The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-10-24
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
THR TROUBLE In THR TRANS
VAAL; NEGRO SUFFRAGE.

at Knoxville, Tenn, at the Southern
Industrial Convention now being held
at Huntsville, Ala, DR.. Dabney has
this to say:
"We hear to day that the peaceful
farmers ct the T~Tausvaal are on the
verge OF being forced from their do
mains. Whittier are they gOingf They
are hemmed in all sides by foreign
covers. I believe a great crime ia
about TO be perpetr ated. But it is the
result of the march Of progress. 1t is
inevitable. It is the Law OF nature, and
the law of nature is the law Of g ID"
Now, can a crime be perpetrated
when the act is in obedience to divine
law9 If crime it is, land crime IL mus
bel then the act is, and must be, con
trary to the law Of God,
Igrant that nature DEGREES the sur-
vival OF the 1ttest. All research at
tests the fact that not q moment passes
which fails to work wonderful changes
for the b7tterment Of man in natures
laboratory. This applies TO the heavens
above, as we'll as the earth beneath.
The rock on the mountain side By the
process of heat and cold, ia dissolved
and gives to the valley beneath Ite
~fruclisying properties. The meteor
which once possibly was a component
part Of some other planet, which mas
long occupied neutral ground in &c ial
space, i Undue time is brought in contact
with old mother Earth's atmosphere
and is reduced TO gases; these with
kindred gases, the dissipation Of the
solar rays on the soil, all decay ing
vegetation, go to make up what the
chemists nov tell us compose IS per
cent of tne food supply, fertilizer, 20
our field crops.
The huge mammoth is a thing OF the
past; the great IeViAthan is pa sing.
Only a few spots on mother earth ID
which the und0mesticated animal has
not been forced TO give Olace to thas
portion of the animal kingdom which
is subservisnt Cd mans uses.
Ours Is inGeed the era Of steRm-eleo
tricity-ot Int, Iligence. Do these I'M
foldiugs (prCmlses. let us hope, of bet
ter things ye5 IN store for mao) go to
establish 1t as a fact that might makes
right" 5ras the heavy hand Of the op
pressor is the hand Of Gods The writer
has tried to study social evolution IL
Abo l,-L-,F ,-oFono q roV n eoar.~
history l. Ia a study that deepens,
broadtns with the days. Thas, in 3
qualified Sense, there has been great
progress in the bet5erment of mans
conditions. no n can gainsay or dem :;
that much wroDg has been perpetraied
in these advances is equally true. One
can bug ask, DO the ends justify the
means7'
For a wise purpose God at times per
mits a wrong that good may be the re
sultsnt. 1 instance the persecution of
Job though this does not imply the
dictation Of the Almighty. Civil'z;-
ton may be advanced by the opores
sion, the total destruction OF the Beers,
yet the human heart cannot help ask
ing if it is right to use these means.
Are there rot others equally potentI
''Not by might, or by power, but b.
my spirit, satin the Lord" this is the
true uplifting power-one that will yee.
cause the lion and the lamb TO lie doW
together; will convert the sword into
the pruning hook; will enable man TO
dwell in families; to live free from
moles sation uuder his " vine aud dg
tree.
All that obtains is not in accordance
with Gods laws. On the cootrRry,
man has violated His laws, has become
the oppressor OF his weaker brother;
has robbed him largely Of his birth
right. This robbery exists not at the
hands Of governments only, but per
vades we'll nigh every communicative
peaceful Beer farmer is not alone
That he is to be forced from his pos
sessions is true. AIae! alasl how
many here in this go. called democratic
land have seen others reap where they
had sown, and occupy the homes they
had buiioedl
Job did not curse God and die;
neither will we. Bat like Job, we will
trust Him, though be sley US, and like
unto Job our posterity will Gt it be de
MED us to live to witness it) have these
stolen possessions returned. Tie spirit
of democracy is here to stay. Autcc
racy may rule for a season, but the
people will yet take control. All hail
that suspicious day.
By the by, at this same Industrial
convention, that subject which is en-
crossing u attention, negro suffrage,