The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-01-29
REV. THOMAS DIXON.
A NEW YORK DIVINE OF NATIONAL
CELEBRITY.
A Boy in Years but Possessed of Great
Ability-Attracting Immense Con-
gregatiOns-His Views on the
Farmers Alliance.
New York Sun.

ne record OF Kew. lOm DIXON has
been most remarkable. When eighteen
years of age he studied for the stage,
but on account of the strong opposi-
ton of his brother, who is a minister
in Baltimore, gave that up and studied
law.
He was elected to the North Caro-
lima legislature before he. was quite
twenty-one and at once rose to dis
tinction as speaker and politician.
He declined a reelection, renounced
politics as hostile to Christianity and
studied for the ministry. From an
obscure Baptist congregation in North
Carolina he was called to Boston
church and from there to church in
New York City. His congregation
grew rapidly and to such enormous
proportions that he was compelled to
abandon the church and use the Y. NJ.
c. A. Hall, one of the largest buildings
in the city. He is not yet thirty years
of age.
The Rev. Thomas Dixon preached
yesterday morning in the Association
Hall. Preceding the regular sermon
Mr.. Dixon read his customary pulpit
review, selecting for his subject, "The
Moral Import of the Farmers ALI
ance." The lecture seemed to be ia
vorably received, as at its conclusion
the lecturer was greatly applauded.
"The real sensation OF the year."
said DR.. Dixon, sis the advent of the
National Farmers Alliance and Indus
trial Union. 1t is no mushroom growth.
1t is the resistless movement of mil
lions who have suffered under the ag-
gressions of centuries. The advent of
these embattled hosts is the most preg-
nant event Of this generation. 1t is
the beginning of a revolution that will
shake this continent and the world.
The first time they gathered around
the ballot box was the 4th of last No
vember. They polled between two
and three million votes, elected gov
ernors cf three States and sent forty
men to Congress.
"What is the moral meaning of this
great movement?
"First-It is the protest of the pa
tient burden bearers of the world, who
have toiled through weary years, strug
Cling beneath the wrongs of economic
and political superstition. In America
the farmers have become the beasts of
burden to the nation. Their business
has been to feed over $4,000, 900 peo-
pie and then through the winter exc
out miserable existence wrestling with
their mortgages, cyclones and floods.
While they are doing this we laugh
and grow fat, dance and make merry
in the city and gamble how much they
will make next year, buy and sell their
crops fifty times before they are
planted, and charge old 'Hayseed'
with all our losses.
"Second-This movement means
the education of the masses as masses,
of the farmer as farmer. 1t means
the assertion of the manhood of the
yeomen of the nation. This is real
education. We have to climb out OF
the humble sphere in which we were
born into the so-called higher sphere.
"The smith learns to despise his an
vii, and the clodhopper to look with
contempt on the plow. They rise to
higher things. They become lawyers
and doctors and preachers and bank.
ers, railroad men and politicians. We
now have fully 100000 men in thi:
country educated to be presidents o.
the United States. We only need
about a dozen in hundred years
an awful waste Of raw material.
"The farmers are learning and teach
ing to their children in this organiza'
tion that the work of the farm is a:
sacred, as noble, as honorable as tha
Of any sphere in life. Women, too
are admitted to the order. Well they
may! There are more farmers wiyS,
in the insane asylums of America MI
any other class. They have acxzHl
recognized the fact that woY&G
human being. ..LH2
"Third-this movemegd8G
operation as against co1.f5H
in this principle of Sxd
order has its sKt ~
They are all POE befn&