The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-09-29

~ ~O
perance and the violence, the gain and
the glory; thes are indeed but too close
~ identified with that political agita-
ton which circles around the ballot
box
J. G. Whittier says Of the poor voter
on election day:
1.-THE proudest now is but nv peer,
The highest not more high;
To day, of all the many year,
A king of men am l.
To day, alike are great and small.
} he namele. S and the unknown
Ny palace is the peoples hall,
The ballot box my throne.
Who serve to-day upon tt list.
Beside the served shall stand:
Alike The brown and wr1nkled fist,
The lOved and dainty hand.
The rich is j level with the p -Or,
The weak Is strong to-day;
And sleekes brOadclOth counts no more
Than home spu0 frOck of gray"
O, that the laboring people of today
would but appreciate the power and
grandeur that lies in a ballot! If they
would do this any law for their allevia-
ton and betterment could be passed,
labor would get its deserts along with
capital, and Congress would be turned
into an Alliance and labor meeting.
There IS no use for US humble folks to
curse and kick and go ragged and work
hard and live on sawdust and drink
branch water and then turn around
and vote against the men and meas
ures that would benefit US. Might just
as well expect to get reform in a Demo
cratic caucus as to expect better things
and not vote for them. If we vote right
and then get no relief then is the time
to raise cain and hail Columbia until
the star spangled banner weeps for
rest.
Voters of North Carolina, for the
first time in years we have a peoples
government in our State given US by
the peoples representatives. We come
before you again aud beg you to help
us continue this peoples II'e; we warn
you against the ring rule of the Demo
Gratis where the people had no voice in
the celecting of magistrates, commits
sloners, registrars, etc, and by virtue
Of the justice of their cause we demand
your vote for the reform movement.
We point with pride to the 6 per cent
interest law we gave the people, and
promise a continuance Of it. The Dem,
ocrats will be likely t. give us an 8 or
a 10 per cent. law so as to curry favor
with the money lenders. Mr.. Cg.
Watson admits the wisdom of the acts
Of 1895 when he refuses to discuss them,
and swings off on national issues which
do not come within his province.
Taken all in all, no such a legislature
eyer assembled in our State as the lest
one. 1t we'll cared for the interest Of
every man, no matter how humble OF
how exalt:d he was. And our next
legislature will do still more fer oul
people. 1t VIII bring millions of dollars
here and put them to work in ouI
midst. It will insure US forever after
wards an anti Democratic autocratic
rule. Now, what shall we do as to the
candidates for Governor when We
have two gentlemen, both belonging tc
tue reform ranks, running in Opposi
zion - each other? I think it very
foolish that such is the case and as an
humble voter, I demand that thu
ticket be united so as to give us the re-
form we demand. One man, Icarenot
how able or honest he is, is too small a
matter to stand in the way Of this
great movement. So, the question
comes who shall withdraw from the
race in the interest Of refol ~, Mr.. Rus.
sell or Mr.. Guthrie3 Personally I have
nothing against either gentleman, but,
sirs, I say that of them ought, OF
his own free will, get out of the way
and let us defeat the party of fraudu.
lent elections. Judge Russell was q
great factor in the accomplishment OF
our victory and our laws in our last
campaign. He did III cause great
good and he is entitled to great recog.
milton at the hands of our people. !
am aware that there is some opposition
to his candidacy from his own party,
but the greater opposition a man has,
as a rule, the greater y that man. I,
for one, would not be ashamed to see
him Governor. On the other hand,
Mr.. Guthrie is all that could be ex
pected of a true gentleman. an able
lawyer anda good Populist. He would
fill the office with honor to his party
and his State. II neither of these gen
tlemen will come down then there
should be some understanding that we,
the people, IN order to effect certain
results shall, both Republicans and
Populists, vote in the whole for only
one of them. At least one party should
oiun the other Marty enough VI taI to