The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-11-03

men today? Alas! L fear there are
too few of us who stand on so lofty q
pedestal, but such sentiments actuated
such men as Clay and Henry, and a
host of others. | honestly believe there
are men to-day in North Carolina sc
blindly paralyzed by prejudice, and so
welded to machine politics, that they
would rather see u grand Dc Com
mOnwealth (and gentlemen she IS the
grandest of them alb tumbled over the
precipice of faction, and lost in the
whirlpool of anarchy, than see her
placed upon a higher plane of financial
prosperity through the Alliance. AS
proof of which see their daily abuse
and ~viliiCatiOn of III head officers.
Col. l.. l.. Polk. the grandest and
highest type of a Christian patriot, is
the subject of the most merciless and
vindictive Islander and utilization ever
heaDed upon mortal head. and from
North Cardinals brighteStst Blessed
are the peace makers! Christ said it
himself; and no one can deny that Col.
Polk has done more to allay the bitter
sectional feelings between the Northern
and Southern portions of our country,
than any other man on Gods green
earth. No man can love his country
with too deep a reverence, or serve her
a f]aithfulnesS of zeal too steadfast and
ardent; but oh, the calumny that Is
heaped at this day upon a patriots
head is appalling, especially IT he an
tagOniZeS the interest of the p~lutOCracy.
| yield to no nan the palm Of devotion
to North Carolina, and the Alliance
and | am proud of Col. Polk as an ALI
anceman, and prOuder still of him as
a North CarOlinian, AMI all the hell
hounds of plutOCraCy cannot down HIM
or the cause he leads.
Now, gentlemen, we hear a great
deal about the honest dollar; now
every dollar, thaler, crown, or what
ever name it bears that circulateS in
the marts of trade, has a history and
a character. It's history begins in
some act of legislation when the repre-
sentatives of the people declare so
much gold, so much silver, or a piece
of paper when stamped with the device
of the government shall be a dollar or
such other denomination as the govern
ment may designate. Each govern
ment stamps it's own money with it's
own device, and the simple fiat of the
government makes the transaction
complete. SO the government has the
sole power to issue Or stamp money
sufficient for the demands of trade,
and the silver dollar should be as good
as the gold dollar, ard the paper dol
lar should be as good as the silver
dollar.
But that does not suit our bosses, the
p]lutOcrats. They want gold interest,
gold bonds, everything gold, while
silver and greenbacks are too good for
- - AL~-, - .
greenbacks by any means they could,
until they were worth only 40 cents on
the dollar in gold. Then came the
harvest of the plutOcrats; then they
loaded up with greenbacks at their de
preciated value and invested them in
government bonds at par, and to-day
those same bonds are drawing gold in
terest. and the bonds are to be paid in
appreciated gold (thereby hangsatalp).
And when the Farmers Alliance comes
to the front, proposing measures of
relief for the debtor class who are be-
ing daily robbed of their homes and
even hopes, ShylOck stalks forth and
demands the full letter of his bond
his pound of flesh. Poor blinded Shy
lock, were it not for the veil of avarice
before his eyes. he might see the meek
and honest judge approaching in the
person of the Farmers Alliance, to try
his cause, and if his Obduracy is still
applicable. then the honest judgemust
say, Take the letter of thy bond; it
is the form of law; but, sir, beware the
blood and tears that follow the execu-
ton"
1t is said that history repeats itself,
and it is doubtless true, for we can find
many parallels for some, who loudly
proclaim themselves friends of the ALI
ance. There was no man more jealous
in prOclaiming his love for America, or
louder in his prOtestatIOns of devotion
to her cause in the dark days of her
struggle for independence than Bene-
dict Arnold, until he secured the COW
eted prize of Commandment of West
Point. What did the sequel prove?
That in his base, ~mngrateful heart. he
meditated treason from the first. But
an all-wise Pr 'vidence-the same that
is guiding the Alliance now, and which
will lead it on to victory, thwarted
his nefarious plans. He fled his coun-
try, received his gold, and died in a
foreign land execrated alike by friend
and foe. He who lags or letters in this
great crisis is an enemy to his wife,
and to his children, and he who seeks
to create dissensiOns or discOrd in our
ranks, is a traitor, and should be
branded with infamy. Guard we'll the
outside door of our organization.
a pT AM EOP pETTEE