The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-06-02

with a debauched ballot box, the poo
pie of the United States haze been
| made political vassals and financial
slaves. Freedom is now a something
we can talk about, but not erjOy. We
have the privilege Of going to a politi
cal bull ptn-a place where honest vot-
ing should be done, but it is not so, for
the devil rules there and not God, the
creator and builder of all that is good.
Yes my young friends, the devil, os
far as human vision can reach sees
that his satanic Hejeety, IN a political
point Of vi8v, is the ruling power in
Gods vineyard as well as IL his own,
Gre and birthstone statc.)
Think Of the kind of government We
are compelled 20 lvo under from the
White House down to q little town
with thirteen liquor bells in it, which
rules the place; when, if an angel from
heaven should come down and run for
mayor, and liquor meu should op
pose him, (and che would certainly 40
III the angel, unless God in his power
should kill the liquor power, YOU'D
have 20 return to heaven and report
that political purity and love for God
and all that is good, was OF NJ value
compared to strong drink, the great.
est curse man is called upon TO battle
against. Again, think Of the closing
hours # the last Congress, the eight of
which, as portrayed by northern pa
pers, was enough to make the devil
blush, if he vas the p0ssessor Of one
SINCE feeling o. decancy, and from the
fact that he permits so many political
thieves to remain in Jul churches, is
to my mind come evidence that he
likes to have his intelligent and finely
dressed slaves miGgle in what the
world calls good company.
My great. OH ct in writing against
political fraud and corruption, is to
try to a v our young men ard grow
ing up boys from such q life OF eio, as
too many Of our American fathers have
been living for the last thirty years;
and that ell vino may read what I write
may know that 1 am not writing fiction,
I wish to state a few facts in defence OF
my pCsition.
On the first Thursday in November,
1894, I had been a legalized voter for
fifty one years; up to that day l was
permitted to vote without let or hin
drauce, though often my vote 20 not
counted, or if it was counted it was
made one for a man I did not vote for.
On this said Thursday in November,
1894, l was not permitted to vote. And
why do you ask. Well, I will tell you.
1 was not going to vote the Democratic
ticket. Now If / had turned upon them
and said: You mistake me, l an 20
ing to vote the Democratic ticket, solid. "
Well WE'LL! I would have been shown
more smiling religion than often falls
to the lot of man to witness, but as for
the religion of the Son of God, there
would not have been a single ray, for
they all went into that political bull
pen the slaves Of their master, the devil,
armed end equipped to do their hellieh
work. We're all there, floating the
devils ltg9 No, indeed. Many OF these
were doing the devils work under a!sa
colors, Sly young friends, l am too
near my last resting place to ever work
On the line OF reform in a way to make
angry my God and His Son, for by and
through their help I may with certainty
expect to be delivered from all the ills
after I shall have crossed the beautiful
W, DREwKY smith.