The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-03-30
A'Glance at the Situation and Rem.

edy.
The Agricultural editor Of the Union
and American, says, in an article as
above headed, that there is but one way
OF overcoming the many obstacles that
impede the prosperity Of the farmers in
the South, and that is to recognize facts
as they are. That we have facilities for
the transportation of produce no one can
deny. That we can diversity our pro-
duction to an almost unlimited extent is
a conceded fact. Then why are not the
farmers Of Tennessee, and the South, as
prosperousa as they are any whereof How
does it happen that while the farmers OF
the North are extinguishing mortgages
on their lands, those in the South are
loading their plantations with addition
al %burthens? The evils that afiict our
people are, to a great extent, beyond the
reach Of Legislative bodies. In so far as
the unequal distribution of the currency
and the enormous patronage ofthe Gov
eminent are concerned, the North is the
gamer, and relief to q limited extent
might be given ill these particulars but
the great error and mistake with our
people is, the impression that they can
live in the same costly style they did be-
fore the war. Into this fatal error they
fell almost unconsciously. 1t will be re-
membered that at the close of the war
cotton, tobacco, sugar and rice, the great
staples of the South, commanded enor-
nous prices. At the then ruling prices
it was an easy matter to pay fifteen or
twenty dollars per month for field hands,
and realize fifty ; and it 20 came to be
thought by many men of intelligence,
that the South was entering upon a new
career of prosperity and that with her
great staples, she would soon assert her
commercial supremacy over the world
Planters did not, as q general rule, pay
off their old debts, but used their in
comes to increase their business. Nor
were their profuse expenditures con
fined to their income. Many of them
plunged deeper into debt, arguing them
selves into the belief hat the ineficien-
cy and scarcity of labor the supply Of
cotton could never exceed the demand.
Unfortunately, however, the high prices
had stimulated production in India and
Egypt and other i~nter-tropicL countries
and the natives for q time abandoned
the cultivation Of hemp, indigo, jute,
and devoted almost their entire agricul-
tural strength to the production of cot
ton. And so with the stimulated pro-
duction in all the cotton growing coun-
tries, the prices fell lower and lower, the
planters hoping each year almost against
hope, that another year would be better
And thus, to the neglect of almost all
the necessaries of life, they have contin-
ued growing cotton until poverty-strick-
en-, in debt, without credit, they stand
before the world victims to an inordi-
nate and senseless passion for the once
great, but now fallen, liking Cotton"
The same, to u certain extent, may be
said OF tobacco, with this difference, how
ever Tobacco planters always made
their own supplies and relied only upon
tobacco for money to pay hands. We
see then this apparently anomalous con-
dition of things. The greatest scarcity
of money and the s~everest agricultural
distress are to be found among those
farmers who grew most largely of cotton
and tobacco ; while ease, thrift and pros
perity are to be found in those portions
of the South where neither of these arti
cles were raised to any great extent.
The solution is easy. Farmers who rails
ed neither of those staples hired but few
hands and worked themselves, living all
the time strictly within their income. If
they made but one hundred dollars it
was theirs. Neither old debts nor obi
cations for labor, nor artificial wants,
nor the means to keep up deceptive ap-
pearances were to be provided for. No
false notions of decency or responsibility
deferred them from the performance of
their plain duty. Acknowledging pow
erty and accepting the situation" they
have gone bravely to work, the old men
and the young men, the mothers and
daughters, and are obeyingt the divine in
junction, "In the sweat of thy face thou
shalt eat bread" Like Jacob of old, they
are now receiving their blessing after a
long night of wrestling. A pleasing con-
tentment reigns in their homes. Their
lands are increasing in value immigra-
ton is pouring in their houses are
being repaired and beautifed churches
and school houses, the highest evidences
Of civilization, are springing up, and as
their wealth increases, they develop
more and more the instincts of a higher
and nobler manhood. Cotton and to-
bacco are the curses Of our State and of
the South, and their culture, to a great
extent, must be abandoned. Only such
q quantity of each should be raised as
can be conveniently manufactured and
not interfere with the production of the
prime necessaries. Then only four things
will be requisite to gain our former pros
perity, greatness and independence
l. Intelligent labor with small farms.
2. Diversification of crops.
8. Economy and living strictly within
our income.