The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-12-10

A'oA "hich 'here Will DC no possible
recovery. Many causes have combin.
ed>.to ,redueeathe farmer to impecuni..
osity and involve him in pecuniary
difficulties. At tho Same time tho
farmer himself has to a certain ex.
tent contributed to his own embar.
rasSments. He inaugurated the now
eta,of farming bJ very many false
steps aud movements, and only at
tempted to remedy thcm whom too
late. The end Of tho war found
the farmers as a GLASS thoroughly dis
organic ID aud the revolutionixeI
character of labor almost disqualified
them for the task Of rs .est ,blisbiug
their lost Fortunes. They set to work,
nevertheless, uudaunted and unawed,
and with On earnestness that was
heroic. But alas how fruitless their
efforts have proved. The greatest
blum der, perhaps committed by our
farmers at the inception Of tho new
era spoken of, was the attempt to con.
tinue the cultivation Of large areas
with new and uncertain system of
labor. Then followed in few years
the introduction Of comm ercial for
tilize,s to an almost unlimited ex.
tent. Amongst other hardships i'm
posed in experimenting with tho
new system was the necessity of bor-
rowing money to mcet the heavy ex.
pentitures incidental to a large plan.
tation. In order to obtain tho
money, unsurious rates, Of interest
had to be paid and mortgage of land
giyon. Liens also upon drops we're
required for advances Of provisions
and fertilizers, and the farmer gener.
ally at the end of one planting sea-
son realized only enough to liquida-
bic the past years indebtedness.
Very frequently too he found himself
hundreds of dollars behind hand.
This condition of things has been
growing worse from year to year, un.
till now the farmer is dependent upon
the me eechant and factor for his
worry existence, and occupies little
better than a servilo status. lie has
to purchase everything on credit,
and in the fall of the year it takes
all he has made to pay his accounts,
and he has no surplus remaining to ex-
pend for the coming seasons. No
couroe left him but to apply again
for credit, and "run his face" for an.
~ fypo1uo
circumstances, and with no change
from this state Of semi-servility, nc
farmer can even hope to rise TO inde
| pendence. He will always be load ed
down with debt, ard oppressed with
various troubles and annoyauce,. Tho
factor and merchant will continue to
be his master, to whom alone he can
look to for support and susteuance.
Is there no relief for our farmers
Is there, no illumin.d pathway lead
ing out of the darkness and gloom
which seems to have settled down
upon almost the ent,re agrioultur Il
portion of our people ? In brief, is
there no means Of salvation within
the roach of those who "earn their
broad 10y the sweat Of their brow"
| am not one Of the over.sanguine
sort, Mr.. Editor, but l believe hon.
estly that thore is an affirmative an.
swer to all the questions asked above,
not theoretically, but practically.
Our farmers can yet be independent,
and get their own prices for produc.
tions, if they will listen to reason aud
throw off the yoke of "King Cotton"
Herein lies the secret Of all troubles,
submitting quietly to the imperirus
rule Of al exacting monarch. They
must make up their minds to leave off
planting SO much cotton, and devote
more lime and soil to the cmltivation cf
The accessories Of life. Another
change demanded by the peculiar
character of tho times, is to divide up
largo plantations into small farms,
aud cultivate small nreas 10 prefer.
once to large ones. SO long as the
S 'uthern planter makes almost an OK.
elusive crop of cotton, just so long
will the great staple be a plaything
in the hands of northern and Euro.
pean speculators, while the producer
will have to pay for the fun. The
western farmer fixes the price for
what lie raises and generally gets it,
while his Southern brother allows his
Invaluable productions to slip through
his fingers at mere nominal figure.
| appeal, then, to the farmers of FAR
field County, to consider seriously
what have SO mperfectly set forth.
The suggestions made arc certainly
rational, and are not new to them.
Let them make tho experiment at
least once, and If it is not productive
of great good, then, l too, will be
ready to fall down before the throne
of "King Cotton" Let thom mako
one more effort to relieve their ubforu
tunate condition in the way and by
the means suggested, and my word for
it, sunshine will rule where darkness
| non, bol1o f,n