The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-08-27

been perusing it's pages some, and I
notice there is a great difference in the
execution of the law now and IN olden
|. times. The penalties then were more
severe than they are now for the same
crimes For instance, if a man or wo
man swore falsely, he or she had to pay
exon and stand in the pillory for one
bo1r and then suffer both ears cut eff
and nailed to the pillory by the officer,
and to remain there until the setting
of h sun. After that, such persons
were dis qualified to give testimony,
That was very severe, but l venture to
saw that there was less perjury then
practicad am 1ng the people than there
il now. If a person suffered himself to
be induced to swear falsely, the penalty
was to cut their right ear off The
faithful execution of the law restrained,
no doubt, many that would have done
the same thing. We have law enough
for the protection Of person and prop
erty, with a few exceptions, to correct,
in a great measure, the morals of the
people, If the law was put in force as
enacted and intended. For these rea-
sons it is very important that our Off
Gals should look we'll to these matters
1t used to be the law to make a man
pay too shillings and six pence for
every oath that he uttered in anyOne's
presence, if prosecuted. Suppose that
law was carried into effect, what a
great change it would make in the
morals of the people. l hear grown
men, and sometimes boys, using oaths
now that those men of 1916 would have
been ashamed of and would not have
recognized. Some say that they do not
know that the people are any more
wicked now than they we're seventy
five years ago.. But l think there is a
vast difference between now and thirty
years ago but while there are a few
men that are all right in morals and
will pay their honest debts, and others
who are in debt and would pay if they
could, and still others who do not in.
tend to pay their debts when they CON
tract them, and the latter are on the
increase is enough to make O man with
one eye see the drift of the tide Of cor
ruptioD, and it's arlarming tendency to
corrupt still more and more the young
of the land who, some day will be at
the head of our government to make
laws for the people, and if their moral
ity is lacking, such as the fathers Of
this Republic practiced, they will be
unfit to be rulers over a free and indie
pendent country like we ones en- eyed.
And it behooves US to return to the faith
and practice of our forefathers. We
are certainly going backward instead
of for ward, in many things The
worst feature now is that capitalists
and other combine S have concentrated
their capital to control the laboring
portion of the land. and to put up or
down the price of the products of the
farm at any time, to the detriment of
the producers. until there is not to be
made a good living by farming, and
many Of those who a few years ago
were happy and in good spirits, who
were making their own meat, bread
and some money, r now going in
rags, without money, not much meat,
and very little bread. Is it reasonable
to even suppose that the G I'd Of all
Grace will permit this state of things
to continue much longer2 He says
t. a. He had seen the tfH ction
of his people ard had come down
to deliver them" May we not hope
and pray also, that he will come down
and deliver us2 I, for one, say that
he will relieve the fiji ctions of the
oppressed and make us able and will
ing to bear one another's burdens, and
so fulfill the law of Christ. l think a
great majority of the people in this
community are in favor of free coinage
of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1, espe-
cially the American product. l may
not understand the meaning of free
coinage. Does it mean that the Gov
eminent shall coin the silver without
limit, and get no pay for the work
done? Or does it mean that the minis
are to coin all the silver bullion that
may be deposited in the minis, and the
~deposito1s pay SO much of the silver
coined for the work done7 How is
this? Mr.. Editor, please explain the
above question, SO the people will I'm
derstand the subjsct thoroughly. l
believe the Populists are increasing in
this county, and will still increase in