The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-06-07
A LITTER FROM LAwroNvILLE.
Lawtonville, S. c., June Q 1871

4 lIc iashcd forever round the same circle
of expedients, regard any departure
from tho beaten path as the extreme Of
folly, I must indulge the disposition to
redeem my promise, that would make
some allusion TO the "hardncss of the
Times" and venture somc speculatinns
as the probable causes which continue to
produce the distress prevalent IN our
community.
| Perhaps, at no time in our history, has
| the complaint "hard times" been so gen
eral. We have heard it before, but. il
has been usually confined to the thrift
less farmer, and the indolent larborer.
Now 1t is pronounced with equal earnest
ness and the same intonation of anxiety
by almost every one with whom you con-
verse, even those whose active energies.
and business capacity have hitherto com.
Dhed to secure abundance for the enjoy
mant Of every reasonable luxury. The
scarcity of provisions, and the absence of
means, have SO paraiyZed our energies
that want aud its dire consequences are
held ut bay only by the rberality of those
whose means enable them to advance and
wait for the coming harvest for renumcra,
tion. But for the interposition Of this
class there can be no doubt, that destitu-
tion bordering on starvation would be
inevitable. These gcntlomen actuated
some perhaps by the desire to reap rich
percentage when crops are ''gathercd in"
others. from motives more disintcrested
have to the extent of their ability relieved
many from actual want by timely assis-
tanse, but capital is limited in this vicin-
ity, consequently the inability to obtain
supplies has reduced some to the painful
necessity OF abandoning crops properly
cultivated up to this time, and requiring
only few more ploughings to repay
labor and expenditures. This deplorahlc
condition is not confined to the narrow
limits of 4 single neighborhood, but cx.
tends with greater or less intensity to
other sections from which we have heard
Why is thIs7 Doubtless the rnfavorable-
ness of the past season, Is the foster
parent which nourshed the growth of
the difficulty, but we decline to regard it
the prime cause. The short crop of last
year has we think only developed that
which a variety Of causes have combined
to produce. L. is not reasonable that one
short crop would reduce a prosperous
community to the ve.gc of helplessncss.
Many no doubt would feel the pressure,
but distress would be confined to isolated
cases whose improvidcncc or general bad
management, would prevent them from
being classcd among successful planters,
while the majority would he little fleet
ed.
We regard the present scarcity of money
and provisions, simply the result of n
combination of causes which have been
steadily operating since the Inauguration
of our present system of farming A
hasty consideration of the usagcs which
obtain among farmers, merchants, and
laborers, will, we think, assist us in the
investigation. We regard the cotton
mania which prevails in this section,
cause, No. I. With rare exceptions the
farmer estimates his crop, and measures
his success entirely by the number of
bales produced. The land set apart for
cotton Gf indeed he plants any thing
| eisc) is the recipient oftvtry variety OF
fertilizer from compost to guan", every
energy is bent and 10 expense spared in
the preparation OF the soil and the cultl-
vation of the plant. No time for corn.
Enquire of planter as to the condition Of
his crop, and he tells you of his cotton,
corn and other grain; (if planted at ally
are OF SO little consequence that he omits
to mention them, as q part of his crop.
The best land and every particle of man
ure grown on the premises with such
commercial fertilizers as he thinks best
adapted to improve the growth of plant
are invariably appropriated to almighty
cotton" We understand that one gentle.
man of our acquaintance profiting by ex
perience, has determined to have corn of
his own raising next year. He is plant
ing only one hundred acres of cotton
highly fertilized, and has put in" twenty
acres of corn, which he did nc: find it
convenient to manure, Cotton swallowed
it) He will perhaps under favorable cir
cumstances, with propitious seasons,
make corn sufficient to be consumed by
the first ofMarch, and them
With those whose means are INSULT
cient to enable them to dispense with the
assistance of Factor, it has been the
custom to procure advances, secured by
him on crops, to plant cotton, ship to
Factor, and fall short. The Lien on
crop" is in many instances now backed
up by mortgage of real estate. They
cannot fail to see that those farmers who
have prospered, and arc now able to con
| tribute of their abundance to the Eecessi-
ties of Others, are never known to pur.
chase corn for their own use, but 'Ephraim
:a still joined to his idols The colored
man too, aping the example of others
pursucs ~ far as he can the same course.
He rents few acres of land and estimat-
ing his wealth by the number and size of
of the animals in his possession, without
reference to their condition, whether
fat or lean, whether paid for or not, and
regardless of the fact that he has No pro-
Visions on hand for the subsistence of
his animal, purchase "on time" at ar. ex.
orbitant price, the lean horse or mule, and
proceeds at once to some affable country
merchant, secures hun for supplies ad.