The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-10-10
An ADDRESS.

of the Farmers A'''o"ce ." NOTt
carolina:
railing that the time has come for a
usneral revival and reorganization of
Alliance in this State, the under
N.od we're. at the recent session Of
mo North Carolina State Alliance, ap-
".;rted a committee to draft an ad-
Eroas to the formers Of the State.
This is an epoch of organization
ID Operation. The class that re
-,oins unorganiz9d is at the mercy
- tbosa united in organiz alton. E.ev-
~ years ago the farmers of North
carolina, realizing this fact, joined
lands in an eff )rt to promote their in
arrests mentally, morally, socially
ond financially" When the jute bag
1inp trust attempted to Cypress us,
tbe farmers defeated it and it was glad
n cell its product at the old price or
for less. We could deal with any
t1u,t existing as we did with the
iute bsgging trust, if we had the same
united cooperation Of the farmers Of
the country.
The social condition OF the farmers
and the period of neighborly good feel
ing for and association with each other
which then existed has never been
eoualled in the history Of the State.
Families that had lived near each
other for years became acquainted,
unfsvor8ble opinions OF neighbors were
found on acq l~aintance to be unfounded
and their worth learned and appre
cisted. The people by associating to
gether and exchanging ideas were
beneftted in their business in all de-
psrtments- By CO operation the 100
per cent. for a few months credit was
destroyed and need supplies bought
ct reasonable prices for cash or good
security.
The different state Of feeling now ex.
isting among the farmers was coca
stoned to some extent by differences Of
opinion on political questions. The
merchants, bankers, railroaders, mill
men, lawyers, etc have organizations
to promote the interests Of their re
spacsive line OF business. When their
assemblies convene no one is made to
feel uncomfortable on account Of q diff
ference of political views, but their
confederation is directed to the advance
e Of the business in which they
have common interest. Why should
it not be so with the farmers9 Is there
anything beneficial gained by rejecting
the example given us by the wild
horses on the Western plains, which,
when attacked, turn their heads to
gather and use their heels upon their
enemies, and in initiating the conduct
Of an animal that has neither pride
Of ancestry nor hope of posterity"
turning our ears full length to our
enemies AMI using our heels upon each
o:herl The evil of this course is now
bearing fruit and the Alliance has de
termined that the pledge that a mem
ber's religious and political views shall
not be in any way intertered with shall
be strictly enforced.
As to the course Of our organ, The
Progressive Farmer, we are assured
By the business manager and the edl
TOR of the paper that it shall be an in
dependent, unmuzzled farmer5' aud
Alliance journal and while it will I'm
~hesitatingly commend the right and
tearlfsjIy condemn the wrong it shall
be done as TO the matter IN question
per Sc without reference 10 the politi
Cal psrty advocating IL.
Aud financially the Alliance s in a
healthy state. Although some mis-
takes have been made, our executive
committee and business agency have
Strengthened out our business and we
now have over So 900 in North Caro-
Inns 4 per cent bonds and cash, besides
our property at Headquarters near
HllsbOro. TIE Alliance also owns the
sho3 factory machinery, costing over
ST. 900 and the building in which it Is
located, all unencumbered. Tnis prop
erty, security end machinery is for the
benefit of all, new as we'll as old mem
bers.
E7idences that the farmers are
aWaking to the benefit such an organ
ization as the Alliance should be, and
would be to them, come to us from
many sections of the State. We antlcl
pate a considerable revival in the a
future. There were other causes than
political rancor which have been IN
furious to the order, among them the
membership of unworthy men. Dur
Ing the fret year or so Of the Alliance