The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-08-09
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THE
PEOPLE.

Carolina are Knowing" because the
freemen of this State refuse to go out
to hear the politician tell the same old
tale about his opponents meanness,
the tariff, the bloody shirt, etc, and
are saying that the people are 9a0rrOaU
minded and prejudiced and have been
influenced by the reform papers sothat
they will not read all sides of the politi-
cal situation.
In North Carolina there are nearly
two hundred papers; about nine-tenths
Of these are partisan sheets, and the
editors have for the past three years
filled them with abuse and ridicule of
the Alliance and it's officers. Many of
these papers have never failed to mis-
represent the organization and its
leaders, whenever an opportunity pre-
scented itself, and they have never re-
fused to place conspicuously before the
people those who had proved them
selves traitors to the Order. Can these
gentlemen expect the people to sub
scribe to and read their papers where
such a course is pursued? We have
hearl of only a few instances where
papers were boycotted by members of
the Order, and those papers were con-
demned for the bitter and vindictive
abuse Of the Alliance and it's officers.
Now, it is plain on the other hand, that
the reform papers of the State, to a
great extent, have been ~boycotted by
some tradesmen and professional men of
the cities and towns. They have re-
fused to give these papers adv rtising
patronage; they have gone farther and
have refused even to subscribe or read
reform papers or hear reform speakers.
These are facts. Is it not inconsistent
for the pot to call the kettle black?'
Is it not u~nbecoming tosay what these
papers know to be untrue, that the
country is arrayed against the towns
and hat the reform papers of the State
have done it? Would it not be more
becoming in these editors to state facts
and tell the people of the towns to read
reform papers, and try to learn some
thing about the causes of the depres-
sion in money matters-in the low
prices Of farm products and of labor?
Now why do not the country people
go to hear the leaders of the great po-
litical parties2 Is it because of preju-
dices2 No. Then what is the cause?
The people have learned from these
partisan sheets that the subjects for
discussion is the tariff" the "bloody
shirt" the "force BILL" lettings
with exceptions of force bill, that these
same party leaders have been discuss
ing for the last twenty years. The
people are educated ahead of the poll
tician upon the situation at this time.
They have been reading and thinking
upon the causes and the effects of the
present financial depression upon their
products and labor-they have been
reading of the acts of Congress and the
methods which they haveus to spend
the peoples money and to help the
bondholder, manufacturers, and other
money syndicates to enslave the PEG
pie. Why have not the partisan press
had the manhood to speak for the PEG
pie against the encroachments of these
American and foreign syndicates,
"Iand Sbdrk8?" All! why have they
not done it?
The people have learned that syndi-
Gates and trusts own, or control by
their patronage, a majority Of these
papers, and that the editors are tools
to do the bidding, to assist in enslaving
their countrymen. Throw off your
masks, and show the people that you
are not henchmen for some political
boss or moneyed syndicate to tell the
truth sometimes about the people and
their complaint, refuse to publish the
damnabIe trash sent out by your cor
respondents who r usually the manu-
f~acturers of the stuff sent you for pub
LEGATION to suit the perverted tastes of
your readers. Have your political
speakers meet the exigencies of the
times. Let the people learn that the
issues involved, finance, land and trans
portation, will be discussed, and they,
the people, will go to hear them.
You politicians have been fooling the
people 10 these many years, but lately
they have learned the tricks and refuse
to go snIpe-hunting with them IN
more. You may call the people fools.
You and your political friends, stop
abusing the farmer and his hereSoys as
you call them. The people are in
earnest but you have not found it out
yet. They believe they know what
they want, but you say they are fools