The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-02-04

m0GElC8l OppOSIl1Ou W GubI PEdGeAG0N
by our government since its fOunda-
tion, a financial policy repudiated by
Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Cal
houn, Clay and the wisest of our great
statesmen. Tnere can no longer be a
doubt as to the designs of the enemies
of our Republican form Of govern
ment.
If they succeed in fastening the gold
standard upon us. it will reduce the
value of money one half, reduce the
value of all our property and labor
one half, and double the Indebtedness
and taxes of the people, and in the end
overturn the government and upon its
ruins erect another in harmony with
the aristocratic m~onarchial govern
ments of Europe.
In the light of history, we could not,
if we would, close our eyes to the mag
nitude Of the dangers threatening u
liberties. Look in what direction we
may, the darkness thickens, and there
is not a ray of light or hope save that
of the Alliance. Let the political ten
cts and principles of the Alliance pre-
vail and our grand old ship of state
will safely weather the storm and
will soon be moOred in a harbor where
bright sunshine, tranquil waters and a
shore terrelated with the bright and
beautiful flowers of peace, happiness
and prosperity will gladden. the hearts
of men. 1t is our mission to educate the
people in the science of government.
We want the truth and nothing but
the truth. If our ideas of an econom
ically administered government are
wrong, we want to know it as 500 as
possible so that we a advocate those
that are right. Calling hard names ID
no argument, nor is holding people up
to ridicule and the fruitless attempt
at ''ostracism" practiced by some
editors" truth. We want plain facts,
80 that we common people a COM.
prehend them without having to en-
ploy lawyers, or an editor or some n
versed in chicanery to tell US the mean
ing Of their ''platitudes and glittering
generaIities." We wish to have the
people as fully understand the science
Of government as the science Of farm
ing. We want them to understand
Why times are hard; why money is
scarce; why cotton Is only only s
cents per pound, ri 40 cents per
Oushel, wheat so cents per bushel, and
labor In proportion; why II per cent
of the homes in free America are mort
gagged, and why 90 per cent of the
homes in France are free from indebt
edness. We want them to understand
why the partison press of the country
and party leaders and party platforms
advocate tariff reform, civil service
reform, financial and all kinds of re.
form, and yet, when in power, reform
nothing-retOrm here and reform and
retrenChments there, but they r as
silent as the dead when you mention
the reform Of the salaries Of the Presi-
dent and Congressman. We want the
people to know why it use to take 80
bales of cotton per summer to pay a
Congressman's salary, and last year 1T
took 248 bales. We used to pay our
Treasurer with 80 bales of cotton; last
year it took 800 bales to pay it. We
used to pay our Presidents salary with
$50 bales of cotton; last year we paid
Mr.. Cleveland for adopting the English
financial policy in America 2 900 bales,
or their salaries would have purchased
this amount of cotton. Let them sue
coed in fastening" the gold standard
upon US, and withdra wing the gov
eminent certificates" and ''green-
backs" from circulation, and you can
safely multiply the above figures by
two.
Again, we wish to know why those
in authority talk so boldly about some
things and why they are so quiet about
others2
1t is the object of our Order to edu
cate the people upon these questions.
Its mission is to eniighten the people
in the science of economical govern
ment, 80 that each voter, since he is an
integral part of the government, may
exercise the right Of suffrage intelli-
gently and as his conscience may die
tate. The o Institution endows him
with sovereign prerogatives, and it is
his duty to prepare himself by study,
communion with his fellowman and
discussion that he may not only cor
rectly comprehend the duty he owes
to society, but the reciprocal relations !