The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-07-23

TOur "a ola. ana VINO Cau DO SUI
prised that to day there is little pros
pect in life before that boy2
2 DO Justice in Business
Thousands upon thousands profess to
love God and to be his children, who
yet have not learned this simple and
fundamental demand of religion.
Within our town are men who profess
goodness, who yet have not learned to
be Just in small business matters. l.
have seen men from the rural districts
call for a five cent" box of backing
and get for their nickel a small box,
half size whereas a person from the
city, or anyone that knew, could buy
for a nickel a box as large again, as l
have often done.
A man gives a mortgage for supplies.
Upon this mortgage he purchases goods
on time, paying for them, in addition
to the regular selling price, twenty to
seventy-five per cent. more, and this
for only six months time, thus paying
often one hundred to two hundred per
cent. Such extortion practiced upon
poor people, is not only unjust but a
sin, for which many church members
will find themselves called to answer.
A man is hired by the day to labor.
Because he gets so much for the day
anyhow, he tries to do as little as pos
sible. If I sell a days labor for even
ty-ive cents, 1 owe my employer a
days labor and not a days Sinking of
labor, and Justice demands that I pay
it.
Capital combines and forms monopo-
lies and advances the price of a com
modify one-half cent per pound, and
thus levies tribute upon millions of
poor people-the capitalists thus grow
ing enormously rich. Such is not only
not just, but desperately wicked AND
the time will come when the great Su-
preme Judge will find the soul of every
such corporation. Corporations may
be soulless here and now, but yonder
and then souls will be found that
shall expiate this injustice practiced
upon the poor of Gods earth.
Lately a man high in the councils of
the church confessed a crime that rob
bed men of their just wealth-misap
preparation after Misrepresentation IN
til thousands of dollars of other mems
money had been used for his own pri-
vate ends. And yet, being a man of
position and having stolen a Lare sum,
he became a semi-hero, and men
prominent men-men that profess to
be disciples of the Humble Teacher,
rushed to his rescue and delighted to
do him honor by piling up more than
double the bail required, thus setting a
premium, as it were, upon bank defal
cation. Such undermining of honesty
and merited punishment is not doing
justice to the men and women and
children that deposit money in banks
for safekeeping. Only let some poor
woman, half starved, take a loaf
to appease her clamorous stomach, and
those same bondsmen would, I ween,
cIamor as did the crowd that asked for
the release of a robber instead of Jesus.
Cruelty herI cruelty her."
3. Do Justice IN Government.
when the righteous are in author
ity, the people rejoice; but when the
wicked beareth rule, the peoplemourn."
Possibly there never was a more
prosperous and happy people than the
Israelites under David. Under him
they reached their highest point of
growth in prosperity and happiness.
He was pre-eminently a man after
Gods own heart.
Our own loved country, under that
grand old man, George Washington,
while not strong, was yet prosperous
and hopeful. And could our laws be
made and executed always by such
men as he, men that fear God and fol
low after righteousness, there would
be less cause and less room for COM
plant.
In legislative halls are men that fear
not God nor honor manhood. Many of
them are mere merchandise that is
dealt in in the Hobbies. Many of them
are steeled tools of corporate greed.
And seldom does the question, lis this
bill just to ala" weigh much in it's con-
sideration.
By means of lobby members, legisla-
ton is passed that is most unjust and
Ubiquitous. For years and years has
our government enacted legislation
tariff schedule and other laws-that
has borne like a milestone upon mil
lions of poor, while it has lined with
gold the pockets of hundreds of rich.
Then, when perchance a law is passed