The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-05-28
THE WAY soMR OF US LOOK
AT 1T.
CARLTON, N. G..

Some time ago I saw an ESSAY in this
paper, read by a lady to BERTHE County
Alliance: 1 have since seer a reply to
same In the Public Ledger, a little, one
horse goldbug paper published in
Oxford, N. O., over the signature of
"a Granville Lady" It seems hat
the BERTHE lady thought that it might
be good to cut the salaries of some of
the preachers in two in order that they
might get a taste of what the toiling
masses are experiencing. But the
Granville lady thought it a shame to
say such.
Now, I would like to say just here
God forbid that 1 should say or do
anything to hinder the CAUSE of Christ
in the least. l want to see it go o
ward and upward and flourish on earth.
I want to see every knee bow to Him
who gave His life a ranson for all.
Suppose the preachers salaries were
cut in two in the middle and they only
get $500 now where they got 81, 900
ten years ago. Would they not have
the same purchasing power now Is
then2
Consult statistics, and by so doing
you will find that corn (though the
crop is very short), wheat, cotton, etc.,
are off about half. So we see that the
products of the laborer are cut down
half, while a salaried mans has doubled.
But my motto is, Let every man
give according as he has prospered."
You may approach the clergy on the
subject of government, and they will
tell you that this oppression is wrong.
Something is wrong and that some
thing should be done to prevent this
oppression. But when election day
comes they Cor some Of them Will walk
to the polls and vote for a continuation
of oppression, and when they are
called on to share in the conse quences
some one will raise the cry, Don't
start at the house of God to begin re-
form!"
The two old parties are, beyond a
doubt, responsible for the hard times.
The Republican party tried for years
and the Democratic party did fasten
the single gold standard upon US.
The hard times brought about By the
depressing operation Of the single gold
standard are felt everywhere. The de-
cree sing purchasing power IF human
labor, as compared with gold, makes
times hard; hard times breed discon-
tent and a discontinued population is
a constant menace to Ace and good
order.
There is but one ! and permanent
remedy for discomfort, and that is for
each government to see that the peo-
pie are provided with a sufficient sup
ply Of money to make them prosper
GUS and happy. They do not get their
prosperity and happiness from the
money itself, but from the fact that a
plentiful supply enables them to pro.
vide for their household, educate their
children, and to exchange the pro6ucts
of their labor, ana to create wealth al
a profit &c themselves. A people can.
not be prosperous when the purchas
ing power of their labor Is constantly
| depreciating. They cannot be con
, tent if they are no prosperous.
, Beneath the surface the money ques
ton becomes a great moral and socia
question. and it would be well for oul
preachers, statesmen and politicians tt
stndy this aspect of it. What would
you think OF a shepherd who haC
charge of a flock of sheep that would
feed such food TO them in winter a.
would make them shed their wool, anC
subject the poor creatures to the harsh
winds of that season; or, what woulC
you think of him if he permitted to-
wolves and bears to break through tn
g while he stood aloot and did not at
e tempt to mend the hedge that his focl
might rest in safety Some of tn
g ways of this world remind me of
fable I once read: "An uuluckly fo1
. fell into a we'll. He had been strug
CLING and battling all night to keep hi
head above water. He had becom
stiff with cold, and was just on tn
cave of giving up, when a wolf az
peared at the top of the well. tn
o wolf looked over into the we'll an
r said: 'Mr. Fox, you seem to be in
n bad box. l am sorry to see you j
Is such a predicament. You have m
n heart felt sympathy Whereupon, tn
fox replied: Away with your syn
pathy l don't want it. The end of
rope would do me more good than a