The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-11-15
AN EXPLANATION.
Mr., Brown States His Reasons for With
drawing from the Canvass in
the Ninth District.

N4ASA
To morrow will end the great politi-
cal struggle in this country, and SO
close campaignof greater significance
perhaps than any since the fifties. A
campaign in which have been involved
the great questions of the civil liberties
and human rights Of the masses of our
laboring people. The leading issue in
the fight for reform has been Shall
capital own LAHORE" "Shall monopo-
lies rule the free institutions of our
own America, the boosted refuge of
the oppressed of all nations9''
L, as a reformer, naturally fell into
the Peoples party without any selfish
motive, or desire for notoriety, and
was selected as a leader of the great re-
form movement in my di5trict-the
Ninth Congressional of North Carolina
was first made Chairman of the
Executive Committee of the district,
and later chosen as the candidate for
Congress l accepted under protest,
but | went to the field and did the best
/ could through the entire campaign,
and found that though the sentiment
of the masses of the people were with
me, and the cause l represented, still
| there is only a hopeless minority will
ling to cut loose from old party affi!ia-
tiOns, and strike out in a new organiZa-
ton at this time. l felt fully assured
also that the only hope of the Republi-
cans in this district for electing their
man was for me to go on and poll 1000
votes from the Democratic party, and
| only 400 from the Republican party
which would virtually be not only to
defeat our aim of my election, but
would put the election into the
| 1911 e A. -@~Ar~E A. A-@ ~1I
parties, and seeing this was newt
/ able, and preferring the lesser of two
evils, | have Withdrawn from the race,
not from any sympathy with either of
the old machines, for / shall vote the
Peoples party ticket, from Weaver
down, to morrow.
| am aware that there are some of
the more sanguine of my people who
will censure me for my course but the
more cautious and conservative of u
refOrmers will sympathize rather than
| censure when they know thai a vote
which is too weak to be eve respect
able, should be kept In the back ground.
When the people of this distri It know
that my continuing to be a candidate
would have injured, instead of benefit
ing our u and would also have in
iured me even with the refOrmers
themselves, they will be lenient in
their judgment, and see that the posi-
ton which | take in the matter Is the
only CORE It me
I have carried out the intention of
the campaign which was to be n of
education for the masses, and the peO
pie have heard all sides of the discus
sion, but the party prejudice Is so
great, and, as | said, the evident nten-
49, IS @,,n ---% 70 z In n1unnfno n Of
the situation, and go in, was 70 patent
to all, that seeing no success for me,
they rallied around the old standard.
Still the feeling that we are right is / n
the minds and hearts of the people,
and though men may fail and die, this
principle will live forever.
The only alternative with us is to &C
cept defeat like brave soldiers, and re
cruit our armies by education, and try
again and again, until success crowns
all our efforts, for we will win ulti-
mately. All the railroad employees
are with US in pressing these issues to
the front, and the evidences are that
we will have the balance of power IN
the lower house of Congress, and also
in the legislature of North Carolina.
The partisan press, in the hands of
unscrupulOus politicians, has been n
greatest educator of the people, but 1T
has led them off on false issues, and
has poisoned the minds Of hundreds OF
our people against the leaders OF the
Alliance and the Peoples party.
Col. l.. L. Folks advice was "edu-
cate the people," but we must get rid
of the false education they have re
ceived from the old parties, before we
can instill the true.
We need a reform paper in this dis
trict, and without it we cannot com
pete with them now, OF ever With a
good paper in Asheville or Henderson
Vile to explain and instill our prln-
/ ciples in the minds of our people we
could counteract tnis mighty influence
against us, and be able in the next two
or four years to carry the country by
a handsome majority.
| will say further, that we were at a
great disadvantage with regard to
speakers, for while we have some good
speakers among us, we had no means
of defraying their expenses, and many
whom we expected to do good work,
bv some means failed to do anything,
either through lack of zeal, Oh fearful
of what would be said-o them by the
d. o. p. papers,
In closing this article I will say that
I am in this reform movement among
the laboring people for life, either to
carry mortar, lay brick, or to pencil
and finish.
Yours in the cause.
JOHN @. BROWN.