Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg Court House [S.C.]) 1877-1881, 1879-03-07
FRIDAY MORNING. MARCH T. 1879.

weight is still extant in this much
vaunted Republic of freedom.
Universal suffrage 1 admit obtains
here, but freedom is not its hand.
maid. The task.master is still
abroad in the land. With one half
OF the farmers lied hand and foot,
freedom cannot he universal. The
calling bondage Of debt, secured by
the memorable lien, or the remorse-
less mortgage, has stripped them of
lndi vidual independence, and they
are no longer free Some of them
have indeed been turned loose from
The grip of constituencies phosphate
vendors, but it was to them the liber-
~ Of want, of Indebtedness, of power
ty and OF desolation. Like. freed I'M
Lo the time-wurn sla We,
"A boon Ills idle then to give"
Those who derive comfort, ease,
atfi uence and happiness from this
growing evil, while inring sumptu-
ousIy every day, and robed in purple
IL fine linen, experience no qualms
OF conscience ut seeing the sheriff
hammer fall upon the last grain Of
corn of the lucaless farmer whose
crops untovard seasons blighted. He
failed to make enough cotton to meet
the lien given to his task-master;
c nscqu atty his corn, rice, and peas
must so. I'oor devil what feeling g
has, he that merchant princes care to
respect! He is only n machine, de-
serving to be looked after only to the
extent Of his usefulness. Where he
iails to be lucrative to phosphate
dealers, they lose all ~solicitu de for
his welfare Has he u homestead, q
shelter for his wife and little ones ?
let him watch it with Argus eyes, for
even this they would take ifthey
could, and leave their hitherto faith
full slave, homeless, penniless, and
with starvation with all offs hide.
Gus ghastliness staring him in the
face.
Farmers Workingmeu! is it not
line for you to ~en,anoip".o your
selves. your homes and iiresides, your
wives and children, from impending
'uin, and poverty with its gnawing
concomitants? Is the yoke under
Which you labor year in and year out
so light that YOU crave its c%ontinu-
ance? the bu rden so sweet that YOU
cannot forego it? Have you no
heart aches, no signs for freedom and
Independence Does it not send
daggers to the heart to see each sue
ceeding year your last pound of cot,
ton, and your last bushel Of corn, sold
to satisfy the factors lien ? and this
too while your families are suffering
for the little necessaires O flife? If
this picture represents your condi-
ton, Is it lot time for a change of
the programme, shifting of the scenes?
Under such circumstances, should
you not rise up in your might, and
have cooperation and n more care.
tul attention to the economies of agri-
culture, invest your calling with the
dignity which belongs to it, make
your W manures, and thereby wipe
from your memory factors liens and
mortgages? Co operations amongst
you will beget independence, and
independence will make you important
factors in the progress and advance.
ment Of South Carolina. But so long
as you are hampered with liens you
will never be happy yourselves, nor
be III a position to render much SER
vice to your country's march to
prosperity.
Arise, organize, and combine;
throw yourselves as one man in
%antagonism to the heartless combina-
tom OF m~onopolists, who ara p%lottingto
engulf you ininevitab' bankruptcy.
There are few farms that will not,
if managed properly produce their
own fertilizers. All they require is
attention, thrift aud ind lstry. Givs
them these, and the occupation of