The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-03-17

tariff ara all shouted in uEearstokeep
us off Of the real reason, the money
Question. / am not afraid that a negro
will. eve rule over l.. l. Polk. A
fnancialsystemhas been imposed upon
this country the most wicked that was
ever devised by the brain of man. II
not changed it will make us a country
of millionaires and paupers, and neither
millionaires nor paupers are friends OF
civil liberty. The great middle classes
are being wiped out. The people OF
this country have arisen in their might
and sworn that the government shall
be administered in the interest of the
many.
Millionaires are very common now.
The Senate. is composed of "a members
and As of them are millionaires. Thirty
one thousand people own Owe half the
wealth of this country They did not
get ithonestly andfairly; they can't do
it. CA voice from the audience, ''they
got it by ~robbery.'0
We have organized in this country
for Observation-Disclosures moth
ing less. There were some, when the
Alliance was first organized, both in it
and out of it, who thought that it was
intended to make war on the merchants
and professional men. There is not a
sensible man IN this country who does
not know that the merchant and the
farmer are in the same boat. BIf one
goes down the other goes down too. l
want to. say a word about lawyers. 1
have been misinterpreted ON this ques-
ton. God knowsI have no prejudice
against any one engaged honestly and
legitimately in any profession or call
ing. Some of the greatest patriots in
all history were lawyers, but there are
some little ones who imagine that their
profession contains all the brains.
I want to say something to you,
farmers. There are 300 lawyers and
only - farmers in Congress. Some
body ought to growl and complain;
yes, somebody ought to have a whip
ping, Who's to blame? CA voice from
the crowd, I'VE all.")
There has never been a period in our
history when the masses have devoted
themselves to study as they have dur
ing the past thirty months. l want to
say to the man who does not study the
great questions of the day that he is
going to get left.
They tell us we ought not to go into
politics. Let me tell you officially
not in my capacity as an Individual,
but as an oficial-this farmers organi-
zation is as full of politics as an egg is
of meat. What are we to do if we are
not allowed to go into politics Pay
your taxes and vote as you are told, is
the answer you get.
There is a difference in politics and
partyism. Politics is the science of
government, and I charge you to study
politics. Partyism is a collar around
the neck with a brass chain fastened
to it.
But" they cry, cant you buy
more now than ever before with a dol
lar 2" But where is the dollar ?
Where's the dollar you a buy so
much with That's what we are quar-
relling about. But that's not the ues
ton. It's not the purchasing power of
the dollar, but the debt-paying power
+bo+ MO oyo ooroornoJ about nooo -
pay any more taxes? Does it pay any
more interest on your notes and mort
cages? What's the matter? The con-
traction of the currency has placed the
power of controlling the money in the
hands of the ~plutocrats to the crushing
of the masses. We all remember when
the circulation was $51 per capita, and
we want a Congress that will give us
that amount again. If the present
Congress won't do it, we will elect one
that will.
We believe, as an organization, that
we ought to have an open field and a
fair chance, and we intend to have it.
We went to Congress and asked for
relief. The ~Sub-Treasury bill was pre-
scented to Congress and nearly scared
them to death. How did they treat
us9 They rel the most say-nothing
set 1 ever saw. Finally one prominent
politician poked his head up above the
waves and said, "Your bill is uncon-
stitutional." The next week another
one did the same thing, and SO on
through the whole list. No two of
those deliverances were made in the
same week. I do not say that this
was a preconcerted arrangement, but,
to say the least of it, it was certainly