The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-06-14


or not.
.s1.....ss.............s<--
THE CONDITION or FAIRFIELD.
Causes OF tho ExIs,ins State Of Things--A
A Letter FROM u Farmer.
lNr. @. II. 1fc1faster:
DEAR SlR-As I have few leisure
moments at my disposal, will embrace
the opportunity In writing reply to
your letter Of no date, and send YOU
summary statement of some existing
remarks based thereon.
To give anything like satisf ctory
answers to your intcrogatorics, l
would have to assume tho province of
the political economist, fortify every
position and snbstantiate every propo-
| sition by an array Of official statistics;
but as have not the ability Of the for
NOR, and not IN possession of the lat
ter, I send you the following crudcly
expressed opinions for what they are
| worth.
presume YOU do not intend your
questions to lie considered AZ simply to
be directed to distinctive class or 10
certain classes. but to bc applied to the
entire citizenship Of the State as unit.
AZ individuals taken collectively con-
stitute a class, SO classes are but the
component. factors Of the composite
whole, as applied to people or popu-
lation. nsc the word class as applied
to callings and occupations. Some
persons Of class may be prospcring,
and others at tho same time, far more
! so; and why It Is 50 10 assignnhlo
reason can be given, other than that
the. God Of nature has made
MANY men OF many minds,
Many clrdS OF many kinds"
1t Is difficult to give correct fixed
ed meaning to the word prosperous,
under a II circumstance, or rather to
establish single standard by which,
at all times and under all conditions,
to measure or balance the meaning
when applied to the status Of the same
class or even nation. Different stand
ards are to be uscd in the estimate for
tho several nations, and a variable cri-
terion must even be the test for dis
similar circumstances. One nation
may be declared not prosperous and
another quite so. Yet when compass.
cd the one with the other, it is ps}pa-
bly, evident that the one pronounced
not to be prosperous is far in advance
OF tho other IN wenlths powor, popula-
ton and all that gees to contribute to
the greatness ofa people, and yet the
aFeTne'ff ia fair, just and correct, for
they were not compared one with the
other, but each within itself and to
itself, and by a standard fixed by
reckoning up Of their respective sur
ronndings and peculiar circumstances
at the time and the standard of the
one did not require the same number,
and same measurement of the points
to be scored. Persons may be com
pared with other persons Of the same
class, or one class may with propriefv
be compared with the same class Of
another nationality, but good sense
forbids tho reverse. In ali countries,
and at occasional periods, M abnor.
NAL state Of things exists, and indi.
cntes all nlcerous condition of the BODY
polite. The legal (class as n wholc]
is not prosperous whom n litigious
spirit stalks through the land, when
iawlcssness Is fashionable, crime runs
riot and the sheriff is kept busy, and
barratry can be INDUCED in. The NJ.
DIS (0f all collcges) have their hands
full when widespread cpidcmics pre-
vail, when the scapcl, the bandagc and
the sp&int have frequently to be resort
oil to. The merchants and store keep
ers arc III nll blow when such condi-
ton III society exists as will admit the
widest margin for profit, when mcr-
chantlisc can bo marked and sold at
oroitant percentage, and the necessity
ofpnrchascrs is such as will permit the
practice OF extortion. There tho ac-
oumulation Of tho dollar is tho syno-
nym OF pro$pcrity-casting aside as
trivial such items rs honor, integrity,
reputation, wear and tear of brain.
and anxiety Of mind. But this is an
abnormal condition and Is only men
toned to make the point that the pros.
perity of one class may be inflated by
the montal distemper, the scourgc, the
disaster and the calamity OF others.
But when lIcathy equilibrium exists,
and all things run in their natural or
usual channels, vino is more esteemed
than the lawyer, who by high inteer;.
ty, close application and uniform cou,.
tesy, has elevated himself to tho high
plane of an enviable reputation, ol
who is moro beloved than tho family
physician. upon the uttcrance Of whose
, lips have hung the hopes Of an entire
family, and where skill and iudgmen,
, and care has rescued beloved ones
!. from the sick bed and restored to thei,
hresidc circle? Who Is more respect,
ed than tho merchant, whose honor re.