The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-05-29
ONLY A TRAMP.
NO 1R

"n' NO"' genGlemen, / will close nv
address by giving you an appeal that
had published in a Marion a few
weeks since upon
PATRIOTISM.
There comes q voice-a pleading
pathetic voice, from a thousand weary
hearts this night crying for work, for
bread. These people are honest, up-
right, Industrious, yet they weep for
work. The blue blood of manhood'a
highest royalty flows in their veins.
They are Gods image; but, sirs, to-
night they are unable to get toll to earn
their daily bread. Why is thisG Did
God IN his infinite wisdom ordain that
mankind Unto whose nostrils be
breathed the breath of life" should
thus suffer2 I can't believe it. Yet
such Is the case. Where are your
hooted theories that integrity, that toll,
that Christian living, ETC., will always
insure prosperity and happiness9 I
say according to the present status of
affairs, such teaching is a lie.
The good, the great, the noble, the
high born heroes of to day go about
begging for work and no work is at
hand. Ny Godl What are we com-
ing too
Thlsls no party question, it is asocial,
a public, a political question, upon
whose settlement rests the prosperity
or demolition Of our country. The mil
lionaire rides in his costly carriage
along u streets while a thousand
laborers march behind crying for bread
and work. I don't pretend to know
what is wrong, I don't say I could help
matters at all, but, sirs, look at the
situation. I plead for the poor men
of today. Their conditions cry for a
hearing. There is a limit to suffering,
mark that!
call for no revolution, but / do call
for a hearing before the tribunals of
thepeople. say away with the tariff,
away with the Sherman bill, away
with everything until the voice of labor
has a hearing. The present Congress
has not forty men in it who have
bravery enough to stand up for labor's
rights, even in a debate. The money
lords make hirelings of nearly every
man two months after he steps in the
Congressional walls. Sirs, our man
hood is waning, our craftsmanship is q
farce, and the country is going to de-
struction at a $40 rate, and it will
touch bottom some of these days. But
have an election to morrow and these
very men who are crying for bread
to day will march up to the polls and
vote for a continuation of these same
conditions. It is no wonder that things
are no better. God gives a man in this
country his suffrage-his birthright-
and by this he is expected to defend
his family and his country; and the
very moment he gives away that suf-
frage he is no longer worthy of pity.
There are thousands of men who are
voting themselves into the poor house
every dey, and they know it. ''Igno-
rance of law excuseth no one" The
time will come when these men will
cry for the mountains to fall upon
them and hide them. A few more
votes, a few more hurrahs and you are
slaves for life. This is no idle talk.
Any man who has a mind can see it,
any man who has q muscle can feel it,
any man who has q family to feed and
clothe knows it now. God know / care
nothing about the success or failure of
any party, but I do care for the human
hearts which are being crushed every
year. lido care for the manhood which
is being killed every moment. I do
care for my country's safety. | was
taught at my mothers knee to love my
country, and I can't forget it. 0, labor
ing men of America, for your own
sakea, for the sake of your family, for
the preservation of our institutions,
for humanity's sake, for Gods sake, l
| call upon you to look to your own In
terests and stand up for your W
| rights at the ballot box ere it be too
late, ere everything is lost. Call it
what you please, but be true to the
men and cause that are true to you.
Don't forsake those who are laborlng
for your good, and follow your enemies.
Don't vote for parties whose every act
tells you that they have forfeited their
rights to honor and integrity. Go with
the party which aims to bless you and
yours. There are but two parties in
fact in the country to-day-the poor
mans party and the rich mans party.