The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-08-11

5000 I
cent. of its wealth; to-day they own
less than % per cent. and four fifths
of this is under mortgage. This IN
crease in value of farm lands from 1880
to 1860 was 101 per cent. CThiS was
before the war, mark yOu and from
1870 to 1880 was 8 per cent, a fall off
of % per cent. while the farming pOpu-
latiOn increased 30 per cent. and the
aggregate wealth Of the country IN
creased Is per cent. Why this great
difference in favor of other classes?
In 1880 the total taxable property of
the country was $43, 500, 600, 900 and
only 81, 500, 600, 900 was returned for
taxation of which the farmers paid
$14, GOO, 600, 600, leaving only 3! billions
on which all other classes paid. 1t
cost the farmers of Illinois 3! millions
more to produce the corn crop of 1899
than it was worth the day it was har-
vested. AlIthe surplus corn and wheat
in that State would have paid only 3
per cent. of the interest due on farm
mortgages for that year. Everything
else hOurishes while agriculture Ian
guiShes. There is something wrong.
"One political doctor says the
trouble Is you don't work. hurl this
insult back to him with defiance, for
never was there a harder worked set
Of men on Gods green earth than you
farmers. Another says you are eX-
travagant, yet you dress poorer and
spend less than any other class. \
third doctor says 1t Is OVer-prOductIOn.
Thus they all contradict each other. 1t
is estimated that there are n million
people in this country who II trampS
1v,I fy-n pNillil1~ II, n Ct0tn of SA1I1l-
starvation. Why this state of poverty?
The farmer asks: "'NatChman, what
Of the night,
In deep ~sepuIchered tones the an
swer came, AIS we'll, pillow on! and
you plOwed on. Then what is the dis
ease, whose fault is it:
FIRST, the fault is not with the
farmer, Secondly, it is not with God.
Here it is: it lies in this Wretched
financial system Of our government.
The national banking system IS ruin
ing the masses aud making million
aires of a few, In u whole history
before the war we made only two mil
lionaires, but since the war we have
made 20 600. The time was when |
accepted as true every word the big
men of the country said if they be
AOlISSN " ny paw 'DtC ~" GIIC p155|1
the MAJ the more | question the state
ments made by him.
THANK God times have changed
and men are learning to do their own
thinking and to wear no party VOktS.
The high tariff Is a great evil and
must be reduced but il cannot be a
leading issue, because If it were re
Uuced from 81 10 - per cent. II could
mi 1,O.ll-l - gry,a1 .3ns,,rn 'Et,, fpA,
coinage of silver cannot b. a leading
issue because it would increase the cir
culating medium only IS cents per
capita, While We are proud Of T.
AnglO-SaNOn blood We VIII not be side
tracked on Niger, niger. Thank God
We are not to be SiGc-tracked on the
blOOdy-shirt, for the blue and the gray
are united III peace in Alliance terri
tory, and the WA is ended forever.
The controlling elements of the two
old parties are under the influence Of
Wall and Lombard streets. Shall the
money power be left in the hands of a
few! We hear a great deal sad of JEFF
.fcrSOnian Democracy. and many who
talk thus would not know Jefferson
ian Democrat if they were to meet him
in the road. In the South We are
charged with trying to split the Demo
cratic party. and in the North the Re
publican, Our platform is Of the JEFF
ferSOnian Democratic and the Lincoln
Republican type; this platform Will
cOnducc to the greatest good and we
expect to stand upon it."
The speaker here read extracts from
Jefferson and Calhoun to prove that
the Sub Treasury IS Democratic.
If there is a third party in the
South it will be due to the dOmineer
ing, ~prOscriptive and intolerant spirit
of the sO-called Democratic leaders.
I want to ask three questions. Are
you in favor Of a~bolishing the nation
al banking system? Are you in favor
of thegOVernmont issuingmOneyd direct
to the people at n low rate of interest?
Are you opposed to dealing in futures
OF agricultural products? If you favor
these, then you favor the Sub Treasury
for these are the ends in view in fran
ing the bill which we presented to Con
greSs. Eighteen months ago | made a
speech before the Senate committee in
favor of that bill and not one fact set
forth IN that speech has ever been con
tradiCted. The only argument against
the bill IS UnCOnStitutiOnality or i'm
p~racticability many who speak thus
have never read the bill. 1t is perfect
ly constitutional to legislate twenty
five years for other classes butthe only
demand the farmers have ever made
is unconstitutional, Here's the rub:
the bill means two per cent. interest
for money"
Here the speaker proposed to give
one hour to any one who would at
tempt to prove the S~ub-Treasury I'M
constitutional, reserving only twenty
five minutes in which to reply. No re-
Spouse,
President Polk closed amid the loud
est applause after speaking two and
One-half hours.
J. II. QUINN,
Lecturer Cleveland County.