The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-05-31
--,DnREss TO THE PEOPLE OF
An NORTH CAROLINA.

adoPTT r~oIations, that they set forth the
IUNoo and reasons for making the
caI9 The people of this State are
cn ITnS7 mont to send delegates to Omaha,
Sabt G there to meet delegates from
Ae a States to impersOnate in a
tnU0J;1ate for President a new line of
C@";ncinIes and policies; and the ques-
H ,n nav we'll be asked why, with two
tnotnntial parties in the field this course
y orti0n is thought necessary. There
G we will briefly state some OF our
r7 "a The people ask for laws which will
oa+1rally cause money, the instrument
If trade, to yield to the demands Of
Ttradp, They have not inthe old parties
helper to c~hrystalize this principle
into law.
- abolish a money monopoly which is
Continually impoverishing the wealth
U0~roiucers of this nation and paying
fRrom two to three hundred millions of
Void annually to foreign nations as
fTibute, by the free coinage of silver
and the issuing of money direct to the
TnoDle instead of issuing 1T direct to
corporations, thus partially relieving
the people from home usury and foreign
tribute. This service neither of the
llCNN>
did parties will undertake.
3 The people ask for a hindrance of
m~onopolies and trusts, and that such
natural and powerful mOnOpOlies
which may exert their baneful in1u-
once upon legislation be owned by the
government. To this the old parties
fHurn a deaf ear.
4 The people ask that aliens shall
not own land in this country, and that
corporations shall not own land not
needed for their main purposes. This
request is denied.
MANY other requests are made and
strenuously opposed. The question
NAV be reasonably asked here why not
andeavOr to convert one Of these fac
ti0ns to the peoples way of thinking?
The answer is they are handicapped by
their previous records, traditions and
policies and no unity of purpose and
co lcert of action can be galnedthrOugh
them.
/. Was the national bank act estab-
lished? Both parties voted for it.
3. Was silver demOnetiZed to in
crease the power of the money mOnOp-
oily? Both parties voted for it.
3. Was the volume of money con
tracted and all the contracts Outstand-
ing changed for the benefit of the
creditor and against the people. Both
parties voted for it.
4. Was nOn-interest bearing green
backs funded into interest bearing
bonds and bonds payable in greenbacks
made payable in coin (gold.) Both
parties voted for it.
5. Was there an effort made to have
free coinage of silver? The leading
men of both parties opposed it.
6. Was the public lands made a free
gift to railroads amounting in the
Wholeto the SIZE of several large States?
Both parties voted for it.
These things being true, they will
make a strenuous effort in self justiti-
cation and will oppose all effort which
will tend to bring their past record to
shame. Moreover, the most powerful
friends of these mOnopolies and Oppres-
sions are the most powerful leaders In
these old parties, and it is useless to
undertake anything for the peoples
good while they stand at the helm,
through these parties owned and lead
for special class interest. Therefore
the more feasible plan for the people
of this State, in all national matters, is
to inaugurate a new party untram-
meled by previous mistakes, traditions
and policies and meet their friends at
Omaha coming from the West, East
and North, on one common plain, with
unity of purpose and the j%ealousies OF
the war buried. This is a consuma-
ton devoutly to be wished by the
weaker section.
Then again by a close compact party
machinery the voice of the people Is
stifed at the very threshold of power
and legislation. The States may pass
liberal platforms. but these platforms
drop dead at the door of national con
v~entions. Congressman may pledge
and promise their constituents, but
those promises and pledges wilt into
nothingness before a p lrty caucus o.
an adverse speaker Of the House OF
committee on rules. And when VT
come to consider who make natiOna
platforms, who rule party caucuse'
who leads in the organization of thu
House, we may be well assured tina
the will of the people will be entirely
ignored. The hand of monopoly anC
the interest Of the powerful few rule
in the higher courts of both parties
Thus shut off from every avenu
through which the voice of the peOpl
may be heard at Washington, it i
their privilege and duty to represen
their principles and policies wher
they can be recognized and send thei
own servants to Washington to crys
talize them into law. In the view o
these momentous facts it is though
advisable to associate all of the peopl
into a Peoples party and allow all o
the opponents of their rights to arrang
themselves in a separate party witt
the people on one side and ~plutOcrac,
on the other.
When we come to reflect that thi
government, managed as aforesaid,
ahydra headed oligarchy ,a~plutocracy
a government of the few for the benef
of the few, the tremendous importanc
of this uprising of the people become