The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-01-30
TOBACCO GROWERS; TRUSTS.

correspondence OF The Progressive Farmer.
W. luxe , ur Taper very mucn W
this wy aud ooly wish the farmers
could realrz' enough money from the
products of their farms TO have it come
into very hnme. You give US every
Week q ,Ite a variety for our entertain
ment and luz r%uction, but this writer
would lIse ro suggest a few things that
would doubtless add to the interest Of
your paper
zee that theere was a big gathering
az the ooacc growers in r leigh last
week and a nav organic atom formed
for COMBATING the trust po yer. Will
YOU please CO | me why the Farmers
Alliance, composed of tobacco and cot
ton growers could not have acc mp
lished all Enar will be accomplished Oy
this new org~snIEationi Gan two or
gan n ltIon+ WELD more indusnce and
exert more pI YER shan q Strong.
thoroughly organised onel The ALI
ance IS Oro4d9r IN ibs concep ton Of the
situation IN Al this new association
and woulI enlist many hearty sy %
psthlEar s aod supporters Wno are not
specially GOOa9oO Or cotton raIsers. bu,
whl " uld XII ably embrace q chanc.
OF helping 20 down the trusts thai are
today 80 grIeVously Expressing all
classes OF pr ducers aud consumers
l WAS EalRIng with a gentle nan o
intelligence and experience today, anO
he tald, "CstK aOouE liberty and free
dom 10 this country-tnoussnds do no
know anyrhIug about il " ] believ.
the truth vii b ar putting it stronger
There are thousands In our land who
dare no claim the time Iht GOd has
CicGaEe che b ,urs OF labor, the price o.
products, the ierms Of rVlc ano
sometimes whether there shall be- any
service &C all or not. What ia the final
outcome o. a monopoly cursed lsno
and government Concentration Of
wealth, dIscrt nInation in Legislation,
the su0stItu i1n of an oligsrchy for the
repuOllc; der spect for the laws of tne
land, 1IsgusG and hatred for our
National rul-rs and contempt for
minor ohclal4; and, lastly, we shall
see conduIoDs favorable for the d vel
opment of anarchism and communism
The decline of morality, virtue and
Patriotism must inevitably follow
such conditions. Religion will cease
to restrain men from wrong and home
will lose les sweetness in the same pro
portion.
l would not be pessimistic in my
views, but can it be that there is q
similarity in the ratios Of the growth
OF the trust power and the increase of
crime, suicide, divorce, lynching, muir
der, vsgrancy, &9.l / would like to
see some reliable statistics along this
line. I suggest that in this study may
be found a solution of some OF our
social and political problems. l see
from recent quotations that many
things used by o r farmers have Rd-
Vanced from 1 Eo 300 per cent, such as
IRON, Steel and farming tools. Now, II
u c things advance and tobacco and
other farm products do not in equal
ratio, how long before the farmer will
Dc l a worse condition than he Is now !
l nave vIsi'ed the homes of q good
many people in the tobacco counties,
f7rson, ORsWell. Rockingham, Ala
nance and Gullford during the last
year Most OF them have plenty 20
sat, but home comforts and eduCa-
,tloDal training are to q great extent
lScKlng Mr. EiItor. tell US how these
.uioRs are TO be remedIed without
more money in the farmers pockets,
aua you will confer q favor upon q
'aFge class Of people More anon.
JEREMIAH w. HOLT.
Alamance o., N. @.