The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-12-12
DIR. THOMPSON AT CHARLOTTE.
He Makes a Good Alliance Speech
About Two Hundred Present.

He Makes a Good Alliance Speech
About Two Hundred Present.
We take the following condensed re-
port of DIR. Thompson speech from the
Charlotte Nelcs of the 9TH:
"About two hundred people gathered
in the city hall today at II o'clock to
hear the speech of DR.. Cyrus Thomp
son, State Alliance Lecturer.
Capt. James Dowd, President Of the
Alliance ct Mecklenburg county, arose
and in q few well chosen words intro
duced the speaker,
DR.. Thompson seemed to be IN the
best of humor and his speech was
really a very sensible and patriotic
one, he having, of course, a few rather
fanciful ideas which no one objected to
his indulging. He began by saying that
whatever he had t say would be, not
partisan talk or political talk, but all
in the interest of perfect organization
of the Alliance that it could strike for
its rights and the rights of the masses.
He said: If | we're called upon for
a remedy for this financial trouble
which is upon us, I would recommend
the enactment into law the demands of
the Alliance. The question of the hour
is not so much a question of whether
the demands are right, necessary or
remedial, but whether there is need for
the order which formulated the de
| mands. [ believe there is great need
for it, and everybody is not thinking
with me. The hardest hits, the severest
thrusts which the Alliance now gets
are not from the camp of the enemy,
but from the ranks CT our OVID men. It
is therefore not my purpose to day to
| discuss the rights and wisdom of the
demands of the Alliance, but the neces
sity for the Alliance as an organiza-
ton through which the agricultural
classes can receive redress l n leglsla-
ton
The doctor then went into a very
lengthy discussion Of the national
wealth with the purpose of showing
that certain and a very few men had
amassed colossal fortunes, while the
millions we're out ''In rag parade"
He declared that tie calamity howl
ers are now in the ranks Vi the bus
ness men and not in the Alliance. IL
mentioned the New York Herdlds
bread fund, the Chicago riots, and the
Wilmington Messengers bread fund
to illustrate the depressed and appall-
ing condition of the country. Con-
Guiding his remarks on this subject,
DR.. Thompson said: If this coming
winter is as sever as last winter was
there is nothing under Gods sun to
prevent bloodshed in the cities of this
land
some men, he continued, have said
that these panics come along once in a
while and the people get over by the
recupera5ive powers of the American
! people. The fellows who say this are
working blindly after the dictation of
some leader. They r mere suckers,
and if God had made them a fish He
would have made them a sucker and
put them in a small pond. Brethren,
you must have the patriotism to work
out your own salvation. You cannot
do it by merely attending to your own
business and allowing others to do the
same, The a~dvancements of steam
and electricity have eliminated all ele
ments of time and space and jumbled
the people together. You must organ
iz9; this is the day of organization.
TIE man Whs' stands out by himself is
sure to x, t Instruction.
After this. Dr. Thompson talked at
length On tie manufacturing, railroad,
and banking interests, and attributed
their unparalleled success to their
organization in presenting their claims
He-said that no organization that did
not touch pOliti 6 was worth a cent.
Parties, he said, 'hearken to the voice
of those whcm they fear
Speaking Of the political parties, DR..
Thompson held the Republicans re
sponsible for all the ills of the country ;
blamed the Democrats for allowing
them to remain still in existence; and
said that the Peoples party would be
just As beo if they were put in power
and not made to act. He illustrated
the 'treachery of parties by the CON
duct of Senator Ransom, whom, he
said, shed more crocodile tears over
the farmers and refuses more stead
lastly t. pay his honest debts, than any
other man n the State He spoke of
Senator Vance as a patriot and classed