The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-05-28

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with accelerated velocity to the pres
emit, % years. remember the CHANCE
came gradually, and the people attrib.
uted their misfortunes to every cause
except the right one. They uuarrelod
among themselves and fought each
other blindly, not knowing that the
leaders of the two antagonistic parties
were hobnobbing together and LAUGHING
In their sleeves at the common people
struggling with want and poverty. T
cried out in my sleep, oh, Godl whv
sleepest thou when thy people are SO
sorely ~oppressedF I endeavored to
look beyond the veil and know the
worst, and at once the curtain was
lifted and I saw within in letters of
blood upon the wall, The days of the
republic are numbered; the people
wOrshipped party instead of patriotism.
and r becoming slaves, having
proved themselves unworthy of the
princely heritage bequeathed by a
noble ancestry The inscription filed
me with awe, as 1 thought of those
who had inherited a love of liberty.
and were familiar with the history of
their brilliant past, now to be reduced
to a position scarcely above serfdom.
deprived of the benefits resulting from
an untrammelled franchise. I thought
how quickly patriotism had given way
to stolid Indifference; but no one can
love a country that e~nslaves it's people
by depriving them of the just recon-
pense of their labors. The lessons of
other nations that have fallen have
not been needed, and we are now pay
ing the penalty. Thus it has ever been,
and as similar causes produce like
effects, we need not be astonished at
the results. / felt that / would die with
oppression and difficulty of breathing.
Ny body covered with cold perspira-
ton, I felt physically exhausted. 1
saw a beautiful creature; whether
man, woman, or angel, l could not tell,
but heard it distinctly whisper, You,
the people, are alone responsible; you
sat quietly by and gave heed to the
siren-voice of place-hunters, and did
not search for yourselves what the
trouble was, but let others do your
thinking, until you are bound hand
and foot by the money power and do
not deserve commiseration. You are
the makers of your own misfortune
With an awful frown on it's counte-
nance it left me alone. Immediately
after the withdrawal Of the beautiful
apparition there appeared two images,
wearing the habits and costumes of
kings. One was dressed in golden ap-
paral, sitting upon a royal throne, with
a golden crown upon his brow, and
holding a golden scepter in his hand,
before whose presence the great men
fell on their knees in alteration, saying,
Thou art our god, and, as loyal sub
jects, we will defend thee against all
who would demand a division of thy
power with another. Thou alone must
rule king of all the earth To the left
of this object of worship was another
of great majesty, but of sorroWful
countenance; his silver crown had
been taken away, his throne despoiled
and his scepter broken. His arms were
stretched out in commiseration of the
vast multitude who were laboring
under great difficulties to pay their
taxes and to support their wives and
little ones. They had refused to give
heed to King Silver having been Sc
duced by false prophets until all hope
had fed. As his majesty disappeared
all naure groaned in sympathy with
the poor and oppressed"