The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-02-06
No. 81
WHY THE FARMERS ARE POLL
TICS.
An Essay Read Before Eexlena Alliance
Recently.


An Essay Read Before Hexlena Alliance
Recently.
The natural farmer wants nothing to
do with politics. In the first place he
Is not built that way. Hisambition is
In another direction; and, besides, poll
tics are perplexing question and they
havn't the time to study and figure out
the many problems of government.
The politics of most countries are
framed by municipal governments; or.
In palmer words, by rings of associ-
ated town men, and political plat
forms of parties are framed by these
| associations. It is very sure that
municipal laws or governments do not
suit the ia -mers, and when municipal
laws become national laws then the
farmers are Disseminated against.
Now If the farmer was left to himself
his interest not indirectly interfered
with he would want no place in poll
tics. In the first place the general
conventions are held in cities where
practices, customs and general usages
are different from the life OF farmers.
The farmers life is not and should not
be understood as an ignorant life, but
Is a life of isolation and they fare not
conversant with the news of the day,
and the new customs, and that units
him for fast political conventions.
But they are in politics, not because
of the love they have for politics nor
because of their fitness, but because
they are driven to it; not because of
direct Legislation but because of ind5-
rect legislation. When the farmers Of
this country began to find cut that
they were growing poorer by raising
the necessaries of life and that one by
one they were being foreclosed under
the mortgage system and at the same
time their lands and buildings on the
down grade They began to make in
quiries and they were told that it was
OverprOduction and high tariff and
they began to watch and figure for
themselves and they soon found that
they were paying 80 per cent. of the
taxes and owned 20 per cent. of the
wealth of a count Y that had grown
rich by their industry. In their search
they found that the banking industry,
manufacturers and every industry had
some protection by legislation save the
farmers. They found that the volume
of money and its distribution had been
| given to rings of chartered bankers,
called national bankers. They ask
that this system be abolished. They
found that speculation in futures we're
injuring their prices and that COM
bines and trust companies were dan
gerous because Of their grinding out.
millionaires and paupers at the same
time. A few were being made rich at
the expense of the many, and they ask
for an anti-option law prohibiting such
a robbery. They found that silver was
fast losing it's hold as a money metal,
and they ask for it's restoration and
for the free and unlimited coinage Of
silver at the ratio of 16 to 1. They
found that the circulating mediums
were too short, and they ask for an
increase of money to the amount of $50
per capita. They saw in the system
of taxation that the wealthier portion
of bondholders we're escaping taxation,
80 they ask for an income tax.
But all was denied because bankers.
bondholders, railroad men and manu-
facturers were in the majority in the
legislative halls of our country. And
for these reasons the farmers are ia
politics, and God grant they may stay
there until all wrongs are righted, and
that we may look once more upon q
government of the people, for the pee
pie and by the people.