The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-04-14
OUR GOVERNMENT; ITS STABIL-
ITY AND DANGERS.

1 Q1SCOrO pO11GHCLd1" OHN
for the votes of those hostile to the
government, with measures contrary
to the popular welfare. Congressman
voting away the public domain to rail
road corporations; the Capitalization
of capital into the hands of the few;
the enactment of laws contrary to the
public good; the oppression of the poor
by the money kings are all more or
less evidence of the weakness of our
government.
Ours is an experimental form OF
government, though the oldest Of the
kind. Republican Rome might have
once said as much, but she fell. Like
us she feared the power of no foreign
foe, but like us there was none to pro-
tect her from internal strife.
1t is true our people are ambitious,
wealthy beyond comparison; we have
no commercial peers and the name of
our heroes is legion, but II appeal to
history. Tell me thou reverend chron-
icle Of the grave, can ambition, wealth,
commerce, or heroism secure to empire
the permanency of it's possession? Alas!
Troy thought so once, yet the land of
Priam lives only in song! Thebes
thought so once, yet her hundred gates
have crumbled and her monuments
are as the dust they we're vainly in
tended to commemorate. So thought
Palmyra but where isshe? So thought
the countries of Demosthenes and
LeOnidas, yet Sparta has since been
trampled by the timid slave and Athens
has since been insulted by the servile
Ottoman. The days of their glory are
as if they had never been" The glory
Osophy, the eloquence of their senate
and the inspiration of their kards illus
trates what man may achieve, but
their downfall illustrates the old true
ism that what is everybody's business
is nobody's business in the maintenance
of liberty.
Ever since the children of men COM
mitted the evil of asking a king of the
Lord, Liberty has sought her votaries
among the masses of the people. The
privilege of voting was a long step in
that direction. But since party is con-
sidered in preference to principle,
politicians have to do a great deal of
miserable STOPPING in order to rule.
The Farmers Alliance of the last few
years is the greatest stay liberty has.
Heretofore politicians have had no one
to say to them, What doest thou9"
But when this body, backed by mil
lions, speaks, the politician answers or
trembles. Non-partisan itself, it may
speak with authority to any party.
The Constitution of North Carolina
forbidding secret political parties it
must do its political work through
those already established.
The principle Equal rights to all
and special privileges to none'' is the
soul Of liberty. So long as the masses
shall insist on governmental action on
this principle, so long may we expect
to have the mightiest, most prosperous
government under the blue arch of
heaven. But if at any time we shall
exchange this principle for any mess
of pottage that may be offered, we
may expect internal strife to cast the
shafts of malice and hate until our
government lies bleeding at the feet of
demagogueism, perhaps never to be re-
suscitated by the oil of peace.
Our government has often been tried
by red-handed war. The blood of her
most precious citizens has been drunk
by the cold, damp ground. Number
less are the unburied bones of her
heroes that have lain bleaching in the
sunshine on the deserted battlefield.
But she has stood the storm.
In the Alliances march for liberty
no drumbeat is heard save the throb-
bing of the peoples heart; no martial
music sage the acclamations of the
people for that blessed boon; no blood
is spilled save that spilled by the de-
feat of demagogues. The ensign upon
her banner is, equal rights to all and
special privileges to none" Her quarters
are, serve the people. Her watchword
is, educate the masses. Under the
auspices of this Dr. anybody that shall
adopt such heaven-born principles, we
may expect the stability of our govern
ment to be as the very hills.
To rule was once the province of
God. How careful then ought our
rulers to be as they discharge a duty
of which the Almighty was not
ashamed. Yet the weakness of man