The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-03-31

the farmers are getting poorer
each year; each year more and
more of them become bankrupt; !;
each year the number Of land.
owners becomes smaller and small
er, and unless some change is
made, or remedy applied, it is on
ly question Of time when whole.
sale bankruptcy and ruin will
overwhelm them as class. Why
is this? Because there is an ab-
normal and undue amount of Or
ganization and combination an
tagonistic to agriculture, and ab-
so!utely none IN it's defence or be-
half. The poor individual farmer
stands singly and alone confront
ing an army Of thousands, trained,
drilled, Differed, organized, arm.
ed, equipped, supplied and "ready
to move at a moments notice; )"
and there stands the farmer with
nothing! As one Of our soldiers
once complained, "nothing to eat
and nothing to cook it in; nothing
to shoot, and couldn't shoot it
if he had ; no ammunition but
dozen "bird shot, and spoonful
of wet powder all mixed together
in bis "breeches pocket )" no sup
plies but a little "lien," "dry salt"
meat; 40 one TO help him. and he
cant help himself. So when the
contest begins who can and Will get
the most of the ANNUAL crops ct this
DOOR farmer while ii is IN trdASltu
from him to the consumer? 1t
can be easily seen how much
chance he stands. It is a wonder
he gets any at all. This is re-
peated annually until hard work
and hard living bring him prema-
ture death to end his misery. Is
this picture true ?Look and judge
for yourselves. Look around !!
You will see the evidences Of ex
travagance and prodigality, both
governmental and social, public
and private, spread broadcast
over the whole country. The gov
ernment and whole people reck-
lessly plunging into wasteful and
Improbable consumption and ex-
penditure, all of which must be
paid for By these annual pro-
ducts or values derived from the
toll and sweat Of the farmer. To
raise the means to support all this
governmental and social extrava-
gance it becomes necessary to so
shape the legislation of the coun-
try, both Federal and State, for
eign commercial treaties, revenue
laws and taxes, that all govern
ments, corporations, combinations
and monopolies may be able to seize
and appropriate almost the entire
amount of the proceeds Of agrl-
cultural labor, leaving a bare pit
tance to support existence. l SOL
emnIy ask youi is this to continue
without any effort to check or
change it? To check or change
it will require something besides
individual effort or work it will
require complete, thorough and
strong combination and organlza.
ton of numbers Of people. If any
one can give US . better or strong
er, let him do so at once, but until
something better is found, let US
hold on to this Order, and use it
to save ourselves from ruin and
destruction. Let US avail our
selves of this meeting in this our
beautiful "City by the Sea-" to re-
move the many misapprehenslons
that exist as to the objects and
tenets of our Order; show and
convince all, who will listen, that
we are not destructive or mill
tant that we seek to injure none;
that we are conservative and de-
fensive; that we only seek to get
the same benefit and aid from Or
eanization and cooperation, in
cur pursuits and undertakings,
that all others around US are get
ting; that We propose no lnnoVa-
tions on long established rules OF
business. That while we seek to
remove all useless and worthless
manipuIations, producing exac-
tions and taxes without value Of
products in transitu from the far
mer and manufacturer to the con-
sumer, still we are willing and ex-
pect that all needed manipu'a-
ton, handling and carriage shall
receive full compensation; that we
seek to inform ourselves no" and
~ho,a +O cell most nrOfitably and