The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-06-14

dress for wanton wrongs, and to lift
humanity up to a higher sphere in
every way possible, This is a political
reason for its success. Too long, in,
deed, did the moneyed corporations
suck our life-blood away and we not
enter a protest. Too long did the ring
politicians get our ballots for their good
and to our detriment; but new day
has dawned upon our State, for Justice
must be done though the heavens fall.
To listen to the voice of policy, to
serve my own best interests, perhaps,
L would not open this frail letter; but
there IS a sOngster in each conscience
which sings a sweet, silent lullaby
which is the key note to mans true
thought, and I let this charmer sing
awhile this evening, l believe that
principles of truth and right are woven
into the very tissues of every life, and
only by false representations do these
principles disappear. A thread of
truth is snatched from us by policy's
pretty fingers, a thread of human SYM
pathy is torn asunder by preiudiced
political aspirations, acord of brOtherly
love is rudely severed by partisan
crankism, a cord of equality of rights
Justices very SOULS lost forever by
the love Of ring power; in word, mans
inherent nature is often entirely
changed by pandering to the siren of
policy. And a thousand of noble cords
that make man kind, beautiful and
grand, the image of his Maker, are
pulled aside, day by day, until man is
almost an artificial structure. He is
no more like the pure and holy image
of his childhood than an Allianceman
is like a mugwump politician.
Now why is this2 Why will we let
party affiliations control the personal,
inbOrn, natural instruction of the hu-
man soul? Just because we hate to
give up prejudiced views on certain
matters. l know that after laboring
and hurrahing for certain principles
for years and years, it is hard to give
them up; but let right prevail.
Now is not this true? Why is the
rich, highbred banker an enemy of the
Farmers Alliance? Did he naturally
have an aversion to this like he had to
sin and crime? Was it always thus
from infancy's hallowed days? Any
honest mind knows that he opposes
this because it is to his interest to do
so. If this banker could make more
money with the Alliance demands, in
effect he would certainly be with you
So much for his motive in opposing
this organization. And if he would be
injured by our laws, certainly we would
be benefited. The national bank is q
fosterod child of r'Ie government, reared
on special favOrs to a few, and those
who are capitalists. To cheeks Drowned
by the kiss Of the day sun and
famed by the lullaby of the evening
zephyrs. To hands tOughened by the
soul of Iabors, to hearts rendered by
natural charms and nOurished by
Christian graces and honest convic-
tiOns, to lips sWeetened by puTity's
smile of hope and glory, to manhood
and wOmanhood's most perfect ideal
of what is right I say let us continue
this crusade against those who seek
our down fall And we have the ballot
the the battle ak Of freedom fight
our battles with, and we have soldiers
with souls of heroism to hear those
axes, and if we don't conquer, 1t is no
ones fault but our own. All we have
to do is to vote the true, God-given
principles woven into a noble manhood
ere policy was born, and we need fear
nothing else, We pay so per cent. of
the taxes of this country, and surely
we can say how and when and by
whom these taxes shall be levied. If
these few who now rule our legislation,
ETC., paid more revenue to the govern
ment and were more largely interested
in the effects of this legislation, then
they might talk of running things; but
not so. Labor feeds the world, labor
clothes the world, labor houses the
world, labor blesses the world, labor
maintains the world; and yet labor
starves, labor is naked, labor has no
home, labor is a vagabond. 1t willnot
always be thus, for labor holds the
key that opens the doors Of legislatures
and Congresses, and labor can sit In
Presidents chair. Link wisdom with
right, link truth, link unity of action
to labor, and labor is king, crowned or
uncrowned, in every commonwealth.
Iplead in the name of thousand
mortgaged farms that deck our good
old State, l plead in the name of a
thousand lonely firesides, near which
there turks the wolf of poverty, whose
glare is reflected in the faded cheeks of
a virtuous wifehood and childhood, l
plead in the name Of manhOod's s blasted
hopes. manhood's unrewarded efforts,
manhoods purity and glory, manhood's
new destiny, for just legislation for
the people and by the people. Not so
now. The farmer produces his crops
bv the sweat of his brow and has a
living therefrom, while the surplus
goes as a tribute to the spectators and
Capitalists. He works that they may
be idle, he sows and reaps that they
NAV live in luxury. My countrymen,
should not the producer have the bene-
fits of his labor9 Add to the price of
Southern agriculture the profits real
lied on such products by others than
himself for even one year, and you
make us the richest nation on earth:
We are cheated out of the profits of
our labor by not claiming our just
deserts-deserts consistent with rePub-
lican government. OF course the iron
hand of monopoly will hold it's sway
over our law making assemblies until