The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-10-24

seventy years ago had nearly all quit
the business or were living on rented
lands. Their sons, instead of dividing
as grandfather did, or going west
where there was f ee or cheap land
vacant, found that farming had be-
come unpleasant and Improbable and
that there was nc west to go to, for
their Uncle Samuel had given it nearly
all away to railroad or other corpora
tons or it had been bought up by spec
ulators and was being held vacant and
out of use until the increase and pres
sure of population would create the de-
mand and force a rise in value.
Shut off from the land out of the
business for which birth and training
fitted them they look to the road, some
of them may be as tramps and others
as retail merchants, drummers, etc :,
bus most OF them dritted into the fac
tories and workshops and there, and
not on the farms, [ found many of my
cousins and the playmates and com
rades of my youth. l had known them
free and independent, calling no man
master, and it made my blood boil to
see them cringe and stink into the office
of the proprietor, take off their hats
and call him boss" Many of them
remember a time when they would
just as soon worn a dogs collar with
the masters name on it. A time when
a livery, such as many employees now
wear, was a badge of slavery and SER
vitude not to be tolerated or worn by
free American citizens. The men who
fought the battles of the late civil war
were mainly farmers sons. They are
many of them dead, pensioned or at
work on starvation wages in some big
factory, but like the old Roman sol
diers, when they came back from the
war they find the land gone. While
they fought for the land Congress com
menccd the work of giving it away in
blocks of thousands and millions of
acres. The work is done, only a few
patches are left and to day hundreds
Of landless families are camping in
tents and covered wagons, surrounded
by their shivering wives and children,
waiting for a chance to getland enough
to farm. Man is a land animal and
land hunger Is a normal appetite. He
must have land or perish just as surely
as he would without air or water. 1t
may take a little longer to kill him but
death will follow land deprivation all
the same whether it be in Ireland, Eng
land or the United States. Everything
comes out of the land and the farmer
is the great world provider. Fifty and
seventy five years ago we had an idyl-
lie state of things, because the land
vas practically free and open 70 all
men for use and cultivation by all. If
the present state of things is ever
mended we must get back to free land,
free men, free money, free commerce
and free tr ansportation. The general
government must, in the interest of the
whole people whose agent and trustee
it is, resume the functions it has abdi-
Gated. Coin, that is, make its own
money and fix it's volume, regulate
trade and commerce and not delegate
that work to corporations and private
individuals allowing them to fix terms,
rates and conditions; and above ell,
without mentioning now other impor-
tant duties, resume all land grants and
forfeit to the people all lands not in
actual use and occupation as land for
domicil, cultivation or transportation.
Here a stop is made. The subject still
presses but your patience, Mr.. Editor,
is, no doubt, exhausted and so, most
is that of some of your readers.
These thoughts master US. We are
possessed by them and we must tight
for them whenever the opportunity is
open. J. DENNIS WoFE.
Pensacola, Fla.
CT HEPPTS