The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-09-15

mers Of the South suffered less
than any other class. Cotton was mp.
But cotton no longer sells for 9
cents or 8 cents. and the price is pre-
carous at 7. 1t has been going down,
down, down, in proportion to the steady
increase in yield. The last crop did
not sell for enough to pay the debt
incurred in making it. The fall OF
1901 found thousands of farmers
with their abundant harvest in hand
poorer than when they turned with
their hearts full of confidence, to their
hll-side5 and valleys to give them the
crop that, like the arms under which
Tarpea was buried fell with unexpected
force in answer to their own call.
They planted in debt, and they were
still in debt when they harvested. |
Many farms were mortgaged and
more were hardened with the shadow
of debt For years advances in the
spring had been promptly met when
cotton was marketed in the fall,
and a comfortable balance was gener-
ally left for the farmer for the winter.
Last year instead Of there being bal
ance to his credit, cotton at and 7
cents pound has left him after his
crop was in the warehouse and the
money for it in somebody else's pocket
still in debt and six hard and unproht
able months before him and his family,
which was probably in actual want OF
the comforts of life.
NON POLITICAL AT FIRST.
For two years or more the farmers
had been organizing in the Alliance
movement which swept with remark
able rapidty from the Rio Grande to
the Potomac. The movement was at
first strictly nonpolitical, and the
organization was intended for mutual
benefit to be derived from mutual CO.
operation, discussion and association.
1t fought the bagging trust and whipped
it, and in one year saved hundreds Of
thousands OF dollars which otherwise
would have gone to the rapaclous
nav of the jute combine; it did prac-
tical work in the way of relief and en-
couragement; it established exchanges
and warehouses and reduced the rate
of insurance and the pr cent. Of com
; missions.
All this was before the leaven of a
new political party was at work in
its councils, and just where this began
is the first notch that marks the down
fall of the alliance, which is rapidly go
ing to pieces.
The demand for political action,
though specially inhibited in its con-
, structlon, soon became stronger than
could be resisted. Alliance leaders
who had experimental successfully in
Kansas and other western States
, came South to picture in all the colors
of the rainbow the blessings thatwould
, accrue from such an admin istration
r of the Government as they proposed.
, The Democratic party was blamed
! for all the depression incident to the
S low price of cotton, and for everything
f else that Congress had or had not
= done to prevent it. In the West
| these same lights of reform had at
, tackled the Republican party for the
l same condition and they were success
' full in making enough Republicans
s agree with them to leave Senator In
p gals at home. To conservative South
e ern Alllancemen it at once became
apparent that if the Republicans were
D responsible for legislation adverse to
the farmers as had been charged in
t the West, they were no less SO in the
n South. Those who stopped long
a enough to think at once saw that it
e was ridiculously unjust to hold the
r Democratic party responsible for any
: national legislation since the war,
S duri..g which time it had not been
n in authority to pass any law, good Oh
IS bad. Hence tie majority of the ALI
v ancemen refused to 60 astray and re-
). main today as good Democrats a:
n ever. But others were led off by ap
d peals to ignorance and prejudice and
genuine hope that the political millen
G mum was at hand.
a CONSTANTLY DECREASING.
h Of its strength and possibilities il
e can be safely said that they are great
er now than they will be later. Il
II was more formidable a month age
0 than it is now, and more threatening
is two months ago than a month ago
l. Appeals to race prejudice and the effor
e to buckle on to the Republican par
k ty are scattering and turning then
: to the common basis on which all the
l. white people or the South must stand
n 1t is like the sunhower whose smiling
" face greets the sun as it peeps over thu
horizon at day break and follows it OF
its journey over the heavens, noddine
d last adieu as it sinks to rest There
s, are stragglers sometimes which dc
e. not respond to the law of natur,
If which turns their faces sunward, ane
h they NOPE and move and shrivel as i
n without hope and ashamed in thei
r association with their beaming broth
l. erS.
II SO it is in the South. The sun O
t white protection and white suprema
n cy will keep every white face turned