The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-07-18
A STROKE FOR INDUSTRIAL
FREEDOM.
OFFICE OF Pres. N. O.. f. s. A,
VICE PRES. N. F. A. & I. u.

OEp1Ch Ut hhOs Az w. II y, A.
VICE PRES. N. F. A. & I. U.
Official Circular No. 8.
GoLDsBoRo, N. c., July 8, 1893.
To The Members of the Alliance of
North Carolina:
Congress is called to meet in extra
ordinary session on August 9TH next.
The purpose of this special session is
stated by the President to be to repeal
the present silver law. While this law,
known as the Sherman law, is certain
ly a make shift" and probably a
''cowardly make shift" yet it is all
that stands between the people and a
single gold standard. 1t is all that
stands between the people and the
power and greed of the few Shylocks
who. own and control the gold supply
of the world. Repeal the present silver
law and silver is as completely demon
etized as it was by the %atrOcious con-
spiracy of 1878. Even a ''make-shlft"
is better than nothing. Those who
would now repeal the ''make-shift"
without giving us free and unlimited
coinage, or at least a better silver law
in it's stead, r greater enemies to the
| people than John Sherman and the Re
publicans who passed the "cowardly
make shift"
The danger to the people lies in the
scarcity of legal tender dollars. The
scaTcer they are, the easier it is for a
few men to control them; and the men
who can control the legal tender dol
lars controls the whole circulation.
They can fix the price of cotton, of
wheat and Of every other commodity
created by labor. In short, they can
fix the price of your labor, make the
dollar harder to get, and make your
debts harder to pay. Therefore the
man who will submit to a single gold
standard even though he were given
State banks as the price thereof would
be crossing the threshold of slavery,
from which he would never be able to
return. State bank paper is not and
cannot be made legal tender. Under a
single gold standard every dollar of
paper put out by State banks must be
based on gold; and therefore every dol
lar will be at the mercy Of the gold
bugs. If State banks must come at
the perilous price of the gold standard
it will be the dearest folly that has
ever cursed an honest people, and
blighted a rich and prosperous country.
Now in the light of the above facts,
let me urge you as members of a non
partisan organization, at every meet.
ing and gathering of the people to offer
resolutions and get up petitions calling
upon every Congressman, irrespective
of party, and especially upon the Con.
gresham representing your district,
not to vote for the repeal of the present
silver law, until free and unlimited
coinage (or at least a better make.
shift'O can be secured instead.
Every Allianceman will sign a petit
tion, because he is fighting for reform
and justice on principle, and will glad
Iy receive relief from any party. Every
Democrat should sign such a petition,
for nothing short of such honest deal
ings on the part of the people can and
ought to save the Democratic party.
And every patriot in every other party
ought to sign such q petition, because
it is right and in the interest Of com
mon humanity. 1t is no time fol-
, traitors, Tories or partisans. If we
can't check and defend the dark and
bold schemes to enslave the wealth
producers of America now pray wher
can we? When will we be stronger
Will it be when prices are still lower
when money is still scarcer, and debts
still harder to pay2 Will it be wher
the gold shackles ale firmly placed
upon the arms of. labor and industry
"Give me liberty OF give me death
said the immortal Patrick Henry
when the dangers threatening Ameri
can liberty were slight compared t.
what they are now. Then we fought
British bayonets, now we must fighr
British gold, a power still 0 dan
gerous and dreaded, it also kills, bu-
It kills with poverty and starvation
The hour has come when every patrio'
must strike for industrial freedom. LIE
every member of the Alliance do hi
duty and prove himself a patriot. Pill
your petitions on Congressman. I
they fall on deaf ears, they will b.
heard from ocean to ocean before thu
ides of November, 1893.
MARION RUTIFR
Pres. N. O. T. S. A.