The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-05-10
LETTER FROM THE WEST.
HENDERsoNYILLE. N. @

4OCSNO4 VI yOO1 HCbpO1 4O1 SOuAO t4A44OS
and fully agree with your cours e, 80
per cent. of the reading men in the
country are disgusted with the old
worn out, clap trap doctrines that have
been worn thread bare by politicians,
and demagogues. Why? The reason
is perfectly clear and plain. The dis
cussion and legislature during the last
quarter of century, has been produc-
tive of no good whatever, but on the
contrary has been the source from
which much evil has arisen. The plat
forms of the two old parties have been
annually pushed to the front, for no
other purpose but to keep in the back
ground new and living issues that if
adopted would unfrock, unseat and re-
tire to the walks of private life dema-
gOgues that have lived upon party and
platforms when their constituents have
by their legislation been swiftly drift
ing to the poor house.
A few years since handful of hon
est patriots, who had read of the down
fall of the Roman Empire, began to
draw conclusions, that the people of
these United States were swiftly trav-
elling the same road that brought
about the destruction of Rome, and
came to the wise conclusion, that as
men living under the same constitu-
| ton, protected by the same flag, and
ready at all times to defend that flag,
with their life's blood if necessary, had
the right to meet and consult together,
for the good of the present generation,
and those to come after them. One
grand and noble course pursued by
| those of whom I speak, they always
invoked the blessings of allwise God to
aid and guide them in their delibera-
tiOns. This course has been pursued
ever since by this organization, and
one of the cardinal qualifications for
eligibility to membership, is that the
candidate presenting himself for mem
bership must ans wer in the affirmative,
the question whether or not he believes
in God.
The question naturally arises Just
here, had these individuals the right
to think that the law, making power of
our country had been legislating in
favor of one class, the rich, to the
detriment of the other, the poor, to
that extent that they had really created
thereby grievances2 And before I at
tempt an answer to this question, I
will PROFOUND the second, Has the
grievances since the organic alton has
been formed abated2
There will be no doubt in the mind
Of many that they had by improper
legislation created grievances almost
to- intclerable to be borne This has
been largely due to the improper
legislation in Congress, in regard to
supplying the people with currency.
The Constitution expressly says, Con
gress shall supply the people with cur
rency. Under the national banking
system it is not done, and the meagre
supply in many parts of the country
creates a demand for money, that in
many instances, the high rate of per
cent. allowed by the banking act is
totally disregarded, and all that the
oppressed American citizen will give
over and above the legal rate is taken,
though it be 20 per cent. This one
single act is a grievance that ought not
to be borne. Hence it is you will find
in the demands of these patriots the
abolition of the national banking
system.
Has the start ever been made to
abolish the system2 Not at all Then
of course it still exists, and this griev
ance is still in existence.
Then they thought and demanded
the free and unlimited coinage of silver
she uld be the law of the land. This
matter is too fresh in the mind of the
reader to demand an answer, with a
majority unprecedented in the House
of Representatives, it has died the death
I'VE fear) that will know no awaken
ing, during this Congress. Then of
course this grievance exists.
The railroads are run in this country
at an annual rate of 80 per cent. clear
! profit to these corporations. Magnifi-
| oR no Cf
these railroad ds-champagne fine
cigars, whiskey at one end, dining
room at the other, and an ariatOcratic
| officer in the center surrounded by
luxury unheard of, with the man that
pays the taxes. This thing still exists
We might continue to name other sore
grievances that we propose to correct,
! but it would make this communiCa-
tion too lengthy.
During the time of the schooling that
has been going on in this State, we have
heard men from almost the housetOps
in the hedges and by-ways declare our
| demands were proper, and when the
time comes we will give you aid and
| support An address was issued some
time since declaring devotion to our
| principles by men outside OF our Order,
and what do we sect One of these
very birds that declared undying love
for US, demanding a division of time
with President Butler, on what ques-
tion9 on the demands of our Order that
he so recently endorsed.
Further, the political bosses, court
house rings, who make their living by
the sweat of the brow of the laborer,
mechanic and farmer have at last
vowed that those who it was thought
would endorse these demands intend
to see In the convention in Raleigh,
May 18th that the demands will not be
endorsed, but in aninterview of mem
Der of Congress from North Carolina,
he says it is to be an old-fashioned
Democrated platform, and old-faah-
! iODed Democratic candidates, and We
| are not afraid etc etc