The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-06-07
AMERICA, AND ITS PRESENT
CRISIS.
HOLLY SPRINGS. n. @.

there has Oo6u SOLu0GuIuS mySC0ALO O"
about the rise Of u country. our
history is indeed one of p~ecullar1tleS.
h establishment and present power
of The limited States is a problem yet
unsolved. How and why we rose to
such stupendous magnitude lies deep
end rnfathomed in profound mystery.
TTno0TIaIed we rose, astOnished we
stand wOrshipped by man, favored oy,
God and envied by kings, the home OF
the free and asylum of the oppressed.
To-day America stands alone as the
great phenomenon of the nlneteenJh
Century, without the shadow or a par
aIlel on the pages of ancient or modern
hie+orv So Wonderful is 1t thai n
greatest minds are forced to stop IN IN
tense wonder and profound admira-
tion "a they view the unequaled rise
and envied power of the United
States To day we stand unique II
the worlds history. To day the heart
of America beats as it never beat be-
fore. its patriotic throbs have sent the
LIGHT of Christian civilization around
the homes and hearth stones Of every
nation. To day on every land men Of
every color, cline and name enjoy the
sweet shade OF its OutStretched civil
and religi )us wings. Every breeze
whispers the sound Of the hallowed
notes Of sacred liberty. Every wind
delights to bear tokens of Gods smiles
on their favored land. All the world
has felt the beneficent influence of
American institutions; its ships Of com
merce have whitened every sea-, carry
inc the fruits of civilization into every
land, blessing man in the highest de-
gree. Yet if our progress was not I'm
peded by the great enemies Of progress
and sovereign citizenship combination
and Capitalization Of capital, that
suck the life-blOOd Of liberty and steal
the comfort of domestic happiness from
the masses) the zenith has not been
reached. The history of the past Is
but an index of what the future might
be, unchecked by the demon Of greed
in the distribution of our national
wealth, which threatens right Dol to
curse the nation with inevitable RUIN,
if their immense tide of wealth con
tinues to flow into the hands of a few.
Will not our liberty be preserved? Will
not lovely land be rescued from
the mouth Of the shark that would
crush us? Has not God a purpose III
the reservation Of this island for the
worlds good and His glory? Our his
tory appears like it. Truly did Elmer
son say we live in a new and eXCep-
tionAl age. America is another name
for opportunity. Our whole history
Providence in behalf of the human
sacred blood, warm from the hearts of
dying patriots who sealed their love
for freedom with their lives. Since
Columbus raised the cross on the little
West Indies Island has the hand of
God led America and in leading Amer
lea led the world. Never before in the
worlds history has nation endeavOred
to live so near God and diffuse His light
and truth as that people we delight to
call Americans. Never before and
from no other country did so many
Christian missionaries people the
heather lands to civilize the world and.
christianize man. Religious liberty al
most had its origin in America, at least
it has here been fOStered and protected
until now under its benign influence
the world Is rapidly being brought to
a knowledge of the cross.
This will be the most telling decade
for the worlds rise or ruin. For a
century America has been the central
light Of civil progress, the grandest
that ever adorned the skill of man.
America holds the destiny of the world.
AS goes America 50 goes the world.
AS the light radiates from it's great
heart will the world be illumined by
their brilliant sun of civilization.
Every great general from Julius Caesar
down to r. E. Lee said there was a
moment Of crisis on which the battle
Of the day depended, which truth has
not been less demonstrated on the field
of battle than in the history Of nations.
Rome had its crisis, which proved the
day Of its ruin. Greece, too, had her
fall, and sadly true is it that America
to day is experiencing the same crisis.
Will America fall as they have fallen?
Will her glory depart as theirs have
departed? Shall their modern light of
civilization be extinguished? Shall
the worlds last hope be crushed? May
God forbid. Capitalization has ever
been the curse of nations, and now
while our national resources and spe-
cial advantages might make us the
grandest and most powerful people
that ever figured in the history of the
world, has their demon of greed that
crushed Egypt and Babylon, Greece
and Rome, fastened his iron grasp on
Jul 1OH0iy Ld1u, Gu6 6LIpLI6 OL
and threatens III d~estructi)n too. In
his maddened greed for gain he has
placed about two-thirds of our national
wealth in the hands of about three and
one-half per cent. Of our population.
Those nations mentioned fell when
their wealth was in the hands of a-few.
This, with us, is the question of the
day and age, the most vital question
and trying crisis that ever confronted
the American people, the memorable
revolution of 1775 not excepted. 1t is
acknowledged even by the enemies of
reform that a great crisis is upon us.
Everywhere the cry of the people is
heard. From the sunny chimes of a
tropical South to the frozen regions of
the North, comfortable circumstances
is a stranger in the homes of the
- DBL nnL LA hoe n;ssAaL