The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-10-11
HAOItliRg Back BAOrtgaEeSa Cot.
tOn,-1s 10 IEOnesa ?

u. y.
Wyatt Aiken holds in the agricultural
societies Of the State entities him to be
regarded as their representative, AMI
gives to hia views an Importance which
they might M. otherwise posaess. s,
long as he disenurscs on topics cnnnec-
ted with the interest to which he ha g
devoted his labora. We confess our iguo
rance aud listen rs To one speaking " 9Th
authority. bit when, exceeding thoae
limits, he lectures OH finance aud promu.
gee cnde of morals for his constituents
We sre at lib, rty to question his ability.
and dispute his instruction, although We
never held q pl.ugh or handled
h,c.
Wo do not propose e. discas, Mr.
Aiken's peculiar views Of fnauce as
expressed in his Cokcsbury letter. We
would only suggest to him to inform
bimsclf Dpon subjsct bcfrre ha ventures
TO write upnn it -rr't'yr1. for the IL
hardly statem .nt ia his letter which p
not an error; hardly oonalnsi'n which
Is not illr"Gically d avn frrm his state.
ments. We have MT time to review
then all Let one example selics.
Speaking Of the circulstisn Of she Ma
tional Banks he says it is l,gslly restrict.
ted but "who ever examin.s to learn
whether they issu- Que hundred thou.
Eand dollars or one million ?" Ia it
possible that My. Aiken does not know
that every bill which u y Sational Bank
issues is furnished 10 1t from Washing.
ton, is signed BY she Treasury officials
at Washington, and that the amount
Of these bills is regulated By th amaunt
Of bonds deposited 10 tho UDitei States
Treasury by the IS+uk! Anl did Il
never occur to Mr Aiken Ihat if his
statement vas correct. aud the issue of
bills was unrestricted that not oao Of
the suspension he complains Of Wosld
have occurred? The banks suspeadsd
because they had no bills and could gss
mono. Mr. Aiken's tatomsnts and his
conclusions, like the famous Kilkenny
cats eat each other up.
1t seems ais, tn have entirely escaped
MIR. AikGn's attention. that the most
extensive and di,astfous financial revul.
sions have occurred when thste were no
national banks, when circulation was
based on gold and silver, and when there
was, practically, no Limit to The power Of
il 'uing bills. But, as wo said before,
the financial yiows Of Mr.. Aiken, how
ever original; do not interest us, that
which does excite in Us feeling of
alarm -aDd he win paAdoo Us fer saying
feeling also of iudignation-is the
new code OF morals which he seeks 70
iBEtiIl into the planters Of the State. Il
is but justice to Mr.. Aiken to say that
acquit kiR Of all intention to do wrong;
but the errors Of even good men often
produce ipcalculable mischief. We are
willing TO believe that Mr.. Aiken doss
not psecsiye the logical consequence Of
his OuD teaching; but, disguise it from
l,iroSolf as he may, his remedy fer tho
evil begins and ends in sheer dishonss-
ty. If his instructions were reduced to
practice, the agricultural interest ofthe
State would be irretrievably landed in
bankruptcy, moral and material This
We do not state this too strongly let rs
examine tho instruction. What is the
adVIos, which MFR. Aiken gives to the
plaptsra To hold their cotton.
Admirable advice il the plsnter was
free ofdcbt, and bis cotton free oflisn,