The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-04-28
THE REFORM
Aim and Possible Achievements of the
Farmers Alliance.

Wilson Co, N. @.
From a love of the Alliance and for
the up5uilding of the cause in my
county and State, l submit the follow.
ing for publication. If you find it
worthy of space in your paper, please
publish it, aud consider the writer as
an humble servant in any cause that
is for the building up, strengthening
and restoring the forsaken farmers to
their proper places as American citi
zens. 1t was my pleasure to be with
my County Alliance yesterday at SAr-
atogo. The meeting was well repre-
scented by true AltIanceman through
out the county. These p Ople, as well
as many others in cur county, are fast
learning that We, the farmers Alliance,
are a co operative p'Cp'e, working on
like principles aud battling for a com
mon cause. It has ever been the case
since the remotest ages of the world,
that when the pecp'e have been Cp
pressed or held down by an injustice
of any kind, there has most always
been a path Cphned for their escape,
and the path ia nearly always been
found. Even at = centuries Of Cp
preston, the yoke Of bondage has
been lifted off the necks of the OPP
prescott that, too, when the peCp.e
had not the experience of enlightened
generations nor the spirit of freedom
that we have. LIT us all think for a
moment, the maturity of our age. We
r now passing through the shadows
and entering the twilight Of the nine
teenth CENTURY. We leave behind Us,
not cut Of sight, the exp rience of
many generations. The rise and fell
of many forms of government, and
the existance Of oppression and slavery
in almost every form. Wefnd in them
tyrany, oppression, poverty and igno-
rance Of the masses imposed on them
by unjust legislation and the superior
power of the rich. Yes, a most prom
inent feature is the binding down of the
laborers by force into the hands of mer,
CHESS demagogues. And those made
to feel the sharp sting of injustice are
always those who live by the sweat
of their faces and feed, clothe and pro
tect all humanity. Never, in modern
times, has any peCp'e been able to
witness q stronger iron desp )tism than
has been and is now beng brought
over the heads of our so called free
American people"-that, too, in a
country whose constitution and form
of government has once been coneid-
cred i~mpcegnable against any kingly
influence that would be brought against
it. We can ell see the gloom that Is
confronting US. We can see nothing
for the coming nation under she pres
ent conditions, but high handed in
Justice to toilers, as though they have
not a friend AZ the Capital. The voices
Of the people have been hu7hed in legis
latiOn. Their arp ais for Jstice have
been crushed by TIE power of monOp
oily and the masses are fast being re-
duced TO serfdom and slavery. Their
wives and children are destined Onlv
to live on low prices for their Labor
in m~Ortgaged homes ana IL ignorance.
poverty and crime.
We all know this is the curse broueht
on every country whose law making
power gone into che hands of the few. has
whose legislation is formed in favor Of
the rich. whose currency issc1uted and
confined to g1ld only, and where the
power Of wealth is priced and sold be-
fore i5 is grown in the earth. VIII
the people have reasonable thoughts
about this question? Just think of
the extensive area of u country and !
the fertility Of the soil. Her resources
are almost i~nexhaustible and her peo |
pie une1celIed for industry, prudence
and economy by almost any race on |
the face OF Gods earth. Yet, through |
out the whole country we fad igno-
rance, poverty and even starvation
staring millions in the face. You who
are bound together by the ties of fra i
ternlty for the mutual benefit of hu
manlty and for the restoration of the
sacred rights of liberty know that
something is wrong, and it does not
take a prophet to to tell the causes of
our curse. Along this line we might
take as a guide the following passage
OF scripture: Seek ard ye shall find |
ask and it shall be given; knock and
1t shall be op ned unto you" On this
sacr9d ground, I believe, stands the |
Farmers Alliance to day. In I al |
solid p1alanx. and marching with |
n,.nE -t-r q. L. E---A - 1