The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-09-17
DR.. ~THOMPsON's FAwor-
MARK Re

On the 18th day of August. in a b..
speech at Cary, I made some ro . oflt
which though we'll recaivod 'euatR
time and without u~nfavorahIo AZ TIE
kind comment by those who beos VI Qo
have since been the subject ~ ne
cradle criticism. So far as oOnsd
in the public prints, my Critics oSeea
tute, If l may use a term that SUnsa
~ bangles from the pen of tho 0'aat
editor of the Wilmington Mosso"sFead
the man who felt called to nsol
time of war and called to Quit in
OF peace the same gang "ae
pressed SO great solicitude fer ~" u
fare Of the Alliance when, in tbo WI
of their crocodile tears, it "von lave
politics and ruined itself"-rnfroo, 10
other words, to be the tool of tbo %
chine of Democracy in North Coro, liz
Prodigal wi h vile epithets anon
they again seem Soljcitous for the -
fare of the Order under my resi5on. w.t.
Having tolerated without nrotos, I,
they have not actively upheld r
outrageous frauds upon the ballot
without the least compunction
forth as the champions of the cbr,.t
Lacking honesty of purpose tbs1
neither appreciated nor desired r. ~,
preciate the spirit and temper in wbi%%
l uttered the subject-matter of tba,
harsh amimadversiong It was on4
Gent for them if l had said somotri,
that they might wrest from its annrS
pirate setting and use against me- n
the injury of the Alliance.
The first Of my accusers was fl,
News and Observer. The Gideonito,
who had deceived Joshua that tbe4
might remain in the promised land
were content afterward to be made
hewers of wood and drawers Of wat,
if only they were permitted to live
Certain journalists who have deceived
the people Of North Carolina would mt
be content to occupy so clear a position
as that; they naturally seek a lower
plane, preferring always to drop below
the common level where they can fj
mud.
have no apology to offer on account
of the speech I made at Cary. l said
nothing unadvisedly. The same speech
l would make again tomorrow before
any audience. My Judgment of the at
titude of the church is either Corrga
or incorrect. I believed then, as be
lieve now, that my estimate is true. 1t
was, therefore, what I ought toh8w
spoken. If it is true, indeed, it isvhy
any man should have said, and | DID,
in that case, absolutely right in declat
ing it. Am l to be censured for right.
doing9 One good pastor says; But
my brother, will it not hurt the church
for you to say it," Evidently he knew
the import of the French Saying
"Toute vente nest pas bonnie a dire
1t can hurt the church only if itH
true. And if the truth hurts the church
the church ought to be hurt. If itB
untrue, on the contrary, nothing would
so much help the church as the demon
stration of it's untruthfulness. For t;
at least is true, that in the church and
out of the church, among AlLiancem1
and on-Alliancemen, Populists, PN
hibition' ste, Democrats deep in The
heart of the toiling mass of mankind
who struggle consciously or uncol
sciously toward the divine image and
cry with bitter longing, Thy Kingdo1
come, Thy will be done in earth as IT'D
in Heaven!' you will find that ts
thought for ~utterance of which 90
censured and abused has found wide
Judgment and grows surprisingly lD0
conviction.
That the public may know the spin
and temper of my ~utterances wherD
I am said to have attacked, 'sln
dered" and "blasphemed" the chuTS
of Christ, 1 desire to summarize h'
what l said on that occasion wlthN
special preparation. [ spoke my ever
day thoughts am an AllianceDD
because 1 desire to be, and trust 80
a Christian. I believe |ith NIUE
that there r no songs to be cdIiPsfT
with the songs of Zion, no O~rationseqD
to those of the prophets, and noP0Im
equal to those the Scriptures can tesD
spoke of the work of the ~
ance as a political educator. IDS'
would be no excuse for its exIstsD|
especially in a republic, where tben,
is theoretically a sovereign, p1
attempted to educate and did not"
tend it's teaching along political ID%
1t attempts to educate in a StrN4
non partisan epirit"-the only sPTEn.