Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-06-18
WHY IS 1T

When southern men visit the North or
North West, they are ravished with the gran
deur of the scenery-not so much with the
natural, as with the artificial. The southern
farmer, who has been accustomed to little
one-horse town, with few family grocery
stores, three or four dry goods establishments,
drug store, barber shop, and a printing
office, every thirty miles, is struck with aston
ishment, when he sees, within only few
miles of each other, thriving towns Either
we have been deceivipg ourselves, or we have
better country, naturally, than either the
North and Northwest sections Of the United
States. AS farming country, ours is, in
many respects, superior to any section in
America. 1t is admitted that our lands are
not so rich as many other sections, but we
possess other advantages which more than
counterbalance this. Our climate and our
latitude make our country the rival of the
celebrated Vale Of Cashmere. Here we can
raise corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, peas, pota-
toes, beans, together with hay and stock.
We can raise everything that can be raised in
either the North or Northwest, and great
many things that cannot be raised ia either
of these sections. Our country is, on the
whole, better watered and more healthy than
either the North or Northwest. These are
facts-stubborn, incontrovertible facts. Why
is it that this favored country is so far behind
those sections less favored? Many reasons
can be assigned. We have the least energet-
ic population on which the sun shines, unless
it be some barbarous tribes. To prove this
statement, the fact may be mentioned that in
the Northwest, hand will work forty acres
in corn, together with garden and potato
patch, which often contains FIVE acres. The
corn will yield from forty to sixty bushels
to the acre. Just think, for one moment, Of
one hand making two thousand bushels Of
corn. How long would it take an ordinary
South Carolina hand to gather two thousand
bushels of corn? Experience and observa-
ton both respond-at least six months.
Another reason that may be assigned for
our being behind, is, we are notoriously thrift
less. Laziness and prodigality 60 together
as mother and daughter. Of the whole pop
ulation of the South, not more than one-fourth
pretend to work regularly, and Of this one
fourth not more than one-half work hard.
The country is supported by the labor of a
few. The majority spend their time in idle
ness and prodigality. Very little effort is
made to effect anything that will be perma-
nent liz its character. Fences are built as
mere temporary enclosures houses are erected
for the purpose Of afording shelter for a
few years only. The value of land, only in
some few localities, has not increased u far
thing during the last fifty years. In fact, on
the whole, it has decreased. This is not the
case in the North and Northwest. The
price IF land in those sections are fabulously
high. If the intrinsic value of the lands in
the different sections be estimated by the
money value of the products, one acre in the
South is worth, on an average, two at the
North or North-West.
We venture the assertion that if the popu-
lation of the South was taken to the North,
and the population of the North brought
South, the South would soon be what the
North is, and the North what the South is.
This may be humliating declaration, but if
it will arouse spirit of emulation, our object
is accomplished.
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-.