The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-08-20

nd Tush Tor power and wealth with
scant regard Tor the peace and pros
perity Of h people.
An unreasonable lot Of time was
spent by the late Legislature in arts-
ing 70 points Of personal privilege.
explaining votes. selecting special
committees for Investigations and dis
cussing the rates for passenger fare
OF railroads.
No little interest liz being manifested
by lawyers. railroad men and travelling
men as 10 the or the very
dangerous game Of tag whfcn Is now
being played all the way from Ashe-
Vile TO Raleigh. the end or which
none can foreteIl. Pity II is that the
railroads had not bowed to the Will
OF q very large majority Of our people
and To the laws OF the land. on which
they feed made by the same legisla-
tive power from which they secured
their charters and rights Of public do
main, Had they done so and could
then show TO any coming Legislature
that their property was being confs-
Gated all North CaroIian would de-
mand a repeal of the law which the
railroads now seek to destroy by Fed
eral interference and without employ
ing the jury system which Is so dear
10 the hearts OF those seeking real
justice.
BY following this or a similar course
my "Ouid nave set an example not
calculated to encourage men to ride
over the laws Of our land. Those who
would criticize them would then have
been robbed of their sharpest sting.
Kindlter feelings would have been en-
gendered and no i~rreparable wrong
done, for surely If the short roads
with little reserve fund can survive
| under a 2 Ia cent rate, it seems 10
me that the great Southern. with its
fed and Watered stock and the Allan
tic Coast Lin could keep their great
bodies and little souls together just a
little while.
Freight Rates and Prompt Shipments.
The average farmer, however,
knows little and cares less about pas
senger fares, as he Is seldom, If ever,
seen on a railroad car.
AS to freight rates, he is directly in
terested and largely so, as will be
noted when you consider the amount
of fertilizers and cotton and tobacco
on which he a the freight.
However the worst proposition with
which we nave to contend Is the out
geo delay In delivering goods and
in many instances the deplorable con-
dition in which they are received.
Concert of action, my brethren,
would speedily remove this obstacle
from our path.
1t would be wise for us to Sc
leCt at tIlIS HlStIlIlS a. SLdIluIllS tcIil-
mittee whose duty it shall be tc de-
wise plans and specification for the
regulation Of freight rates and for
prompt and proper delivery Of ship
mentS.
Education and Prohibition.
The Farmers Alliance has stood
and always will stand for education;
nor could it do otherwise SO long as
we are mindful Of the very funda-
mental principles of our rider.
AS Alianeemen, and therefore
farmers, we should insist on educa-
ton, useful, ID I may say absolutely
necessary to the advancement of agri-
cultural pursuits, If we would hold
our own in the tide of progress,
which now seems to be spreading all
over this land of ours.
I believe it was Ex-Governor Aycocf
who gave to the Alliance the credit of
starting the great and glorious edu-
cational wave which has not only
changed our percentage of illiterates
in North Carolina, but has removed
from us the unwelcome name of RIP
Van Winkle.'
1t is with pleasure h a 1 call you
attention to the very greatest moral
question that has probably ever been
considered by the men and women
of North Carolina-that of pronibi-
ton.
l hope you will at this meeting put
the State Alliance squarely on record
as favoring the regulation of, If not
emancipation from, the liquor traf-
f1c.
Let us declare to the world in nc
uncertain sound that we stand fol
schools and against liquor.
Trusts and Combinations.
The older members Of the Alliance
will remember that we have from the
very birth our our organization asked
Of and pleaded with our lawmakers
both State and National. to enact
some law that Woul regulate, If not
annihilate, all trusts whose object II
is to destroy competition in the buying
and selling Ct the products of the
soil.
Sorry am I to say that up to now
our Twenty-First Annual meeting day
those pleadings have been in vain
However, let US continue u efforts
still hoping that some day a sufiicien1
statute will manage to get on our
law books that will find it's way into
the hands OF an executive and judi
cial officer with brains and backbone
enough to destroy every combination
of capital whose object and purpose
n effect is to destroy competition
III the buying and selling of our sol
products.
Public Highways.
1t would be we'll for us to consider
the good a question. as it is OF
more importance to us than any
other class.
l will quote from the very able
address of one Of our most useful, un-
selfish, n broad-minded members
Bro. John Graham, which he, ther
your State President. made in Au-
gust. 1897. 1t was good doctrine then
and 1t is good doctrine now:
Your ~convicts should be employ
ed on your county roads, While il
is absolutely necessary for convicts
to be employed upon farms in orde,
TO raise food for their the
raising of cotton is as much in com
petition with honest labor as ths
manufacture of shoes"
1t would be wise my brethren TO
us to give u hearty support to an,
practical proposition tending to tn,
betterment of our public highways.
Immigration.
A good lot of time was spent b,
the late Legislature in discussing tn,
, immigration movement Just wha
the direct effect will be to you ant
me canno be predicted, but SHOULD