The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-04-05

her voice the solemn protest of a
natio4 wealth producers against inc
qualities and unjust conditions which
| seriously threaten to paralyze and de-
stroy the industrial energies of the
country.
Owning less than % per cent. of the
! wealth of the country and paying over
so per cent of it's taxes, the outraged
and struggling victims of iniquitous
and wicked class legislation, we are
here to redress these grievances and to
right these great wrongs.
In the Board of Exchange of New
York, money is quoted to day at from
II to per cent, In Liverpool it is
quoted at from II to q per cent. In
Houston Texas, Vicksburg Miss and
Shreveport, La, it is quoted to day at
~ per cent In Selma Ala, Macon,
Ga, Raleigh, n. c., Columbia, S. c.,
and Pine Bluff, Ark, it is quoted TO-
day from 10 to IL per cent. if bro
ker on Wall street can borrow money
at 2 to 4 per cent interest on wheat,
corn and cotton as collateral, why can
not the farmers of Michigan, Kansas
and Georgia do the same9 One year
ago to day, middling cotton sold in
New Orleans for nine cents per pound,
or $45 per bale. To-day it is quoted at
per bale-a decline of over % per cent.
to the farmer Has there been a cor
responding decline in the price Of the
| articles manufactured from this cotton7
Have the cotton factories of New Eng
land shared this great lOss2 Have the
staple manufactured goods which the
farmers are obliged to have, declined
in a corresponding ratio. From list
of staple manufactured goods from the
leading mills of New England, I find
| that the decline in these goods has
been only about d per cent. Has the
difference of this decline gone into the
pockets of the manufacturers or did
they pay it to the employees2 If it be
Overproduction that drives the farmer
to accept a price for his cotton abso-
lutely below the cost of the product,
why should it not affect the output and
price of manufactured goods.
Permit me to quote further from Onr
official census returns which presents
very gRificant phase of the situa-
tiOn. During the past ten years, from
1880 to 1890, the single State of New
York, with a population of 5,082, 81,
gained in actual wealth Sc, 900, 600 more
than fifteen of the great prOdueing
States Of this country, to-wis: Nebras-
ka, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia,
North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and
Florida, with a population of 19, 996, S27,
and with territory equal to sixteen
States the size of New York. The small
non producing State of Massachusetts,
with 1, 783, 065 people gained in actual
wealth about $40, 900, 600, more than
the nlEe great producing States Of
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Geor-
gia, North Carolina, Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa and Nebraska, whose population
was 13, 400, 167 and with an area as
large as fifty eight States of the size of
Massachusetts,, New England, New
York and Philadelphia hold to day
$50, 900 shares of the banking capital of
the country, while only A, 600 shares
are held by all the remaining States Of
the Union. Must argument be added
to these startling facts to convince US
of our duty? To me they proclaim in
thunder tones that the time has arrived
for the great West, the great South and
the great Northwest to link their hands
and hearts together and march to the
ballot box and take possession of the
government, restore it to the principles
of our fathers, and run it in the inter
est of the people.
Two years ago we presented these
facts to the American Congress. They
were supported by the petitions of a
half million freemen. One year ago
they we're presented, and what was the
answer to these appeals? "Go home,
work harder, live closer and keep out
of politics and all will be we'll" Over
a month ago, we again knocked at the
door of the present Congress. and what
has been it's answer? A good friend, in
the magnanimity of his heart and it
may be for the purpose of perpetrat-
ing a joke on that august body, offered
a resolution last week, generously ex-
tending to the distressed farmers
throughout this broad land expressions
of ''sincere sympathy" Sirs, we are
not applying to Congress or elsewhere
for sympa Thy or charity, but in the
dignity and power of American man
hood, we are demanding justice, and
under the favor of God, we intend to
have it. We want relief from these
unjust expressions, and as I have said
from New York to California, in my
speeches, we intend to have it if we
have to wipe the two old parties from
the face OF the earth. Again, sir, as
surfing you on behalf of the great work
ing classes here assembled, of their
earnest appreciation, of their cordial
and hcspitable welcome of your pro
gressive city, so kindly and eloquently
rendered through you, | doubt not
that each and all of us will take with
us to our homes the warm and pleas
ant rememberances of our visit to the
oroat and nntnrDriSino citV of ST Louis