The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-06-02
questions sink into utter insignin.


| mated the farmers woes, and from
that source alone can cone the rem
edy. Let US continue TO insist upot
our national Congress giving Us ihi
much needed relief. History teach
es that the withs with which tn,
rich bind the poor can be broker
only by fire, sword or bloody revo
luti, II. But we have 4 better meth
cd of overturnina fraud AMI corrup
tion i'll high places. We have free
speech and Tree ballot, and when the
wisdom of the acts Of the natioua
meeting, like leven, begin to wolf
upon the masses of the people, then
and not till then, shall we have {
peaceful and happy solution of al
our troubles.
EXTRACTS FROM ADDRESS AT MORE
HEAD, 1891.
Officers and Delegates of the North
Carolina Farmers Alliance:
Since last addressing you, as Pres
ident of the s,tate Alliance, it has
been my great pleasure to watch the
healthy growth of our Order, and
the rapid developement of the prin.
ciples we have inculcated.
The unprecedented political up.
heval of last November was the ma
tUral outcome of the doctrines taught
by the Alliance, and despite the pro.
tests of our enemies, we can take
unto ourselves the credit of that
more than glorious onslaught. Tru-
ly, 1T was a great work; and well
may we feel honored, since it was a
most salutary lesson to the greed of
capital, the rottenness of govern
ment aud the rawlings of political
demagOgues. But, though the fu-
ture seems bright, there is much yet
to be done. Indeed, when | view
the dangers which even at the pres
ent time surround us, l think | may
be pardOned Tor saying that the work
seems scarcely yet begun. We are
assailed on every hand by dema-
gogues, chiefly those in office, whose
sole object is to perpetuate their
power, and it matters little by what
means they effect their purpose Some
times we see them masquerading as
friends of the farmer, but in reality
employed by soulless corporations
to sow the seeds of discomfort among
Us; and sometimes they are hirelings
of the great trunk lines, which, like
a gigantic octopus, are slowly but
sur ly absorb ne and paralizing what
little blood AMI energy is now left
unto us.
We have nothing with which to
fight this redoubtable combination
save honest hearts, willing hands
and that spirit of independence
which has ever characterized the
husbandman from the time of Gin
even unto our own. L think,
then, l do not miss the mark when
| say that, as class, we are patient
and willing, much abuse / and never
yet when we are arOus-
ed, as / now trust you all are, the
act bears more than ordinary signifi-
canoe. But what makes this our
last resort, if our energies be not
if we be not a unit IN our
actions? Shall we profit by the ex-
perience OF the past? The road to
defeat, the road to victory lie equal
ly plain before you. The choice is
Of vital impOrtance-somethiag
must be done. 1t is no longer mat
ter of condition--relief must come
Our condition is such that delay
would be fatal among US, and the
opinion is that relief must
come through the legitimate and
peaceful channels of legislation. We
have held up to the scOrn and con-
tempt of honest men the existence
Of trusts, combines and corporations;
but of what benefit has this expo
sure been to US? The work Of rob-
berry still goes on. Why is this?
Why have we accomplished so lit
tie? The answer is an open secret
it is because the vast majority of
the producing class are yet untaught.
deaf to the appeals OF
reason a d experience, cailous to
the cry Of those who preach the i'm
portance of thorough organization.
Is it not strange that so many Of our
fellowmen utterly ignore the very
first law-the law Of self-preserva-
tion-and the fact that complete
and thorough organization is the
only safe means whereby we can be
assured of our rights? On every
hand we hear boasts of our great pro-
gress and our civilization, but since
good government, "the government
of the people, for the people and by
the people," the secret of all happi-
ness has not kept pace with the 9th
er sciences, we see great reasons for
that this boasted civilf1a-
tion is not shared in by the work
ingman who, here, as the world over,
is the pith, the marrow. the back
bone OF the country. And how is
he to share therein, Handicapped As
he is in the race OF life, in the severe
for existence? Handicap
ped by his own ignorance, which he
SO unfortunately evinceS when he
assei is his opposition to that bill,
which now, in anything but spirit
of fairness, is being discussed
the country 4 mean, of
course, the ub-Treasury-and touch
ing this I do not think it amiss to
S " we are not welded to the partic-
ular phraseology which now charac-
terizes the bill. We do not pray for
the passage ofthis bill unaitered and
for that would deprive
US of the opinions and experiences
of others; but we are attached, yea,
even committed, to the principles
and are convinced that
only after full and free discussion
can we arrive at a satisfactory s1lu
tion of the subject. There is prece-
dent sufficient Of governments loan
ing money to the citizen with and
without security, and thus is estab-
lished the power to loan, which is
indeed all sufficient. The kind OF
security does not enter into the case
the government can select what il
considers ample and best calculate
to relieve the wants of the people.