The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-09-10
THE TRUE POLICY OF THE FARM
Err.

S1OSCluO1 S2AAASAA3 .
q late speech made before the As'
ricultural Convention of Athens
advances substantially the same
views which were contained in the
speech of the Hon. 3. IL. ILL.,
(extracts from which were pub
lished in our last issuen with refer
ence to the impending bankruptcy
which threatens the farmers OF tho
South, and the necessity of reform
in their labor and modes of culture
He states that in the last decade
there has been a falling OFT Id the
production of corn in the State OF
Georgia of more than lS,ooo'oo.
of bushels; of oats OF 4oo'VoO
bushels; of wheat of near l,ooo''
900 bushels-and this among a
people essentially agricultural, and
who through mis- management and
unthriftiness are thus forced to buy
or beg their bread. One cause OF
this is doubtless the unreliability OF
the present negro labor, but the
chief cause is the neglect OF the
South to raise diversity Of crops,
to meet its home consumption
a neglect of the small economics
which can alone make Us CONNER
cial|y and politically independent.
II am not, the speaker said, with
marked feeling, for undoing the
past. If to move my little finger
the system of slavery, as it once
enlisted here, could be restored
with its complete environments, l
would not move that finger. Let
matters rest as they are, as to that.
But humanity itselt-.all good men
all -statesmanship--cry out against
tolerating state OF society that
assumes that one-half of an entire
population are to do nothing else
nothing better-than terd OF le-
galized paupers and vagrants. Let
the law, in its wide aud thorough
sweep, spare neither white nor
black. The remedy is not simple
or selfevidcnt, / admit, said the
speaker. But something must be
done to alleviate the evils that are
pressing our section over the precl-
pice of bankruptcy. Let us all
contribute the best wc-have to Otter
: in promoting measures of relief
I suggest, as my contribution, that
in all such cases as we have alluded
to, that we appeal to the courts tol 70
the enforcement Of a 'speclh<
performance Of the contract. The
remedy is as old as equity Ia"
itself, and if courts now in exist
ence are not numerous enough OIL
convenient enough for a prope
care of such cases, let MS establish
and empower them whenever they
NAV be needed. While we are
caring for the perverse and dishon
est laborer who engages to work
don't let US forget to take care al
the same time of the dishonest
hirer who is too peryerse and cor
rupt to pay. Let all have equa
Justice and he made to stand en- his
engagement. Then, when we have
secured reliable labor, let us reform
our mode Of life as planters and
farmers. Send. no money out Of
the country to enrich strangers
which can as we'll and better&be
kept at home to enrich and -ador.
home. Study small economies
waste nothing, that charity and
hospitality may never be left as 6
burden, and that the great STAPLE
crop which so blesses, or rather
which might so bless, our land il
properly used-may he be held III
reserve for that diversified industry
which it is so much the fashion OF
those preaching reform to urge
upon US. Now, it is worse than
folly to talk to us Of ''diversitied
industry" manufacturing and al
that sort of thing, when there is nc
surplus money in the land. Make
the tillers of the soil prosperous
and then call upon them for aid tc
manufactures and mining. There
is sense as we'll as logic in that sc
oucnce, but until the money Is dus
from the soil, there is no hope O
sense of talking to us OF a dlversl
fed industry.
The HeraM correspondent adds
From the very ground up, thl
speech was as solid and symmetrl
cal as pyramid, and the unlversa
verdict was, that the effort ha1
never been surpassed in our day
and that it was the crownlnE
achievement of Governor Smith
life. 1t will tell i'll our .iudSmen
with great power upon public opln
ion in Georgia"