The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-04-24
OUR NATIONAL Do,NoTH1NGs.
They Quietly Do Nothing While Rome
Burns"
BRoWN's SUMMIT, N. Q.

Browns SUMMIT, N. @.
Mr.. EDIToR:-''One thing an elected
assembly of twelve hundred is fit for
is destroying, which indeed is but a
more decided exercise of its national
talent for doing nothing. Do nothing
only keeps agitating debating, and
things will destroy themselves" 80
says Thomas Carlyle in his French
Revolution. Carlyle wrote this, many
years ago., of that National Assembly
of France, sitting at Versailles one
hundred and three years ago. He
might have written it today portray
ing exactly what our Congress sitting
In Washington has been doing for
months and is now doing. Does it not
seem almost unaccountable, Mr.. Editor,
that while our country is suffering
from stagnation and starvation, the
men sent to Congress expressly to help
us sit there month after month and do
nothing. Why in the name of all that
is'just don't they resign and go home
and give place to somebody who is viii
ling to do something's How long must
we put up with this state of things, or
is there no helpG Yes, there must be
help, if the people will arise in their
might and insist upon it that these do
nothings, from President down, shall
get out and make room for men who
will do something. At all events let
us organize, and if these do nothings
must yet remain for almost another
year, let us be ready to send them
home next November, and if the
country comeDout strong then with
new men elected who mean to do some,
thing, it is possible that we may strike
such q fear into the hearts Of these
Congressman that they may even be
induced to do something before they
are banished into outer darkness never
to be heard of, as we may hope, again.
But how shall farmers manage to do
something towards the accomplishment
of this objects 1 answer by talking
about it in their Alliance lodges. Shall
we carry politics into the Alliance9
Yes, if life is more than meat" Sure
" the only object of a Farmers ALI
ance cannot be to get I'll sugar and
coffee a cent or two cheaper than we
might have to pay the nearest mer-
chant for it. We certainly may try to
find a man, the best man, to carry out
what we believe necessary for our tenn
poral salvation, and when we believe
that we have found sucha man to vote
for him. This is not only politics but
good common sense. Freedom is a
good thing, and a man is not free SO
long al he feels compelled to vote for a
party right or wrong, no matter by
what name that party may be called.
There are some men who take a pride
in being a lifelong this thing or that, as
if this was a thing to be proud of. 1
should like to know what good thing
ever was accomplished by a lifelonger.
Paul would have prosecuted the church
before he died. Luther's voice would
never have been raised except to beg
pennies for the Pope. Columbus, in
stead Of building a new world, would
have steered for the Cape of Good
Hope. Steamboats,, steam engines,
sewing machines, reapers and the
whole host of inventions would never
have been if these lifelongers had their
way; and the entire world would have
been in heathendom, as two thirds of
it is now, if the best thing in the world
is to be a ~lifelonger. A lifelong Demo
crat, what is that; does it mean to
change your views just as often az the
party does. Did your ever read the
platform and how is that
being carried out in Washington. The
tariff must be reduced and the way, it
seems, to reduce it and so help farmers
is to put a duty On leaf tobacco so that
manufacturers Of tobacco may build
fine houses while the men who grow
tobacco here in North Carolina become
paupers.
Consistency, thou art a jewel"
somebody say that once, Mr..
Editor. Let us then get to work.
who would be free themselves must
strike the blow" AGRICoLA.
TS CATT a EEDTTT TzEpo L