The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-11-27


right, and do all we can to build up
this people, as well as our own race, in
their educational privileges. Be assured
In our meeting these demands like true
patriots, and promptly giving in our adj
herence to this public policy.
Could we not introduce something like
the
LABOR SYSTEM OF THE ENGLISH Gov
EMINENT 3-
into our country? Agriculture and farm
labor is especially provided for by code
of laws, that were found to be necessary
in order to secure permanent culture of
the food crops and the British Isle and
her Provinces to-day are enjoying the
great advantages secured them by this
system which is enforced by law. The
principal act regulating field and farm
labor is called "the master and servants
Act" Contracts are usually made before
some officer authorized by law to enforce
them. The laborer engages to do the
work for so much per month, and should
he fail or be derelict, he can by law be
compelled under penalty to perform his
contract. The great object of this code
of laws is to provide against a failure of
breadstuffs Our whole farming interest
is from year to year dependent upon the
merchant for assistance IN pitching and
cultivating the crops The local mer-
chant for the prospective profits taxes his
credit with the commission merchant,
and the commission merchant is in like
manner bound to the bankers and monied
kings of Wall street. And so it is, the
crops are pledged before they are made.
This is all wrong. Thrust needs be that
we have mercantile men, to conduct the
legitimate business of trade. They are
a highly honored class of our fellow-citi-
zens. It is said by the historian, THAT
they are the pioneers of civilization and
commerce." They, to a great extent,
control and manage the financial interests
of our country. We hope that the high
toned merchants of the South will frown
down that class of traders who ignore all
the honorable rules that sustain well
regulated mercantile communities, and
place the business of trade and commerce
upon the high standard of integrity that
our merchants were noted for.
The principle supplies that costs the
merchant all his capital, and requires
him to strain every nerve Of credit, are
breadstuffs, provisions, and provender.
These articles demand the cash, and he,
in return for his outlay and risk, must
have large profits; and these profits eats
up all the toll of the farmer, and leaves
him no profits for his labor; and when
a bad crop year comes, leaves him IN
debt Now. ought we not to raise to
great extent our own supplies 1t can
be done. The people of this State in the
past did it. There was an emergency
not many years ago when we were COM
PEELED to do so. We then not only raised
all our provender, but our own meat and
breadstuffs. Cannot we do it again?
One years sole attention to raising food
crops, with only few acres of cotton,
would putus out of debt; for the increase
in the price that this small crop of cotton
would bring would pay the debt of the
farmers, and supply those articles for
which the cash is demanded.
We are in debt, but in amount not
dollar where the farmers of our State
once owed their thousands. Our debt is
to the merchant, and is generally the
balance overtraded. The farmer has no
means to begin his new crop, and has to
flee to the merchant again, and this debt
cripples all his energies, and deprives
him of the means to live independently.
So far as can be ascertained,
THE DEBT OF THE FARMERS
of Mississippi Is very little larger than
the value of one years supplies.
Come out, my fellow-citizens, from this
~ raoarSarv
to enable YOU in the future to command
your own crops, and be determined that
another financial crisis shall not find you
bound hand and foot to the car of those
mercantile Juggernaunts.
1t would be far better to raise our own
supplies, even if we could buy our corn
and meat at less expense by one half
than we do now. We depend too much
on raising cotton; we ought to
DIVERSITY OUR CROPS.
There are many other products that can
be successfully raised on our soil that is
really more remunerative than cotton.
Corn. Wheat, Oats, Rye, Potatoes, Hay,
Tobacco, Sorghum, Sugar Cane, Rice
and many other crops can be raised at
less expense. 1t costs, by estimate, not
less than 121 cents per pound to raise
cotton. 1t costs only fourteen cents per
bushel to raise corn. Cotton scarcely
brings 1S.cents. Corn readily commands
one dollar per bushel, and will pay
profit at that price to fatten hogs. Wheat
can be raised on large portion of the
lands of Mississippi at a smaller expense
than cotton or corn, and often two crops
can be raised in orr climate on the same
! lands in one year-one IN wheat, the
other in rye or barley. We ought to
stand side by side, in our productions,
with our sister States. Our being in
debt embarrasses us. We have no means
or capital to put into the other great in
dustries demanded by the necessities of
our people. We are hindered by our
poverty. from establishing large foun-
fries. well-filled workshops, extensive
manufactures. We are now
TRIBUTARIES TO THE NORTH AND WEST,
For nearly all the agricultural and farm
ing implements that we use, and for
nearly all manufactured goods of every
kind that we need. If our own capital
was properly invested in this line, and
not sill in one crop, money, instead of
flowing out from US would soon enable
our mechanics and our manufacturers to
supply our demands, and to compete
/ with other markets with their workman
shin. We should feel the necessity of
establishing these industries, when it is
remembered that our young men
are not born farmers, or merchants.
Some have talents peculiarly fitted
to develop and improve these various
arts and Industries, and perhaps open
up, and invent other improvements in
the Agricultural and Mechanical, and