Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-13
LETTER FROM THOMASyILLE.
The Crop OutIOok-The Ost Harvest
-WOOl-The Proposed PrOvIsIOn
Crop ExempIion-The Railway
Commission - WatermeIona and
Freights-Work for Ihe Legisla-
IUF0.

THoMAsyLLE, June 10.-Editor Morning News:
We have plenty Of dry weather. Crops are as
clean as ball room. and. though three weeks
later than usual, the present outlook is en-
couraging for good yield. Oats are all cut,
and the yield has exceeded expectation.
We see loads of them daily on the streets Of
Thomasville for sale, and occasionally some of
the knowing farmers bring In some corn and
fodder, which they had stored away for hard
times and big prices, and find ready
sale of 1t. The wool clip has been
good, and sells here readily at thirty cents
There is more demand now to have the thieves
punished to protect wool growers than for
the passage of the dog law. The stolen sheep
in Thomas and Colquitt counties will number
ten thousand. Some of the sheep lords" have
been badly W0oled. Wool and blackbeFries
watermelonS come In. After that q few
peaches, sand pears and grapes will be on the
market. which together with the gardens, will
make things meet until the gathering OF the
crops. We have passed the starving point.
was glad to read the notice of an application
to the Legislature to pass an act TO protect
from levy and sale all provision crops IN Geor-
gia for three years. While 1 am utterly op-
posed to all stay laws, yet think such a law,
protecting for a few years the provision
crops a necessity, and the only one that will
W
hardship more to the merchants than any
other class They have magnanimously risked
ali their capital to sustain the agricultural in
terests of the country. In fact, but for the
crops at ALL except ia rare instances OF pru-
dence and dogged economy by ths smaller
number Of planters who made more provisions
than cotton, and who were not much in debt.
The planters generally are badly in debt
Many of them must succumb. Much the
larger number of them can work out il they
can grow and make larger provision crops for
the ensuing three years. and be protected from
levy and sale. The surplus crops over and
above the support of the farm, in that time,
will pay them out Of debt. 1t will require the
utmost economy to do it, but planters, as a
mass, have become entirely convinced that
they have pursued the wrong policy in not
planting and raising larger provision crops,
and have determined to plant less cotton. To
enable them to do this they must have their
provision crops protected against levy and
sale.
To force sales by the Sheriff, the property Of
a very few planters would sell for enough to
discharge their Indebtedness. The property of
a vast majority of them would not, il forced
TO sale on the block, pay half their indebted
ness.
The profits paid on provisions are extremely
large, and but few planters can pay out, IL
forced to plant cotton and buy provisions The
debt will increase annually. and finally the Ioss
will be larger. with no hope of payment. Will
it not be better at the end of the three years.
for the merchant, and the country at large, if
the planters are given chance to recuperate
instead of selling them out by forced sales and
thus lose half or two-thrds of the debt? Two
thirds of the indebtedness of the country is for
provisions. and it will continue, if planters are
forced to raise cotton in excess of the necessi-
ties of life. With this law in force,
merchants would deal in provisions only
to supply the demand OF non producers
Planters would have no occasion to buy them,
but, on the contrary, have them forsaIe. 1t would
cheaper provisions, because Of less demand
The non-producer looks to the farmer for his
daily food, and when the farmer ceases to
raise provisions and becomes buyer it un-
hinges the law of supply and demand and
brings ruin and distress in the land.
Best of all, when merch ants cease to sell pro-
visions to farmers on credit, it forces the farm
er to raise them from necessity. This will be
the entering wedge with the merchants to
break up the credit SYSTEM which is the curse
of the country. The profits on provisions are
so large. and their sale so certain with NO
loss by remnants, that the merchants have, to
a large extent. encouraged it. and are blamable
to this extent for this large Indebtedness. And
they should encourage any law calculated
TO rid the country of the evils growing out
of this credit business, and that will bring back
legitimate pursuits with the producing class
smaller business with a certainty is prefera-
BILE to a much larger trade with the profits on
book accounts and notes, with valueless mort
cages and strain of muscle and brain. to meet
bank notes given for corn, -four, bacon and
hay, which can and should be raised at home
Of provisions and refuse to sell them on a
credit, and at the end of that time the country
will be out of debt and rejuvenated in every
department of trade and commerce.
We have Railroad Commission TO look after
the railroads and say what charges shall be
made on freights, and how much profit the
roads shall make, and to value their property,
and to say to the weaker ones: IF our man.
agement don't suityou and you make any fuss.
we will close you out, or you can quit the bu 81
ness. Do as we order, or We win give you the
best spanking you ever had. You must report
to headquarters, or we will put you under ar
rest and make you mark time, or tie you up by
the thumbs. We are the great 1 am. Do you
hear!"
There is nothing like having a commission
to look into everything. Iwant the Legislature
to make mercantile commission. bank
commission. livery stable commission,
hotel commission, cotton factors commission,
warehouse commission, doctors commission,
lawyers commission. dentist commission.
mill mems commission, tar pitch and turpen-
tine commission. Make them all produce
their books and papers and prove they make
nothing above Just and reasonable compen-
satlon''
heard watermelon man talking about
the railroads and bloated bondholders the
other day, and he was under the impression
that the bondholders owned the railroads and
made out the rates of freight on watermelons
told him he was greatly mistaken. That the
railroads owed the bonds for money they
had borrowed to build and equip the roads
and that the roads had to pay seven per cent.
interest on the money, and flnally paythe bonds
and that they had to make the money on the
earnings over and above the expenses of rum
ming the road. He Gaid the Commissioners had
told the roads il they could not run the Dad
for nothing, that they must sell it to somebody
that could; that he worked hard to make his
watermelons, and he did not intend to be
cheated out of any freight, and il the road
charged him any freight he would report them
to the Commissioners
want to see the Legislature take the Com
missioners in hand, and make q law to govern
the Commissioners instead of the Commis-
sioners making laws to suit them
selves and to govern the people Let
equity be done to ALL the roads
and the people who support them. It is not
constitutional, right, nor a republican form
of government 10 induce persons to place
their money in the building, eQuipping and
running these huge enterprises, under charter
ed privileges, and then take the property en-
tirely out their control and management
and place it under the management of ire
sponsible commissioners, who are not inter
ested in its prosperity or welfare and control
1t by force and dictation, regardless of the
rights and interests of its owners
This Is violative of the great Magma Charta
which guarantees to every man life.
liberty. property and the pursuit Of happi-
ness. Yours, HY ii
---------b<~e r&&--------
Stocks In London.