The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-08-21
THE STATE AND THE PEOPLE.

sion or cause to disagree with the
editor of the Grange department of
the Farmers Voice, whose clear
thinking and fine expression are
as much u delight as the delight
of our readers. And in what we shall
say here will probably be acqui-
esced in by Mr. Working so far as
its fundamental correctness is con
cerned. We refer to Mr. Workings
remarks anent the duties of the State
to care for the people, and his in
sistence that the farmer should be
looked after by the general social or
ganization which we call govern
ment.
If economies is a science at all, it
must be considered as such and be
taken entirely out Of it's relation to
any existing conditions which may
have been superimposed by man.
That is to say, we must reors
ganize economies at the outset
as a part of providential law,
far beyond the power of man
permanently to alter, no matter
what the present situation may be.
For instance, if tariffs have been in
stituted and are found to work
against the fundamental principles
of economics, then, OOner or later,
tariffs must go; if they are found to
be in harmony with the divine order,
they will continue though all the
world rises to destroy them.
Now, having this thought in mind,
let Us consider Mr.. Workings propo-
sition. We believe it will be agreed
that the handspring of the sub-treas-
ury plan and all such plans for the
social control of those things in their
nature subject to the laws of free
competition will be found in the
fact that while manufacture has re-
ceived aid from man-made condi-
tiOns the farmer has not, but rather
has been placed at a disadvantage,
simply because his products are al
ways and everywhere considered for
a period of time) subject to cOmpe-
titiOn, while the things he buys n
aided to become mOnOpOlies by eX-
listing economic conditions. In other
words, the farmer, seeing his brother
who runs a factory made rich
through the control of certain pat
ent rights or other special helps,
sage to hegovernment, Come over
and help US to meet the special priv
ileges of our fellows in other lines.
You help them why not render US
aid as well?" Nor is this u~nreason-
able but it is unecOlOmic, and will
only prolong the struggle to get
on a right economic foundation if
the government should comply. The
fact that, as Mr.. Working points out,
the farmer is the last man cOnsid-
cred, does not alter the principle in
volved.
We do not believe it to be the mis-
sion of government to meddle in the
business of production or in the car
rying forward of commerce in their
natures competitive. A government
which does so becomes in the very
nature of things a government con-
trolled by the rich, by the captains
of production and commerce. Could
it be otherwise? Government was
instituted to protect the weak from
the selfish mighty, and when 1T
secures for all men a fair field and
no favor it's highest service will be
rendered. THAT nation is best
governed which is least governed, "
is an aphorism worthy of all accep-
lance, and while the trend of pOpu-
lar thought is rightly toward the
Specialization of all public utilities,
we need to have a care that we do
not go beyond that point, for the
consequences of such a step might
prove fatal to the hopes of the peo-
ple.-Farmers Voice.
Littleton Female College, adver-
tised in this paper, is offering schol-
arships to worthy applicants and has
money to lend to needy students.
This Institution has educated a great
many useful ome and sent out
many successful teachers. It is one
of the most aggressive schools in