The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-01-17

4
ton fields have swallowed the corn,
the wheat and the rice fields, have
trespassed unwarrantably upon the
potato and oat patches and have even
dared to, enter upon sthes well fortified
grounds of Madam's vegetable gar.
den.A The face Of the earth in MANY
sections shows broad acres of cotton
and narrow strips Of corn huge gin
houses with costly machinery attach.
ed, and small corn cribs with dclapi-
dated stock houses and lean work an
imals. Tho whole presenting he, ap-
pearance Of q country that raises But
a7Tngle crop from which isIto betsub-
sisted the entire life Of the farm and
cancel an1eaormous tax md debt
besides.s - I 81 :. - s.!
If there be an impossibility in the
scientific world, [ : can conceive of
nothing more dcserving!y entitled TO
the name than the power of an cxpcn-
sivc crop. like cotton, selling at low
price, to meet the demands Of tax
and debt hurdened community. 1t
must result eventually in all the dis.
appointments and suffering of hard
times. In Europe where q single
crop is raised, q failure is; disastrous,
and if there be repeated failures, ,un-
told suffering among the laboring
CLASSES must result, and rebound ut
last upon the other industries involv-
ing the whole population in common
ruin by unsettling values and forcing
money holders to Golfer the currency.
Such seems 10 be very nearly the
condition Of q portion Of that country
at the present time. 1t ought not to
be so in Il country like ours where
every conceivable crop may be raised
TO make the farmer Independent of the
outside worlt!,. but with the cotton
crop absorbing all others The farmer
has reversed the natural order OF
things and makes himself buyer in
stead of seller-begging a price for
his propuce instead Of demanding it..
The result Of this is, the cotton plan
ter buys his corn from Illinois in
stead Of producing it in his own field,
buys his bacon from Kentucky in
stead Of raising it in his own. pastures.
buys his sugar and syrup from Cuba
INSTEAD Of boiling it On his own
premises, buys his teas from China
finstcad Of cultivating it in his own
gardens, buys his shoddy, silks and
calicos from Yankcedom instead of
maEulactu: ing it in his own county
of his own cotton, buys his wagons
and buggies from Cincinnati instead
of from Doyle, Riggs or Wilcs. In
deed every dollar his labor produces
is sent abroad to support and enrich
other lards and people and to i'm
poverish his own. No wonder debts
accumulate and the cry of hard times
is heard in the land.
There is something radically wrong
here to be corrected by other lessons
of more bitter experience than the
past has been. With such a climate,
country and soil rs this, with such
intelligence to control thcm and such
energy to utilize them as we possess
every farmer ought to be banker
vita his barns and pastures as banks
and his produce and animals his
stock in trade, q capital that would
not be liable to the fluctuations of
currency or trade, and that would
bid defiance to the dcprcssions of the
market. w
For a nation to grow rich it must
export more perishable values than it
imports, so if farmer he must sell
more than he buys, he must produce
more than he consumes and what he
buys, buy at home. If you wish to
drive the cry Of hard times out of the
land and court the presence of the
Goddess Of Peace and Plenty let our
farmers become home sellers, not for
cign buyers. I