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

wisdom have given them a reputation
for political sagacity, not one of them
to day could be found, who would risk
that reputation on the expression of a
definite opinion, as to what will be the
status of the political parties three
months from this date. The acknOwl-
edged leaders of the two old political
parties appear to be utterly at sea,
without chart or compass. For the
have stood before the country with a
solidity and compactness of Organiza-
ton. which could come alone from
thorough discipline, but within the past
few days they have apparently been
hopelessly rent in twain, and the gen
eral perplexity and embarrassment of
the public mind, just at the critical
moment when it was hoping most for
relief, has thus been greatly aggrava-
ted and intensified. That we are stand
ing in the midst of a great political rev
Olution, all must COncede and none Will
deny. That this unfortunate condition
of affairs, in 4 time of profound peace
and in a country like ours, should be
due to extraneOus or superficial causes
none will assert. 1t is the logical eff
feet of great, real, important and living
causes, and to remedy which, in my
Judgment, will require a re adJust-
ment of political elements along new
lines, and the establishment of new pol
icies in the administration OF govern
ment. In the mad rush of ungodly
greed for wealth and power, which has
characterized us as a people for a quar-
ter of a century past, we have turned
nored the teachings and admonitiOns
1 of nVTr fathers and Tn00npIIn6 orr IhnTS-
ties. We no longer have "a govern.
ment Of the people, for the people and
by the people," but through corrupt
and wicked class legislation, the few
are favored and enriched, while the
many are oppressed and impoverished.
Throughout the agricultural States
South, West and Northwest where, a
few decades ago, were the happiest,
best cOntented, most prosperous and
most independendent people on the
habitable globe, possessed of the most
princely heritage which God ever
vouchsafed to man, now detection, de-
preston, suffering and poverty, hang
like a pail of night, and they are prac
tically no more than a respectable class
Of tenantswhose earnings, under iniqui-
tous laws, are appropriated by the
money power of the country. They
would be less than human if they did
not complain, they would be more
than human if they did nothing more
than complain.
Within the recollection of a majority
of these men, the farmers owned 20
per cent. of the wealth of this coun-
try. To-day they own less than % per
cent, and a large proportion of that is
incumbered with mortgaged indebted
edness, and yet through the corrupt
manipulation of the laws, they are e
CURED to pay over 80 per cent. Of all
the taxes of the country. Under these
while struggling manfully with pow
erty and bankruptcy they see two
thirds of all the wealth of the country
exempt from one farthing of taxation.
Producing eight-tenths of the entire
cotton crop of the world, they are sell
ing it at an actual loss of 80 per cent,
while they pay for the goods manufac-
tured from this cotton the same prices
as when they sold the cotton at from
nine to ten cents per pound; and be-
fore their ground is prepared for the
coming crop, they are cody informed,
through the daily press, that the price
already fixed upon it is from 6 to u
cents per pound.
Personal and real property has de-
preclated i value cOrrespondingly,
while money grows scarcer and inter
est goes higher. Town and city prop
erty enhances in value, while the farms
within the sound of their c~hurchbells,
are impoverishing their struggling
owners and passing under the sheriffs
hammer at a mere song. This, briefly
and imperfectly stated, is the condi-
ton of the farmers of the South. They
are thoroughly satisfied upon investi-
cation, that this ~deplorable and shame
full condition of affairs is chiefly dis
eliminating and corrupt national leg
lslatiOn, manipulated and enforced by
the Republican party. They appealed
to a Republican Congress and admin
lstration for relief. They asked for
bread and were given a stone. Repub
leans and Democrats alike, indiffer-
ent to their pathetic appeals and deaf
to their earnest circumstances, waived
them, with scOrn and contempt. from
the doors of Congress, empty handed.
and pursued them with bitter denun-
citation, misrepresentation, v~illifcation
and abuse.
The representatives of these people
met n Ocala, Florida, in December.
1890, and with characteristic forbear-
anCG anu paGlence, resolved that they
would allow still further time to the
lawmakers and politicians, with the
nope that their just demands would
ne needed. But they served due no
tlce upon the country of their deter
mlnation and purpose to have relief.
calling for a conference of all the
industrial organizations of the country
be held in February of the present
year, thus allo wing the present Con
gress ample time to manifest it's pur-
pose as to their demands.
Congress met with a tremendous
mo innitu In ono hronoh IL