The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-11-24

trusted to select and adept tie best
political methods for propagating and
establi 5hing them. THIS is the broad
and noble sphere in American politics
which this organization aspires to
occupy. This is the patriotic and
exalted mission which it seeks to full
fill. But it would utterly fail in it's
nigh aim and purpose, and it's moral
force and power would be dissipated
and destroyed if unfortunately, it
should be degraded into a mere party
machine to be manipulated by design
ing and corrupt men. When it shall
fall to elevate its membership above
the arrogant domination of party man
date-when it shall fail to impress the
individual member with the fearful
responsibility which attaches to his
action as a citizen-when it shall fail
to teach him that it is a great political
and moral crime to subordinate his
honest and enlightened convictions to
the a8cendency of mere party policy,
the hour for it's decay, dissolution, and
death will have come.
Do not existing political conditions
SOlemnly admOnish us that we, as a
people, should seek to establish ahigher
plane Of political morals? What meri-
can, imbued with love and pride of
country, can contemplate these con-
dlti0ns, but with painful feelings of
shame and modification? He sees our
halls Of legislation, State and National,
besieged with openly organized lObbieS
of corporate and money power. He
sees a Legislative policy dictated and
established by money power which
fosters powerful, but irresponsible
pools, trusts, combines, and syndi-
Gates, which are limited only by their
avariciOus greed. He sees the public
domain and the credit of the govern
ment lavishly squandered on railroad
corporations. He ees the ballot de-
bauched through the influence of
money, and seats i'll the American Sen
ate, purchased by it. It boldly and I'M
b~lushingly stands today in the capitol
of a great State of this Union and i'm
pudently offers to purchase the dignity.
the integrity, the honor, and the good
name of that State for a stipulated
sum. He sees it perpetrate the great
outrage and crime of demOnetizing
silver through stealth and fraud.
When the manufacturer in the open
field complains to Congress that he is
unable to compete with fair and legiti-
mate competition, that body, in aspirit
Of most paternal generosity, rushes to
his relief with a system which forces
the people of the country TO sell their
products in the cheapest markets, and
to buy all articles of manufacture
needed, in the dearest markets.
When syndicates of ship owners and
railroad corporations complain to Con
gress that their investments have be-
COron 1ITOrCffoh ln that h0Hv with
parental magnanimity, bestOws upon
them lavish subsidies in land, money,
and government credit. When the
bondholders and money spectators
of Wall street, over reaching even their
greedy design, become involved in com
plicatiOns which threaten to thwart
their schemes, they have only to ap-
peal to the Secretary Of the Treasury,
for him to rush to their relief with
liberal loans of the peoples money, Or
graciOusly relieve them of their bonds
at the liberal premium of 25 per cent.
All this, and more, the farmers Of
the country have witnessed and en-
dured; and yet with 1900, 900 of Ameri-
con homes mOrtgaged, with tWO-thlrds
of the wealth of the country untaXed,
with the Overburdened interest of agri-
culture paying 80 per cent. of the total
taXes-When farmers in their organized
capacity appear at the doors of Con
gress and make respectful application
not for subsidies, not for protection,
not for loans on fictitious values, not
for loans on evidences of Indebtedness;
but for a system of finance, based upon
securities of ready and u~nquestiOned
values, they r contemptuOusly ig-
nOred.
AS an organization composed ofIoyaI
and law-abiding citizens, as American
freemen, we claim the right to enter
our solemn and earnest protest against
this condition of affairs.
Adopting, as we have, the peaceful
and legitimate method, which harmO-
nizes with the true spirit of freedom,
of presentingour grievances ina proper
and legal manner, we have the right to
claim, at least, respectful cOnsidera-
ton. But if in the maddened frenzy
of partisan zeal and blindness, party
leaders, the party press and the two
great political parties themselves shall
combine and conspire against us to
drive us from our convictions of right
and duty-be it so. Let the firm and
harmonious action of this body, at
least, show that there is no faltering
of purpose, or of determination, to
stand united on u just demands.
Let the spirit of moderation charac-
terize action, the spirit of Justice
our claims, and swerved by no no form
of intimidation, cajoled by no fattery,
seduced by no bride, let us standin the
integrity Of that lofty and exalted pur-
pose which must command the sym
pathy and support Of the good, the
noble, and the true, and challenge even
the respect of our enemies.
To the charge that we selfshly seek
the promotion of only class interest,
we have only to point to our legislative
records of a quarter of a century
every page of which is burden ed with