The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-02-02
DoINGS AT THE JANUARY MEET
ING OF THE ROCKINGHAM
COUNTY ALLIANCE.
RFIDSVIILF. N G..

A4SO vi AAS 4NoPCNOAF NONAAOy GAAAAC@AAOS
meeting.
Our County Alliance meeting con-
vened at Wentworth, the county seat
Of this county, yesterday, the 14th
Quite alarge crowd were in attendance,
considering the dreadful condition of
the roads.
The interest in the Alliance seems to
increase as the new year advances.
Several Sub Alliances failed to make
reports, but we attribute that to the
muddy roads and high water. They
are doubtless all right and their returns
will be made to the County Secretary
in due time.
There was no business of any special
Importance transacted. One brother
was taken with quite a severe cas-
of the resolution fever. One resOlu
ton he offered and had adopted was
to request the State Executive Com
mittee to request some one q don't
know who it was, as | took no notes,
and was not specially concerned in the
matter) to reduce the cost of cases at
law.
Your humble servant remarked that
the only way he knew Of to reduce the
cost of court cases was to hang the
lawyers, but he did not propose any
resolutions to that effect.
The author Of said resolutions was a
member of the last State legislature.
1t strikes us that he ought to have put
the matter before that body, instead of
his County Alliance. He also wanted
it ordered that his resolutions be pub
lished in the State Chronicle. One
brother objected.
I was mighty sorry that he did so,
for it would have saved you from being
burdened with their publication.
Another very lengthy document he
offered called the co operation plan. A
similar plan was adopted by the tailors
in London, England, something like a
hundred years ago; a description Of it
was published in the Youths Compqn-
ion sometime In the earlier part of
last year. The plan worked splendid
in q large city like London, but we
doubt It's feasibility III a comparatively
thinly settled country.
The brothers plan was for every
farmer TO subscribe ten dollars apiece
and form a joint stock company and
elect a president and other officers
The company is to buy mammoth
stock Of goods direct from the manu-
facturer and establish one or two
gigantic stores omew where in the county
and all the regular merchants are to be
dispensed with.
Then another said that plan was a
sure remedy against trusts. What
particular bearing it would have IN
the cotton trust, he failed to say, some
how.
Brother Delgado did not concur in
the opinion hat it would protect us
from the ravages OF the trust, but
rather thought that the thing was got
ton W. [N ci1o Egr0nH tho Havoc 70
divert it's attention from the main
issues. But then you know that Bro.
DelgaI0 is liable to be mistaken. We
can't accuse a strickly partisan Demo
cratic state Sman Of being guilty of
anything Of that kind. When all of
our regular merchants are retired and
we only have 4 or two stores in our
county, which is a very large one, per
hapS the largest In the State, it will be
right hard on a fellow to have to mount
his horse or mule and ride twenty
miles through rain, hail AMI snow after
a pound Of starch. When the good
housewife wants a pound of starch, she
wants pound of starch, and nothing
short Of q pound OF starch will do her,
and her other half knows better than
not to go after it, Nine out of ten men
would rather face the raging of the
skies than to face a frowning woman.
May heaven grant that that huge store
will be located somewhere near your
humble servant.
It was ordered that the Secretary of
our County Alliance send a copy of
the plan to every Sub-Alliance in the
county. Quite a job, as it took the
author lear a half hour to read it, and
there are abont thirty Sub Alliances in
the county.
We hope when the Sub-AIliances
consider the plan, they will consider
my claim and locate that giant of a
store somewhere close to me. I am
your County Lecturer, and have paid
my own expenses and worked for you
the best I knew how, and have never
received one cent of compensation;
you might be grateful enough to grant
me that small favor. | don't ask for
an Office in the concern of myself-iust
to live close by will do me. But l
would like for you to make Bro. Del
gadO President, and Brother Billie
Terry Secretary and Treasurer.
Heretofore we thought that the State
Business Agency was go, d enough for
us; but how little a fellow knows what
is good for him! We thought honest
merchants were essential to the vel
fare Of q county, and we were Of the
opinion that there was nothing to be
gained by pulling them down. We
believe hat a farmers first duty is to
his God; the next to his family and
farm; the next to his country. He
must look after the politics of his
country as close as he looks after the
affairs of his farm. and know well the
character of the nan he votes for.
Don't be blinded by prejudice and
listen to the song of the demagogue
until he lures you on to your own de-
struction. The biggest fool in the
world is the blind partisan fool; the
next biggest fool is the negro scared
fool The ~noliticians are aware of