The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-06-30

which will serve for many.
All the power, privilege and wealth
were centered in one class. The
mobiles and the priests constituted this
dominant caste. Only they could hold
office. Only they could reach promo
ton. They alone possessed wealth.
The nobility and the church owned
all the land. They paid no tax what
ever. They drew enormous salaries
and pensions and perquisites, but they
contributed nothing.
A peasant they despised. They could
beat him, imprison him, outrage him
in person, property and family, and he
had no redress.
He must give his labor to them with
out pay when demanded.
He must grind at the lords mill; and
if he wished the privileges of MASKING
his wheat between two rocks at home,
he had to pay for it. He must carry
his grapes to the lords press, his bread
to his oven. Five-eighths of his crop
went to the tax-gatherer.
Only mobiles could kill game. The
peasant must allow wild boars to
ravage his fields. He dare not kill
them. That sport belonged to the
noble.
He must allow troops of deer to
trample down his crops. He could not
kill one at the peril of his life! The
sport was reserved for the noble.
Partridges must not be disturbed in
their nests or in their feeding, nor
must the peasant n his crops
while the young birds we're growing
off. 1t was thought to spoil their
flavor, and this could not be endured
by my lord, the noble.
Abuses so terrible, in some of the
fairest provinces of France, crushed
out cultivation entirely, and the coun-
try became a desert, while the cities
were crowded with the starving peas
ants who had left them.
At the same time the church held
property to the amount of $400, 000, 900,
with a revenue of SIS, 600, 900, and did
not pay one cent of tax.
This pitiless policy brougt it's natu-
raj result. The goose being in a dying
condition could yield no more golden
eggs. National bankruptcy came. The
huge falsehood began to fall in on
itself.
The terrified king asked his minister
uylo4 ho Do71o+ do Tho roinio+oo cold
compel the nobility and the priests
to pay their equal share of taxation"
The monarch was delighted. He
assembled the priests and the mobiles.
He said to them in effect, "Gentlemen
you have for ages monopolized the
wealth and the hOnors of this realm,
and you have contributed nothing to
the expenses of the government. All
the revenues Of the government go to
you. The people get non of them.
The people are starving and a pay
no more. Hence, I ask you to allow
your property to be taxed for the pub
lie veal.
What was the response? A cry of
Indignation which drove that minister
from power and bull-dozed the king
out of the purpose.
What was the result?
Revolution, red-handed, leaped upon
the old false order Of things, and swept
it from the face of the earth.
[ am sorry for the poor king who
was beheaded, and for the poor queen
likewise, but I am yet more sorry for
the nameless poor who starved under
misrule, and for those ragged wretches
who were hung at the palace gates
because they had come there and
asked for work and for bread.
We pride ourselves upon the eqality
guaranteed in the Declaration of indie
pendence. The principle came from
France, and Jefferson transplanted it
here. The theory that before the law
men are equals, is the glory of Jeffer-
sonian Democracy. He believed with
all his soul that classism, special priv
lege, concentrated power and corporate
wealth were deadly enemies to this
government. Hewas right. This gov-
eminent to-day has left the simple,
majestic and true ideal of Jefferson,
and has merged into the consolidated
empire Hamilton desired.
The system is false and cannot live.
1t is glaringly untrue in theory and
practice, in outline and in detail.
Judged by the Declaration of indie
pendence it is false; judged by the
constitution it is false; judged by the
republican snirit of this people it is