The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-10-02
The True Policy of the Farmer.

Governor Smith, of Georgia, in q late speech
made before the Agricultural Convention at
Athens, advances substantially the saE'e views
which were contained in the speech OF the
Hon. B. II. Hill, (extracts from which were
published in late issue of the lnteligeaeer,)
with reference to the impending bankruptcy
which threatens the farmers of the South, and
the necessity of reform in their labor and
modes of culture. He states that in the Inst
duction of corn in the State of Georgia of
more than 100000 of bushels; of oats of
100000 bushels; of wheat of near ], 100000
bushels-and this among a people essentially
agricultural, and who throug b mismanagement
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 a diversity Of crops, to meet lis home con-
sumption-a neglect of tic small economies
which can alone make us commercially and
politically independent:
"I 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
existed here, could be restored with its COM
plete environments, would not move that
finger. Let matters rest as they are, as to that
But humanity itself-'all good men-all states.
manship-cry out against tolerating a state OF
society that assumes that one-half OF an entire
population are to be nothing else-nothing
better-than herd of legalized paupers and
ough sweep, spare neither white nor black.
The remedy is not simple or self-evident,
admit, said the speaker. But something must
be done to alleviate the evils that are pressing
our section over the precipice of bankruptcy.
"Let US all contribute the best we have to
offer in promoting measures of relief. / sng-
gest, as my contribution, that in all such cases
as we have alluded to, that we appeal to the
courts for the enforcement of q Specific per-
for1nance'' of the contract. The remedy is as
old as equity law ITSELF and if courts now in
existence are not numerous enough or suf-
fciently convenient for proper care OF such
cases, let US establish and empower them when
ever they may be needed. While we are caring
for the peryerse and dishonest laborer who en-
cages to work, don't let us forget to take care
at the same time Of the dishonest hirer who is
too perverse and corrupt to pay. Let all have
gagement Then, when we have secured relia-
Bile labor, let MS 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. Study small
economies--waste nothing, that charity and
hospitality may never be left as burden, and
that the great staple crop which so blesses, or
rather which might so bless, our land, if proper
ly used, may be held in reserve for that diver
sified industry which it is 80 much the fashion
of those preaching reform to urge upon us.
Now, it is worse than folly to talk to us of "di-
versiGed industry" manufacturing and all that
sort of thing, when there is no surplus money
in the land. Make the tillers of the soil pros
porous, and then call upon them for aid to
manufactures and mining There is sssense as
we'll as logic in that sequence, but until the
money is dug from the soil, there is no hope or
sense of talking to us of diversified indus
try" es..5; *