The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-07-28
LACK OF AGRICULTURAL REP
RESERVATION.


that 236 are lawyers, 33 farmers and
planters, Al bankers and capitalists,
and the balance various other denomi
nations.
OF the 70, 600, coo Of people depend
inge entirely upon agricultural pro
ducts, not only to supply them with
food. but to uphold and run the gov
ernment itself, besides enabling public
and private enterprises OF every de
scription to start and continue a bust
ness existence, only 33 representatives
are in Congress to look directly after
such a vital and colossal interest! The
great money centers where roost those
harpiea, who, prey and fatten upon
agricultural toll and sweat, T repre-
sented by Al blood suckers to help
drain the life blood from the veins Of
| the delivers of mother earth. Forty
one greedy ~pIu5Ocrats, who fill their
| Golfers by epoliatiOn Of the farmers,
while the latter have only 80 to oppose
| against these alone with 236 Ia wyers
and others not i'll harmony with them
No wonder that farming products have
| reached such @ low ebb and farmers
are naeceG right aEd left, end the work
of their hands brought below the cost
Of production. IL IS the story of the
spider and the fly over again. Out Of
$50 men to iegislate for us, who haW the
custody of the we'll being of the people
at Cheir disposal, only 80 represent the
tife-giving power of the land. OIt OF
| 4 body Of $50 men, it is impossible for
only 80 cut of a special class, repre-
| senting millions Of wealth makers (prO
ducing wealth for all other classes out
themselves to attend to the interests
Of agriculture against such an over
whelmingly antagonjstic majority. for,
say what you will, this majority is
mainly in sympathy with capitalistic
interests IN preference to farming in
terests, as the records of Congress
amply prove. Two hundred and thirty
six Iawye rs and IL bankers, represent
ing mostly the money power, can and
do legislate to make the products of
agriculture sUbservient to and pay
tribute, at a ruinous rate, to ell those
corporations and industries which
flourish eff Of the tlllers Of the soft,
who, with only 80 men to represent
them al the n ttIonal Capital, ere Ut.
terly ~pOwerles5 to prO:eCC the interests
they represent against suca a hord of
opposing forces.
The ~c0lonIsts had hardly q greater
cause to complain Of for lack of rep
reeentation, eliminating in the Decla
ration of Independence, than the farm
ers now have, and their efforts in this
direction should not cease until they
obtain q majority in toe halls
OF Congress. Corruption is rank and
runs riot at every election and IN legis
IatiyC assemblies after the successful
nominees have taken the oath Of office
all to the d6tTIment Of the farmers
who have chosen men to represent
them who have no intention of fulfill
ing their binding CD oaths. The spec
tacle Of presidential candidates put
into the hands OF G. political boss, a
trickster who, with his barrel, " runs
his lock iawed candidate for his own
| personal gain, is the most d~isgraceful
and humiIiating feature OF American
politics, and disgusting to every man
possessed Of ordinary senslblliJIes.
The candidate thus elected becomes the
mere obedient tool Of the boss who was
the al of elecCing him, anu after
inauguration, can be biGckmRIled to
| any extent his Warwick sees fit to ex
act. In fact, he is d m~Ortgaged presi
dent entirely IN the hands Of his mort
! gagOr, who Is granted ali the patronage
he wants to place his miniOns IN Cfice
with the pick of the cabinet for am
self, and TO have measures enacted to
pay him-mGny fold overtime thou
sands he has expended in making a
president. That such a state of things
shuold exist IN the ''grandest govern
ment on the gtobeI' And this system
OF bosses is nOG confined to nominating
and electing men to the most exalted
positions in the gift Of the people, but
it permeates every State, county and
precinct, and until the voters free
themselves from such a bondage to
bosses, to whom they submit like sheep
driven to the shambles, they will never
get beyond d blind political serfdom.
About the greatest obstacle the peo-
pie have to contend with is tho blind
worship Of precedents by the law
makers. A law, or custom, mouldv