The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-19
Answer 70 george whitleIi

ton from Mr.. George Whitfield, witt
all of which / do not fully agree; anl
J, with your permission, propose to no
tice few of the errors contained in it
The first point in said article that
' must dissent from, is to be found in the
fifth paragraph, beginning thus: "Noi
again is the cause of our depression tt
! be found in the exorbitant charges Of
middle-men, whether merchants, rail
road men or others" Mr.. w. claims
these as the friends Of the planter, a
fact not easily perceived by many Of
US. These same friends, (?) Mr.. w.
argues, are necessary to our existence,
and without them our condition would
be miserable indeed" Let us see-
when was it ever necessary to the sex
istence' of any one, that for every yard
Of cloth or pound Of sugar he buys he
should be made to pay tan Of so or
100 per cent. above cost? How long
will it take such friends to reduce us to
a worse state Of slovery than ever before
existed among us?
Again, does not our daily experience
but too forcibly impress upon us the
melancholy fact that we are daily
growing poorer; while the "middle-
men, whether merchants, railroad men
or others" are as steadily growing rich
er. And why? Because Of the exor
bitant profits wrung from us in the
shape Of profits on the necessaries Of
life, (the most of us have long since
discarded every thing in the shape of
luxuries), which we purchase from
them.
Let us try these friends little fur
Their. After a planter has dealt with
one of them for years, to the amount
of hundreds of dollars annually, pay
ing his bills promptly, he asks Mr..
Merchant for small advance in
money to make some needed improve
ment on his farm, purchase more stock,
implements, etc, what per cent is he
made to pay for the money, if, per-
chance, he is not refused entirely !? |
D or 3 per cent. per month. How
long can we live on such friendship?
/ speak not against any individual
"middle-man,' nor for any particular
farmer, but simply state facts, as pre-
scented by the condition Of the whole
farming community, both white and
black. But the star Of hope has arisen,
and bright anticipations Of better flu
ture loom up before us, as the day Of
our deliverance draws nigh.
Mr.. w. also claims that the rail.
roads are necessary to our well-being
In what way? Do they bring us
goods cheaper than we could get them
before they we're created, or carry our
cotton and other produce to market at
less rates than we paid years ago? We
think not. During the war, when the
railroads were almost wholly destroyed,
and our country filed with an invading
foe, who starved in Mississippi, or fled
to a railroad for protection? No one.
The taxes to build said roads have
been largely paid by the farmers, they !
in many cases giving the right Of way
through their farms to the roads. For
all this who has received anything
What share Of the profits of said roads
has been returned to the farmer
Again, the road kills a farmers horse,
mule or OK, perhaps the only one he
has, and at time when it is almost
for him to replace it. Does t
the road send an agent to the farmer !
and say, "Mr. Farmer, we have I'M /
fortunately killed your stock; and as I
you have aided us greatly in the con-
,truction of our road, and add greatly
10 our wealth by the heavy freights
you pay, here is another animal, or its
value, which the company desire you Z
% accept" Has this been done? No
'ir. But on the other hand, it will
Jake you, with the aid Of lawyer,
who must have his ten per cent, from G
Xix to eighteen months to get one half
The value of your stock. Is this friend. G
ship? If so, the good Lord deliver us i
from such friends.
Again, some grand excursion party
s given by the officers of the road. b
Do they go out and invite the farmer,
lis wife, or daughter, to take ride ? d
No sir-Mr. Middle-man and his fam.
ly are the recipients of all such favors. fl
That the railroads have greatly de- :
the labor of our county is N
apparent to every one who will go out
nto the country remote from the roads.
There you will find the laborers more P
ettled, working more diligently in k
heir farms, and in every way more
prosperous than those along the rail
Dads. And why2 They have fewer
Inducements offered them to leave their
work.; are not daily coming in contact
With worthless set of vagabonds,
Who can always be found along the o