The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-11-01

powers under the Constitution. All
respect possible must be paid to the
private interests involved, but no pri-
vate interest can be allowed to stand
in the way of the public veal. The
rights of property cannot be more
sacred than life, and the State has
a right TO claim life itself when neces
sary to the common good Away with
the accursed spawn of monopoly which
Is more jealous of securing private
than public interests But | believe
that the interests involved both
public and private, cAn be so abused
as to work no serious ha m to ether.
If however either must suffer in such
adjustment, let it be the private. This
l understand to be declaratOry Of the
plainest principles Of democracy. [ am
sorry that two great party platforms
have not even thought it necessary to
mention railroads at all.
The system of making y. s. bonds
the main basis of our paper money is
Infamous. The idea of issuing money
uOOn an interest bearing debt, when it
might be issued directly to the people
without interest (as greenbacks) was
conceived by u common enemy, the
devil. The Incidental effect as well as
the purpose of this system of banking
exclusively on our national debt has
been to raise the premiums on the bonds
to nearly one third the principal, so thai
we cannot Use our surplus in payment
except at ruInOus prices-all of which
goes into the pockets of the bond
holder. And now men who are the
b~eneiciaries of this reasonable system
of contraction and robbery are vapOr-
ing about wildcat banks" and the
paternity" of issuing greenbacks.
The wildcat system never plundered
agriculture units the average value of
lands in North Carolina is four or five
doll 4rs an acre. The ''paternal" green
ba ks when issued to all the people
never produced two million tramps.
Everybody had work enough and pay
enough if he was willing to work.
Wildcat banks were never the instru-
ments of monopoly, however wild, and
no corner was ever made on money
while sufficient greenbacks were in
circulation. No system except
present financial system ever left in It's
desolatIng track the wreck and half
wreck of nine million mOrtgaged
homes.
The attack upon the national bank
system III two platforms Is due to this
uL4dl1CAd1 oS4OOLAOA Wy OA4O q AAiOA0 Ii
the South and West. The government
claims the right to issue g~reenbacks.
This claim Is now undisputed by none of
the great political parLles What the
people ask is either that it should so
issue it, or that 1t should issue 1t upon
It's credit, supported and assisted by
their crops, which is the Sub Treasury
plan.
The withdrawal of the Cleveland
electors in ten Western States In favor
of Weaver, and that too in several
cases (and probably in alp by and
with the advice and consent Of the Ma
tional Democratic Executive Commit
tee, will be regarded by the average
voter as a complete vindlcat2Ga Of
Weaver. After this example set by
the National Committee, many people
will vote for Weaver here who we're
held in by the fear of being called not
a Democrat, for doubtless they ian
now give reasons and excuses for doing
what they want to do as we'll as the
National Committee, though their pur
poses m az be different. To those who
think that the danger of the force bill
Is imminent and that this danger over
shadows Ill other issues, | would sug-
gest that, inasmuCh as it is apparent
that Weaver is in this fight to the
finish, that he IS also opposed to the
force bill, and that their voting for
Cleveland may give this State TO Har
rIsOn, they may consistently vo e for
Weaver and thereby throw the State
against the force bill anyhow, else the
people may hold them resp )nsible If
the State should go for Harrison and
the force bill.
1t looks now as if the election would
be thrown in the House of Representa-
tives, because neither of the candidates
may get a majority of the electoral
votes. In the House it is thought
Cleveland will have the advantage as
the present House elects, but it votes
by States, each State having ms vote,
and it takes a majority to elect
l shall vote for the Peoples party
candidates in national elections for the
reasons herein given. If the platform
is not all that l could desire, [ stand a
better showing to impress my vie VS. on
our natural ally, the agricultural
West, than on our natural enemy, the
mercantile North and East / have no
hope of getting relief through an ALI
ance with the States dominated by the
interests of the great money centres,
no matter what their platform or how
respectable their candidate. I believe
this alliance has Slapped the foundation
of Southern prosperity, and prevented
us for thirty years from applying any
practical remedy for our political ills.
I shall not attempt any reforms in
State politics now. | shall have my
hands full in national matters and a
long hard fight. / do not care to stir
up any enemies at home till | finish
the fight against our m enemies.
l shall therefore vote as usual in State
politics.
The great reform preliminary to
others is the separation of State and
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