The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-11-19
DIR. THOMPSON AS A REFoRMER.
He is q Man That the Times ImperatiVely
Demand--May His Good Work 20
n E-.:AE.I Cnnsummation,

under the heading of "a
Leader. there was published an article
condemnatory of DR.. Cyrus Thompson,
of RtchIands, N. G. It was quoted
from the Atlanta Constitution. Al
though never having heard OF Dr.
Thompson up to that date, l immedl-
atelv scught him out and have since
been favored with his views, as given
in THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER of Sep,
TENDER 18th, and they convince me
that he is entitled to be ranked as n
of the reformers of the day.
Will you kindly allow the following
dialogue with the Atlanta Constitution,
and 1 might say also, the Baltimore
Sun:
Atlanta Constitution President
Thompson is reported as saying that
the churches do not comprehend their
mission, and are against the Alliance,
and that they have always been on the
side of human slavery.
Livesey-Dr. Thompson was right.
If the churches had half way compre-
hended and fulfilled their mission, we
would not now have upon us the trou-
bles we now witness. With 20, 600 ,0OO
of followers, the churches should have
saved themselves, and others also,
from those exterior troubles that now
threaten the peace and prosperity OF
the nation. On the contrary, the
churches have not even saved them
selves. From Cardinal Gibbons down
to Sam Jones, the cry has gone forth
from the churches, "What must we do
to be saved9" They look as impotently
as infants upon al approaching calam
ity; they acknowledge their ignorance
of the situation: they are too thorough
" impractical to perceive the merit of
any reform, and they ~ignorantly re
main silent, or condemn men like Dr..
Thompson, who propose practical
methods for relief.
A. C.-This charged has stirred up
considerable feeling in the Alliance, and
in church circles, and Thompson will
find that such talk is an injury to him
self and his cause.
L-Dr. Thompson's cause, like every
other reform cause, nec8ssitates the
exposure of ~hypOcrites and ~pretenders
who have caused the conditions de-
manding reform, and who, of course,
impede by all possible methods its pro
gress. Any cause that is founded upon
truth can protect from ali injury, save
persecution, it's founders. Even from
persecution The blood of the martyrs
is the seed of the Church. The times
demand men who are regardless of self.
Dr.. Thompson is one of them, On the
contrary, no minister in the land will
say anything that will seriously imp!i-
cate his eCanGiug before man, They
profess 60 be the Shepherds of men;
but N reality they are the sheep. They
lead the masses into TO pleasant
pastures Whatever feuc3 the mas tes
jump tdey follow.
A. C.-is taeaa chaotic times, when
the genus OF uiscord seems 10 be ct
work everywhere, there are men who
are aspiring Go leadarship who are
hardly fl to serve N tho rank and file.
Thompson is a case in point.
L-Yes, in chaotic times people have
naturally looked to the priests aud to
the ministers for peace. They have
been supposed to be the instrumental
ties through which God speaks and
brings about Peace on earth, good
will to men," But from the earliest
history Of the world they have been, as
a rule, false prophets, of whom the true
prophets have said: The leaders Of
my people do cause them to err" The
same is true to day. The same was
true Ia the days Of Christ. Those
whose title was supposed to grant the
privilege Of introducing a Messiah,
were wholly ignorant of him when he
came, frustrated His everv effort
through life and crucified Him at it's
end. This same class are now repre-.
sented by the ministers of the churches
of to day. 1T Christ came TO Chi
cago," or to any other part of the
country, they would instantly follow
the example set them by their Jewish
predecessors; and what they would do |
to the Master they do do to anybody
approximeting His spirit and His work.
A. CHS (Thompson's legitimate
work is to build UP the Alliance. but
he weakens his influence with the bet. |
ter class of his order and of society in
general by going out of his wey to at
tack the churches.
Mot in the least does he "go out
Of his way" They are in his wav.
They are stumbling blocks that must