The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-06-12

Cne midst OF all the luxury and all the
pleasure that wealth or beauty e'er
gave. There may be yet enough of
5nat patriotic valor, which successfully
resisted King George and established
our freedom and equality, to attack
and pull down from his golden throne
this enemy of the people; but ere long
the people will be bound hand and foot
zoo cowed, too weak and too dispirited
TO contend for their rights then it will
be too late.
MI MI fares the land, to astening ills prey,
WIneTe wealth accumulates and men decay.
1r1nces ana lords may flourish, or may fade;
| preaCn can make them, as a breath has
| made;
ESqt B4t bold peasantry, their country's pride.
When once destroy ed, can never be supplied -
That part of life which is not comedy,
is tragedy. Look at it from one direc-
ton and we see nothing but a grand
farce; then behold it from another direc
ton and all that is visible is a solemn
tragedy. Behold the trusts, ''unlaw-
t0l and dangerous to the liberty of the
people"-with their vast capital, their
untold millions, their vaults filled to
oVerdowing, sitting upon their golden
thrones Ornamented and besprinkled
with beautiful and brilliant ie wells, de-
stroy1ng at word the natural law OF
supply and demand; debating to the
laDorer what he shall receive for his
work, to the producer at what price he
shall sell his product and to The con
sumner what he shall pay for even the
necessaries of life; behold the care
worn faces of the father and husband
vainly striving to comfortably support
and provide for his children and wife,
the desperate struggle of, not the farm
ers only, but the people Gin all trades
and occupations, outside OF the charmed
circle of trusts) to pay their debts and
provide themselves with the comforts
of life; see their condition getting worse
and worse year after year, struggling
like some brave swimmer fighting for
life, with steady, firm and skillful
strokes endeavoring to reach the shore,
yet continually, slowly but steadily
| A04 U44CA w ONOCSA OAG44 CAU 4C@SU AC
has about given up all hope, his
strength, his spirit, his manhood about
departed and soon perhaps to sink tc
rise no more; here is tragedy.
See the press running in every diIec
tioa to every nook and corner of the
land as fast as steam can carry it pro
claiming down with the trusts, let the
liberty of the people last forever" ;" hear
the great orator as he in burning words
of patriotism and love for the dear peo
pie, denounces the trusts ;, listen to the
laundering anathemas of the parties
against all trusts and combinations
read clear.cut, plain and forcible Ian
guage of our legislature denouncing the
trusts as unlawful and dangerous tc
the liberty of the people," hear the
Judge seriously and solemnly declare
and explain to the Grand Jury that
trusts constitute one of the great evils
and dangers of the age, that they are
unlawful and subject to Indictment
and then examine the bills of indict
ment and presentments of the Grand
Jury with much of the smallest of petty
misdemeanors and nothing of trusts
and behold I show you comedy of the
first class.
We must either laugh or weep laugh
one moment and weep the next; then
laugh again and so on through life, for
such is life. Am to day acting my
part in some side splitting comedy, OF
am reciting the part assigned to me
in some great comedyG He who reigns
in Heaven knows, I do not.