The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-03-17


to two or one to three, where is the
farmer In the ditch of course. and
the money maker has his lands, his
stock, his TOOLS Had the farmer main
tanned his primitive methods, and
agreed to pay in pounds and bushels,
he would have passed through it all
undisturbed.
The second answer to my 'why?"
was, first, that the middlemen and
transportation were eating UP the
farmer. In proof of this do we need
any other illustration than the price
of our goods at home and to the con-
sumner Last year, when corn was
selling In Kansas at eight cents per
bushel and the cry came up that cattle
were starving in West Virginia is
further proof of the theory. If this
horde of useless men are not fattening
on unpaid labor, why should the
product be so low in one State that it
meant ruin to the farmer, and so high
in another that the farmer could not
afford to buy?
But short distance interveneS, and
this is spanned by many railroads. and
yet, as l said before, one terminus was
cursed with production and pOUerty,
and the other with consumption and
p0Uerty. The second answer was, that
money, by a wrong conception of it's
use, dominates and controls the world.
Instead of remaining the servant of
the people, it has become the master.
Instead of remaining in state border
ing on the primitive condition of the
miniature country have been illustrat-
ing from, the farmers have placed
themselves in the hands of middlemdn-
sharks and government sharks, until
all that is left are weary bodies,
mOrtgaged homes, and ruin over
hill and valley. By measur-
ing values in money, the farmer
places himself wholly in the hands of
the government, and this government,
run by the aristocracy of the land, run
by the protected manufacturers, by
the monied power, by pension agent
sharks, changes the amount of money
in circulation whenever they see the
opportunity, to enrich themselves By
constant manipulation of the circulat-
ing duid no semblance of a natural
ratio between money and products
can be maintained and when the con-
traction that has since followed began
In 1873 it simply commenced to shove
the farmer into the ditch, and If these
aforementioned powers can have their
way, not a single change will be made
until as in my previous illustration
they have our lands, our stock, our
tools, and if they could be of any ser
! vice. and could be exchanged into gold,
! they would take our wives and babes
also. These are some of the questions
| / answered to myself while following
the plow, and when to save the home
| l was forced back INTO the schoOI'rOom
in order to meet my interest, and from
there to a government position under
Cleveland, the thought still followed
me- why with increased civilization,
with improved machinery, increased
means of transportation, does there
want. And the reasons so far
as I have solved, have been told
night after night from the Demo
cratic platform In this State in
the campaigns of 1888 and 1890, and
between these dates whenever the op-
portunity presents, and shall continue
to do SO until the day of redemption
comes.
But the question is deeper than /
have yet touched in this letter, and if
the editor wishes I will give more of
the result of my investigation In sub
sequent ones. | Should not have ven
tUred to write this, but have received
several letters from North Carolina in
answer to my previous communication,
all breathing that deep brotherly love
that knew filled your Southern hearts.
Some thoughts in one will reply to
through your paper if can have the
room) And to-day across the many
miles of forest, hill and valley, across
the fields of snow to where the sunshine
wooes with kisses soft and tender
| Il
sky I extend my hand, for k1aO1C that
yOaG are brothers.
!
Mr.. Editor, before closing this letter
I want to show your earnest Alliance
workers all that the order amounts to
in this section of the country. Coming
home last week / found an Alliance
had been organized during the winter
in this town 1t has a large member
ship, and is made up mainly of Repub-
icans. Our yearly election of town
officers occurred last Tuesday, and the
Alliance finally decided to put a ticket
in the field.
The caucus, after considerable quar-
relling, nominated man for Supervisor
who has been farmer all his life.-a
man without blemish on his charater,
honest, manly, true. But In politics
he had always been a Democrat, and
what did this noble Alliance proceed
to do? Why, slaughter their own
man. Members of the order rode for
days to encompass his defeat The
argument used was this. "Of course
he is a good, honest man and worthy
citizen, but he has been damned old
cOpper-head, and secessionist and wel
beat him"
Is the war over with us up here yet9
o. no! with all our churches, preach
ing charity, with all our free schools
and wonderful intellectual, GO growth,
4