The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-07-24

they are ripe; then why should man
when he has fulfilled his mission, done
his duty as best he could, hate to drop
the curtain when the play is over9 It
seems to me that I would love to die if
l had served out my time to the old
task-master time. Death has ever
been portrayed as an awful, a dread
full something, when in fact it is natures
kindest boon, life's sweetest blessing.
If I should die to night, I leave it all
with God-all the arrangements, the
reward-everything is left with Him.
Thousands every day die as He wills it,
and l will make very little difference
to Divinity-He surely can take care,
so to speak, of an -infinitesimal like
me. Yet I am as great in the eyes of
Divinity as any other man. All men
are equal before God. All are subject
to the same DEGREES, the same births,
the same destiny. There is no high or
low men with God. Man is man,
angels are angels, cherubs are cherubs.
One origin, one destiny makes all men
equal with God. Tolove God and man
is our whole duty. Theologians have
reared a colossal structure of technical
~intricacies, of mystical theories, of
metaphical foolery, Of a thousand
blocks of thought of rotten timber and
every age adds to the structure until
the man who attempts to climb to its
summit gets lost before he reaches the
steps. Tear down the structure that
men have built and love God and man
and all will be well. There is but two
steps on the ladder that leads to Heaven
love to God is one, love to man the
other. Men make a steep, terrible
ladder out of a thousand things and
they have ten thousand steps upon it,
each one slippery, but truths ladder
has but two rounds on it, and they are
ever near our hands and heart. God
is love. If I should die to night, good
bye, old world, good bye mankind.
1 was thinking of joining the army
of the Commonweal and marching
to Washington under Captain Coxey's
banners. Companions in sorrow and
misfortunes always ease our troubles,
and I thought it would be a relief to be
in a tramp brigade. This march will
go down in history as ! sad common
tary upon the nineteenth century. AS
the patriot remembers to celebrate
Washington's birthday, as the lovers
of poesy honor the memories of Shake
speare and Milton, as the churchmen
revere the works of Luther, Wesley
and Calvin, so the tramps will ever
love and honor the captain of the
tramp host-Coxey. He has done more
to present our condition to the public
than almost any one else. While the
world sneers at us and arrests us for
being poor and needy, Coxey remains
true as steel. While we are hungry
and in rags, Coxey gave us food to
eat and clothes to wear; gave us Of all
his substance. And the world hates
Coxey because he "feeds the hungry
and clothes the Naked" just so the
world would treat Christ were He to
come to earth again. The times are
out of harmony with true Christianity
we worship the label and condemn
the reality. Sherman's march to the
sea was a terrible blow to Southern in
t~erests; Coxey's march to Washington
will be a deadly blow to the two old
parties. While the Demo repuOllco
party is "cussin" US and arresting us,
and it's representatives are hurting
auathemas at us from the arena of
State, the Populists are u friends.
Their representatives have nobly plead
our cause before the highest tribunals
of the people. OF course their golden
words of truth fell upon listless ears,
still they did the best they could for
US. To this they demonstrated the
fact that they pity the condition of the
lab0ring masses, and will ever endeavor
to redress their wrongs and bless their
lives. The Populists are nearer God's
standard of faith than any other party.
They would do great things for the
country if the people would give them
a chance. And they will ere long give
them this opportunity. Then there
will be no need for Coxey's army.
Just laws justly administered would
not necessitate a public eruption of
this nature. Call Coxey a coxcomb if
you please, fling your fimsy flashes of
filth at Frye if you choose, poke puns
at the Populists a yemay but remem-
Der that for all these things ye shall be
brought into Judgment. Remember
the ides of November-no Democrat,
no ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Isay hur-