The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-11-04
col. D Wyatt AiEeH's Address.

naught but success. Through the
efficiency Of legal advisers and the
liberality of the late Town Council of
this Village We have secured yalua-
Bile real estate for the society, which
by the exert;ons Of the Executive
Committee has been well improved,
and thereby greatly enhanced in val
ue. Tle exhibition Of the articles
there collected is only ar earnest Of
what our people viii and can do, if
each and every one tould be induced
to enroll himself o. herself upon our
lists. Unfortunately many of our
most valued Citizens are not colahor,
ers with us, and hold themselves
aloof, or withhold their monicd assist
ance bccansc they can see no good
resulting from Agricultural and Nc
chanicsi Societies. If these Societies
did pothing moro than annually col
lcct together in social way the pco-
pie of the county and State; they
would amply repay us for tho invest
ed pistance. But they havo a far
higher aim. They develop tho re.
sources, and publish to the world the
Industrial capacity of our people,
Who thatgisits Fair does not see
and hear and learn something that
practically stimulates him? Your
! tine stock encourages, me to hope
that l may improve my scrubs; my
beautiful grain compels tho dctermin'
alton that you will no longer SOW
wcavlc eaten wheat or musty oats
The beautiful knitting aud netting,
embroidery and crochet work, exc,
cuteds by the tiny fingers of A6be-
fville's fair daughters assure us, that
our women, always ornamental, can
bc when requisite equally practi-
cal and useful. - ,
Then, falowecitizens, if our Society
is thus in many ways advantageous
and valuable should it not 5e a per,
manent and selfsustaia.ng organiza.
ton? But when 10 you propose to
mike it selfsus.aining? Is it by con'
tinuing it asa voluntary association OF
planters, mechanics, and their friends
I trust not. Fer voluntary associa'
tions arc irreliable, unsatisfactory.
and short lived. l. have had
occasion during the.past summer to
correspond with as many as fifty Sec:
retarics of Agricultural, Mechanical
Horticultural, and Pathological Socie
ties throughout the United States
and almost in every instance where
the Society was hourishing and self
sustaining it was joint stock com
pany. Shares varied from $40 TO $lO(
each in value. In somo cases stock
holders wero allowed the privileges
of the Society, FREQ of charge, and
hence no dividends were declared
In other cases stockholders were re
quired to pay as other exhibitors OF
daily visitors, and consequently divi
|dends wore annually, issued often
amounting to 80 per cent. upon, tbe
Frequently ladies and
minors were stockholders, and no bet
ter collaterals were demanded in
bank than their scrip. - -.
Allover the South agricultural and
mechanical societies have sprung up
since the war, and those that have
organized as joint stock companies
know no such word as, failure. In
the Northern States they have not
only become sselfsustaining, but in
many States possess large real estate
investments. In tho State of Massa-
chusetts the aggregate permanent in.
vestment of atlie State Agricultural
Society,"" and 20 County Societies ex-
ceeds $35O,0OO. The Agricultural
Society Of the State of Rhode Island
has an invested fund of $4,000. And
so, my fellow-citizens, might we have
a very handsome property, if we dis,
played but half the energy in build
ing up this Society that we do indi'
rectly..in assisting those Northern So.
cicties of which I have spoken.
Just here for yonr own edifcation
listen to few statistical facts. Rhode
Island, which seems. but q dwarf in
the great family of States, manufac:
tured in 1869 9lproducts TO the amount
of $109,000,0O0, and one half the crude
material was grown upon Southern
soil. \ The.city of Providence alone
imported 100000 bales of cotton,
worth at that time $s0,000,000, and
exported therefrom $40, GOO, 900 worth
of cotton manufactures. 20,00O,000
pounds of wool was in the same year
imported into Rhode Island, worth
SS, ,00O, 900; but s25,000,000 worth Of
.wooIen manufactures were exported.
Rhode Island has 100 cotton mills,
and 20 woolen mills, and if through
these instrumentalities sho- manipu-
Iates into her Treasury millions Of
money from the cotton planters Of
the South, can there be any wonder
that her industries are developed?
Connecticut, too, with an area only
/ that of South Carolina, and popu-
lation equal to our white population,
has real and personal property grea'
ter in value than that of our State;
and with the products of her mechan-
ical industries four times as valuable
as the entire cotton. crop Of South
Carolina, she annually declares an in
come of over 5000 to every soul, man
woman and child, within her con.
fines. - -,
II those States agricultural and
mechanical Societies are most -four
ishing, and are powerful incentives to
education and enlightenment. From
their reports is CLEANED the above in.
formation. But, fsllow-citizens, : il
similar reports were required of the.
products apd expectations of South.