Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-10-27


bors that perform more labor than
any hand on the place. As to "pay-
ing debts, merchants trusts, draining
provision stores, having basis" &C.,
l will say to Merchant" that 7 paid
cash for my guano in the spring, that
I have paid my merchants account
this fall, that I have money deposited
in my merchants safe, that I have
twelve bales Of cotton at my gin
house, corn enough to do me twelve
months, and between two and three
hundred bushels of oats to sell. This
hard year every hand and nearly
every renter on my place will pay
out, and have something left. For
every dollar Merchant" can find due
against me, I will pay him ten, ex-
cept, perhaps, Messrs. Editors, may
be due you 50 for subscription to one
of the best papers in the world. And
nov I ask if Merchant can show
cotton bagger that can produce a bet
ter record? How much ssof "Mer-
chants" cap fits Farmer" =? "Mer-
chant" has made just as egregious
mistake as I did when pointing in
my former article to certain gentle
men as being the authors of the first
article signed Merchant. }" In JUS
tice to them l would state here that
in my interview they gave me the
best Of reasons for not complying witt
my request, viz, being surrounded
by white population that desired them
to buy seed cotton, and not being
willing to discriminate on account Of
color, &c. They are opposed to seed
cotton traffic. I will give some quo
tations from recent correspondence
I have had with them. "We, like
yourself, are farmers as well as mer-
chants, and consider the seed cotton
traffic great evil. We are willing,
as We always have been, to refiise to
take seed cotton from laborers or ten
ants when so requested, and are will
ing to refuse to take it from those Of
your whole section at the request of
your people" This speaks enough
for those gentlemen. I feel charita-
Bile towards Merchant" l have
many facts that I could shoot at his
head, though to hit ii would possibly
be to rival the remarkable markham.
ship of William Tell, of blessed mem
ory, who shot an apple from the head
of his child. Isknow that it is not
given to every. Merchant" to wear
Il hat. I think Merchant" needs
a little advice. 1 would respectfully
suggest to him that when Ehe comes
out with the nom de plume Of "Mer-
chan" to recollect that many of the
great soldiers and statesmen of our
nation have come from the ranks Of
merchants, and could point to the fact
with pride in after years that they
had been merchants. Recollect how
many country merc In Edge
III a0:aa7 5sld S5sllSd thsiF heads
were he to tell them ra was "Mer-
chant" I would advise if he advo-
Gates the principles Of L "cotton bag
ger" to wear his own cognomen. For
aught know, Merchant may be
an ambitious young man, expecting
some day to be Stewart or Clafin'
If this be true, what will be his feel
ings when he reaches the goal of his
ambition and recollects where he got
his money?
IL will answer "Merchant's" qu, :
tions in the order given: lst. No; ID,
That depends on circumstances. Law
may legalize theft; Sd. Oh! Con-
science, thy sting is great to the man
that has any BY the way, "Mer-
chan" did not tell us whether he
would like to hug the widow" or
not. In bidding Merchant" adieu,
1 will let him off if he will promise
not to do so any more. Messrs. Edi-
tors, our community, both merchants
and farmers, held a rather ludicrous
meeting upon the subject Of seed cot,
ton traffic on last Wednesday. The
following preamble and resolutions
were offered for adoption:
Whereas, cotton is The chief pro-
duct of cur country, and whereas the
sale in the seed thereof has become
detrimental 10 our community by
producing dishonesty, by demoraliz
ing labor, and by disorganizg society,
Resolved, lst. That We the under
signed merchants and citizens Of
-, and vicinity, in meeting as
sembled, do hereby utter our most
solemn protest against the continn,
ance OF it's sale from the date Hereof.
Cd. That hencelorth we will for
our mutual benefit and protection
neither aid, abet or countenance any
party or parties who shall continue
to engage in seed cotton traffic.
Sd. That we will withdraw oul
patronage from all and any parties
who shall persist in the buying there
q, and that we will regard the same
as a nuisance. a curse, and an enemy