The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1871-01-14

LEI wsek w. shlfssssl an aHie.s
~ Ne fsfmsfs n ihs epanify ltah
tis duties ilsi vsfs H dent ~ Ne
present eotmiag yssf snd. Will sr
lsld that iise farming ihi'fe ~
the county sfs ladly maunrei ir
tie general v%eliafe y d. nf'dmo
sltJ. We are equals ,s frnll 81 10y
,hri I'll n ne fault ioc' no le i'
them iaf he t%tc,eni m-'''''l ''''
dhion u he fnnncial interest ~ lc
fouth. bui iltsi even more llamc ls
%ehargsiic uton tie mercantile com
munity than ~ them. A. evidence
of this, W. viii Int have ~ think D.
moment Of the present .tllc and
manner Of carrying on the motcnn
tile business and the assertion Is pro
we'd IN itself. The merchants 4 w.
becn half shareholder, or. m fact,
the bank owners in the game Of
faro that has been played in cotton
culture since the war. They said to
the planters, after the war: WewIl
supply You with provisions, horses
aud means 10 run a fnrm, md you
will mortgage your land, stock and
crop TO Us Tor these advances, aud
thereby you will be able To do a big
business in farming, aud You have
10 money TO purchase these supplies
with and can only do Il small bust
ness without ourhclp, and underthc,c
conditions the bargain was struck,
and the financial panic of 1867 was
the result of this mode, and when
we look around us and see the ma.
ny evidences of that horrible season
OF bankruptcy and ruin, we are star
tied at its consequence. The plan
ting interest of 1868 and 1869 was
carried on under closer terms, and
with less granting of indulgence by
merchants, and thescyears were fruit
fnl and the planters all had money,
as they had contracted but few debts.
but the year 1870 br light back the
policy of 1866 and merchants were
found every where ready to advance
any amount to farmers, provided
only they got a elem upon the crop
Vt the iarmcr, no matter whethei
they had ever seen the party before
or not, and no inquiries were made
as to past promptness in plying the
Indebtedness contracted for supplies,
and this went SO far that merchants
were ready to give credit to every
negro in the country, provided only
that they could get the first "loin" '
recorded, no matter what contract
had been made with the employer {
OF the negro. The only question
was priority Of %"leins," no matter how |
much the farmer suffered thereby 40 G
tie debt was secured. The result of t
this system was the employee tearing u
his crop IN the field ungathered early Il
IN the fall, Il s soon as he saw that it II
would not pay this merchants debt $
and NIL his other bills, and going 9
picking cotton for other parties, /
alleging that at wont no use work. C
ing for other folks" as they had no '
interest in that crop, Now this il
certainly the fact in many cases in "
this county, although this is an ex. o
trcmc case, yet the influence by this n
kind of credit business has been high ca
y de'ecterious to the entire farming Y
community, and, as proof of it, we N
MY ask that the opinion of the far. h
aers in the community may be heard, al
md it will be unanimous in condem- Dc
Of this system. Now the EN- ii
in ncglccting the gathering Ct
{ his crop, does not injure alone the iii
merchant in not paying him, but in SC
,res the employer, because half OF on
nc crop is his, and that, 90, must Of
iffcr and 80 ungatbered, unless 9th. tn
r hands are hired at the expense of "
employer, because he c,nnot force go
n lnsolveIlt laborer to perform his sh'
%,tract, and he cannot get it out OF tn
70 half of the crop belonging to the he'
nployec, for the merchant says, "no cd
is mine, | have a 'lein' upon BY
and must be paid and you must yo'
" your halfot this extra expense" res
nd not thus alone does this injury sell
in the Wholesale crcditing Of every .op
an who asks it, but 1t effects ever, (wI
Ibsfaatial, prompt-paying, industri. ry)
Is ma IN the community, as he sea-
that prcmptness and pun.tual. emit
J are of no value in this country. her
d that a man who has UNIVERSAL, was
fused to pay his debts can get as gall
UGH credit as him xho has ever been his
ompt, and the sum of the whole gag
's'ness is, that It puts a price, as j stat
ward, upon deception and unrelia- dest
and when credit, based npou Sar
III ~. 2 NHA A E