The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-07-31

spring of tie entire machinery of
and it you fail in your
proper function, the government
suffers. Gentlemen. will you par
don me if L suggest to you u few
practices prevalent among farmers
of late, which are fast bringing this
country to its lowest ebb Practi-
ces which have in part exhausted
our treasures, and thrown our coun-
try into bankruptcy practices,
which it persisted in will sink us
deeper and deeper in poverty until
all hope Of discharge will be lost
practices which tend to enrich tho
North and mpoverish the South
practices which will forever para
lyze this country. l say, will you
pardon me If l refer to some of
these practices 7 Will you indulge
me while l suggest some of the
causes of sur'unfOrtunate condition?
Listen. 1t is because you patronize
northern manufactures aud north
ern markets and shut yonr eyes
against homo productions it is be-
cause there has existed a mania for
the production of too much cotton,
and neglect in the cultivation of
more substantial things; it is be-
cause you send north your money
to purchase those things which you
could produce; it is because you al
low purse-proud spectators of the
north to sit in their lordly seats and
dictate to you what price you shall
ask for your products it is because
you sell your cotton at q small
price and bay your meat at a great
one it is.because you sell to them
at discount and buy from them at
immense rates. Such practices will
bankrupt. any country; such prac-
tees will bring poverty and distress
on any people; such practices will
produce heavy taxation and every
species of calamity; such practices
will forever veil from our vision the
bright sunshine of prosperity. I
fancy hear some stentorian voice
crying out, the thieves tho thieves
are too numerous for US to raise our
meat. This 1 admit is an impede
ment but this can be obviated in q
considerable degree-it can be so
far obviated A. to make you indie.
pendent ofnorthern markets. And
how4 By Organization. The sue
cess of all things depends in a great
measure on unity Of action Unite
yourselves in one great society. In
corporate yourselves in one great
body, prompted by the same mo-
tives, and endeavoring to reach the
same end, and you will be mutual
projections to each other. Every
man in the community raise his
own meat, and the colored man,
who is q creature of imitation will
follow your example. They will
soon learn that their interest and
yours Is the same-that q pr election
of your interest is necessary to the
protection of theirs, and they will
be a protection to you. Thus, the
thieves will have q wider field in
which to perpctrate their foul deeds.
Instead Ut having q few on whom
to prey, they have spread before
them community, and hence their
depredat!ons would not be 40 Sc
verely fe.t. Thus you would soon
be independent Of northern mar
kets. 1t may be said by some, this
is all very 9pod in theory, but not
80 in practice. But gentlemen, this
is too true, too conclusive to admit
of debate. This theory, if pursued
with yea; and resolution would be
one step towards prosperity. It's
force would soon be fclt. The cir
culation here of the money you SEMI
off to buy your meat, would be
quite an Lem in the up-building Of
this couitry. 1t is the scarcity of
anything that gives it value. 1t is
the scarcity Of money that causes
such high per centum. 1t is this
high per centu.n that adds largely
to the encumbrance of property
with mortgages. 1t is this incum-
brance that bankrupts a country.
Thus, gentlemen, you soc it would
have It's effect You may agree with
me in my conclusion, bat would de-
ny the soundness of my premises.
l answer your denial by saying the
experiment has never been made.
1 am bound, gentlemen, to believe
the result would prove favorable.
But this is not all. l have heard of
farmers buying axe-helves! Yes,
gentlemen, axe-helves the simplest
and ,ritest part of mechanism. Why
is thisY Have the swamps of Mis-
s,ssippi failed to supply timber suit
able for such purpo"es! If SO, let
US pursue these remarks no further;
lot US stop here, and holding our
duplicating hands to Heaven, ex-
claim with commingled feelings OF
love and sorrow, Nature, why hast
thou fOrsaken US? No, gentlemen,
it is not the want of suitable timber.
You have that in abundance. 1t is
the pursuance of a blind custom. 1t
is a means of filling the pockets of
spectators with the fruition ofy your
labor. This is but a faint picture of
the reality. l could mention other
practices which tend to our destruc-
ton. but l must stop here. 1 have
to these things, gentlemen,
with the hope of impressing them
On your minds. / leave them with