The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-05-12

on the detUuS OF the OIL :
Democratic Congressman and Demo
cratic leaders all over the Southern
States have led the fight against the
bill. They were the first to come out
and ppose it. How did they do 1t?
Regularly every week a long letter or
interview appeared in the partisan
press, from some one Of these men, as
sailing the details of the bill. Here
is the position of the Allianceman and
the politician:
AIlianceman-"Mr. Congressman,
why didn't you pass u S~ub-Treasury
billl" .
Congressman-"Be Because it was I'M
constitutional"
AlIianceman-"Then why did you
not frame a bill that is constitutional -?
What did we send you to Congress
for?"
Congressman - Mum and looks
bIank.)
Allianceman-"Why do you say it is
unconstitutional
Congressman-"Because the govern
ment can't lend money"
Allianceman-''But has not the gov
eminent loaned money time and again,
and did not the Supreme Court decide
that it was cOnstitutional?'
Congressman - (Mum and looks
blank
Allianceman-"We farmers begin to
fear that there is a hidden hand in
this matter"
Congressman-"But if the bill were
constitutional, it is utterly imprac-
tlcable."
Allianceman-"Wll you please tell
me what your business is as a Con
gresham? For what do we elect you
and pay you five thousand dollars a
year,"
Congressman - Mum and looks
blank.)
Allianceman-'Tf the bill is imprac-
ticable, whose duty was it to frame a
bill that was p~racticable?"
Congressman - Mum and looks
blank.)
AlIianceman-"Mus the farmers
frame their bills, and dot every i and
cross every t before you gentlemen can
deign notice them!"
Congressman - Mum and looks
blank.)
Allianceman-''Suppose, for the sake
of argument, that all objections TO this
bill are valid, don't you think that
some of you should have drawn and
presented a bill that was free from
these objections?"
eve farmers have noticed one thing
that has struck us with great force.
We have noticed that of all the papers
and politicians and political %popinjays,
that have opposed this bill, not n Of
them has eUer offered anything IN ats
place for our relief, and we have about
concluded that it is not the cOnstitu-
tionaIity or prGcticdbjity of the meas
ure that is the trouble, but it is the
deliberate purpose of the politicians
and the monopOlists not to dLlOaU dRy
measure to pass Congress hat aciU
loosen the grip Of the money po1cer on
oar Threats. We are beginning now
to see that it is not the in1prdctica6iLity
O unconstitutionoljty of the bill, but
that the money power of the country
will not let you pass any bill that will
abolish banks and give the people
plenty Of money to do the business of
the country at a low rate of interest"
"Now see here, Mr.. Congressman, if
l hire a tenant to make me a crop and
at the end of the year l find that he
has ignored and neglected my wishes
and interests and failed to make any
CROP because some one told him that
my plans were impracticable, what
would you think of me if [ should hire
that man again? Wouldn't you think
me a frst-clasS fOOl?"
In this matter The PROGRESSIVE
FARMER thinks the Allianceman exact
Iy right and it intends to stand by him
and when he repUdiates the men who
have betrayed his interests and have
spurned his petitions, it will applaud
him.
Will some politician tell us of what
practical benefit any of the demands
Of the Alliance would be, if we allow
the principles involved in the Sub
Treasury bill to be defeated? So far
as THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER is con
cerned, it intends to stand unfinch-
ingly by each and every demand laid
down in the Ocala platform and will
demand that all men who are to legis-