well
to their business, and then press them, |
Our mission is n of peace and
good will; we should make no war on
any trade, profession or business; all
are essential to make up one grand
nation.
The Alliance is a babe in years, but
of giant-lke proportions. She proposes
to bridge the bloody chasm; her con
stitutiOn is broad, her planks strong,
with square edges; the work will be
done by honest men on business-like |
principles. We can touch elbows
across this continent, and front face |
to the two most powerful political
parties this nation has ever seen, and
name the men who shall administer
the laws to this people. This should
be very cheering, and cause us to be
the more careful. The agricultural
interests Of this nation has been won
derfully neglected for twenty-five
years. Although we have been bear
ing the greater part of the nations
burdens, we had no n to champion