Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-02-13
DIVERSITY OF LABOR.

DIVERSITY OF LABOR.
Why are not the people of South Carolina
more prosperous? This is a question which
every sober.minded man ought to investigate
If the soil of the State of South Carolina were
poor and unproductive, there would be no
difficulty in accounting for want of prosper
ity. Such, however, is not the case. On an
average, the soil of South Carolina is as pro-
ductive as that of any State in the Union.
If it be asked, what are the evidences Of a
want of prosperity we reply, the general ab-
sence of internal improvements and the low
estimate which is put upon property of all
kinds. In no part of the State are the inhab-
itants extensively engaged in making inter-
nal Improvements. The majority Of our citi.
zens are simply, to all appearances, providing
for the present year. But few days ago we
heard gentleman say that he rented out,
last year, piece of land for the fourth of
what it produced. The result was that he
received fraction more than thirteen dollars
per acre as rent. This is more than the av-
erage price of land in the State. The land
upon which the sum referred to was realized,
cost only fraction more than one half Of the
amount Now the conclusion to which we
come, and to which we think every one else
will come, is, that there must be some cause
for this state of things. If we, as people
generally, were in prosperous condition,
land would be more valuable.
Amongst the many causes which might be
assigned for the present condition Of things,
we think the absence of anything like d.
vision of labor, may be set down as promi-
nent. Our people are almost exclusively en-
gagged in agriculture. When we say exclu-
sively engaged in agriculture, we mean pre-
cisely what we say. There are no great man.
ufacturing cities in the State, nor is there,
strictly speaking, any class of our citizens
who with propriety may be called mechanics
All our citizens are engaged in tilling the
soil. The exceptions to this statement are
exceedingly few. 1t might be thought that
this simple fact would make us very pros
porous people. A little reflection will be
sufficient to satisfy the mind Of any one that
such is not to be expected We are willing
to grant to agriculture all the Importance
that has ever been claimed for it. We will,
if it is desired, assign to it the first place
amongst the avocations of life.
Frankly and candidly, making these ad
missions, we still give it as our mature opin-
ion that no people can ever attain the high
est degree of prosperity by the aid Of agricul.
ture alone. A knowlege of the mechanical
sciences is necessary to understand the science
of agriculture, and the mechanical arts are
absolutely necessary to put into practice the
art of agriculture. The blacksmith must
shape the plow before the husbandman can
turn up the soil, and the miner must dig up
the ore before the blacksmith can form the
plow. However high and elevated the posi-
ton of the tller of the soil, he is, ofall men the
most dependent. Whilst it may be said every
one depends upon him for bread, he in turn
is dependent upon the miner and mechanic
for tools and implements with which to make
that bread. Savage nations live without ag-
riculture, more because they are ignorant of
the mechanical arts and sciences, than any
thing else. If they were taught to dig up
the ore that lies buried in the earth, and to
form it into plows and hoes, they would not
be long in learning how to use these imple-
ments
In the State of South Carolina we do not
need fewer agriculturists but we need more
persons engaged in the other avocations of life.
In various sections of the State there are rich
beds of iron ore. Our prosperity requires
that these be opened. If every bale of cotton
that is raised in the State were manufactured
in the State; things would soon assume diff
ferent aspect. There would be more cotton
and corn and wheat and rye and oats and
barley and rice made, by the same amount
of labor, than is made at present; and the
price of these productions of the soil would be
greater. There is no reason why this may
not be done. There is water power in the
upper counties of the State sufficient to man.
ufacture every pound of cotton produced in
the State This is not bold, extravagant
declaration. There is water power in York
county sufficient to manufacture all the cotton
produced in any ten counties in the State.
We close this subject for the present by
saving that unless diversified system of la
Dor is adopted in our State, things will 60 on
just as they now are. The land will wear
out, the houses rot down, and the people of
the State get up and 60 to some "new coun-
try" there to pine and grieve and wish they
were back. Some will be ashamed to return,
and others will be too poor to allow them to
get back.