The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-07-21
The Farmer in America

Emerson has, said in his pointed WaA
that, as rule the farm owns the man
and not the man the farm. There is as
much truth as wit in this, and the truth
of it is strikingly illustrated by the fact
that heretofore the farm has received
far more attention from writers OF al!
sorts than the farmer. The culture and
enrichment of the former have been
exhaustively discussed, but the de-
| yelopm ent of the latter has only recently
attracted attention. To get the best
and the most out of the soil is not 30
important by any means as to get the
most and the best out Of the farmer. His
personal development means an I'M
mense increase in his power as pro-
ducer, for there is not the slightest
doubt that the highest success in agrl-
culture can be reached only through
thoughtful and intelligent agricultur-
lists.
Farmers need the best culture they can
get. ADAPTED to their work; not only be-
cause they are farmers, but because they
constitute nearly one-half the voting pop
ulation of this country. In the report
of the sixth State convention OF the ag-
ricultural societies of Michigan, 1T Is
stated that of all who are engaged IN
commercial and industrial pursuits of
every kind in that State, omitting pro-
fessional and personal, five-sevenths are
agriculturists - nearly e-quarters.
In the census of 1870. in the same
classes, there are 1885, ,649 in all other
commercial and industrial employments,
and $500, All in agriculture; not quite
80 near three-quarters, but large ma
jority. Add 2,6e4, 1913 for professional
and personal, and the agricultural is
very little less than majority.
In other words, the farmer has largely
the balance of political power. His
Importance in the State has always been
recognized. Egypt, Persia, China.
Babylon, Greece, and Rome regarded
the farming class as fundamental in the
State. In Egypt and Babylon it was
earliest and most fully developed by a
wonderful river system. In the better
ages of Greece and Rome it was the
principal and most honorable employ
inent Of leading men, yet even the ma
jority of agricultural workers were not
educated or developed, for these leading
men employed slaves.
The Ss9cedemonians, however, held
agrlCulGSFe 10 De u SelFIle CupIoJmenl,
and forbade freemen to be workers on
the soil. In the latter ages of Greece
and Rome all the workers on the soil
were slaves. In the middle ages the
soilj was owned by kings, barons, and
mobiles. They employed tenants, serfs
or slaves.
The necessity of a class of workers on
the soil has been obvious in all ages, but
as general fact they have been in a de-
based and servile condition, the result
of an aristocratic ownership OF the
soil. It has been owned by lordly few,
and the cultivators have been tenants,
serfs, or slaves, laboring tor the wealth
OF an aristocracy. Such they have been
Now, however, there are evidences on
all sides of q development Of the farm
ing class unknown In all preceding
ages. They are the stable basis OF tie po-
litical system. Their relations, more
over, to the old world are now so COM
as to greatly increase their
Importance as class. The old world
is full, and increase Of population taxes
the soil. One or two poor seasons cause
famine. Here is the granary, and our
farmers have the keys OF life. A few
figures will indicate more clearly than
can be done in any other way the present
condition of the farming class
Statistics as to the number OF farms: