The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-02-14

tion. Let US suppose we have gone to
work, raised the money, secured our |
charter, elected the officers, employed
the agents, and have bought up all the
cotton thrown on the market up to
Jan. 1st, and are holding for an advance
of 2 cents on the pour d, and we see the
price of cotton fabrics advancing,
q fine prospect for the manufactures,
he advances his prices on goods made
from raw material on hand when we
went to work. Now he is unloading
his accumulated surplus or preparing
to advance prices, so that IN three
years we see the cotton company loaded
with six or eight million bales OF cot
ton, cott on goods high, the great mass
OF consumers economiZlng and curtall-
ing because they are unable to buy the
manufactured goods became OF the
want of the Want Of WhatR
Well, has not cotton gone up 2 ants
on the pound from to cents3 Yes,
and the cotton goods have advanced
out of all proportion, corn, wheat, to
bacco, rice, oats and potatoes and
wages, too, are at stand still. This
cotton trust has only benefited the
shareholders in the concern. Well,
then, let all of you take stock IN the
cotton trust, and all your corn and
wheat, tobacco men, etc form a trust
in your particular lines, so that you
can control the output in your respec
tive branches. Yes, it can be done, AZ
those interested would CO operate; but
they won't" do it, because it is easier
not to do it. But suppose we finally
live to see it all organized and at work
in 1903, and still times are as hard as
ever. combinations paid those who
we're interested in them the best kind
of dividends all along from 1898 up to
1900; when all productive industry
combines in ODE dience to the doctrine
'Meet combination with combination,
we have done this, and now all OF US
have our trusts, and still the trouble
exists for the reason that the very life
bloood of prosperity is wanting, and
that life blood is nothing less than q
sufficient volume of money. That is
what the above fellows wanted in or
der to buy the cotton goods Yes,
dear reader, trusts work well for their
owners, while all others are dependent
upon them; but when you organize all
the industries, each under it's own
head, then there exists no class for the
trusts to fleece and plunder, and as
there is no class to devour, the trusts
no longer pay. For they pay, only so
long as those unprotected by those
methods are at their mercy. Give the
country back it's money, give the
country the money it once had in cir;
culation, and hard times will vanish
from our shores.
Trusts and combinations are formed
for the purpose of destroying competi
ton by limiting the output of articles
or to keep up the prices on them. They
are conspiracies against the common
go. d, and against the competitive sys
tenn under which We live, and if one il
wrong, then all are wrong.
Our government has placed the peo
pie in a position that forces them to re
sort to combinations and the pooling
of interests as a means of defending
themselves against the evil and ruin
GUS effects of money famine
But for the destruction Of the peo
, ple's money and forcing the single gol'
standard upon the people, we woul'
, have no trusts. They are the legiti
mate outgrowth of money contraction
, and no law can be enforced agains
{ them so long as the law allows the tol
nation of partnerships. The time
; now on US when the cotton growers Q
, the South should combine for the pul
r pose of controlling the price OF tn
q fruits of their toll They can do it
, they will; but will they do itG w
( ans yer, No! No! They will not eve
{ support their Alliance and Union. The
l would prefer to pay three dollars for
q shoe made by trust in Boston, rathe
. than pay two dollars for better al
ticle made by their own Alliance g
t Hillsboro.
q A farmer I am, and with shame
t confess this sad truth. M.
ppooAE c0pNAS A MONRV CPOF