Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-09-29


lence in perfect, absolute adaptation to ua,
in our nature, in our growth, in all our life
and 10 all our destiny.
The drought, with all the embarrassment,
With all tho repression, with all tho re-
trenchmcnt, with all the fear, with all the
hardness of living, with all tho suffering
which it may entail upon US and upon tens
of thousands of our fellow beings, is only
special out cropping of that great system of
nature and providence into which wo we're
born and out Of which We will only pass
when we die.
There arc ton thousand manifestation,
of this system, ou,rcuchinss of this system,
touching us every day, every hour; the
drought is only special outrcachius Of
tho divine administration. Our response
biity begins not with tho drought, with
tho facts OF the drought, for with this we
have nothing in the would to do; our re-
sponsibility begins with tho use we make Of
it and with the effect VIC allow it to Eaye
upon our iuncr moral life For convenience
we classify these uses in:o secular and moral
and spiritual.
l. IN regard to tic secular uses. have
no apology to offer that | touch upon these
secular uses; for according to my conccp-
llou 1t Is shc prer5sativc Of tho pulpit to
d'S"sss any question touching vitaily the
r.ural life Of the people. TO the farmer,
the drought points to methods of agricul-
turc, based upon the contingency of uu--
favorable scasons--a deeper preparation, q
more skilful cultivation and more iudc-,
GUS fertilization. lie is tho best farmer
who can carry growing crop the most
successfully through disastrous drought.
points also to more varied agriculture,
to greater diversity Of crops, to Drops that
grow and mature in the wintcr aud early
spring. The farmer who is already forecast
ing in his mind what crops may he seeded
now to supplement the deficiency Of the
summer crop and is cnergetically address
ing himseit to tho work Of accomplishing
the most that can possibly be accomplished,
has already learned u very important use Of
the drought.
Again, it points clearly 10 this, that SIC
sIoula adjust our expenditures, not to the
largest possible outcome. not to tho fullest
measure Of an abounding harvest, but to "a
harvest all the while subjected to unfavora-
bic contingencies. In our expenditures
especially, AND most especially in the
making Of our debts, we should not count
our chickens before they arc hntchcd
Again, the extraodinary stringoncy will
haze Il tendency to procure ;ic repeal of ali
tha: system of legislation which regulated
the furnishing Of supplies. However ap..
propriatc that system Of legislation may
have bccn, however necessary it may have
been thought to have been, experience
has showu that il is no longer appropriate,
no longer necessary. That legislation be-
ing repealed, have no doubt that our
Legislature, composed of practical, OBJ.
servant men, having, VIC trust, the welfare
OF the people at hcars, will dc3iso and
Icrfcct such measures of relief as will
bring the largest possible relief to the
people. ain thoroughly satisfied that any
system will DC better, that no system will
DC better than tho System that has
obtained, ani have been led to this oon
| cluslon from an attentive consideration of
the effects OF that systom in the increasing
embarrassment, impovcrishmcnt OF that
class with which have always been ia
sympathy and the interests Of which have
earnestly cndoavored to promote mean
Wv "Si hib-3 CluSSCS.
2. 7hc morul uses. [ believe that the
threatened curtailmcnt of tho supply of
bread will strengthen that great
moral question which is now promi-
nent before tho American people, and will
become Increasingly prominent before the
people of South CaroIua; mean prohib-
,ion. Surely the p:cp'o will sec that in a
timo Of great scarcity like this which is
upon us now broad ought not TO be distilled
into poison. Alcohol is not food. Pro.
fouudly as anl in sympathy with the pco-
pic in this unusual distress, | would choer.
fully say let another drought como if il
will strengthen our Legislature in na.ur-
ing and passing prohibtory Act, pre-.
vontiog the u,nnlNoturc and sale of in
toxicating liquors in South Carolina, if it
would strengthen that public sentiment
demanding that tho National Government
cease forever to license distillcries for The
sake of revenues.
Let US hope that this unexpected and ex~
traordinary stringency which has como upon
Us will arrest that d,plorabIe domoraliza-
ton, that social dsintcgraton, resulting
from a want of confidence botwocn man
aud man. Oh! my friends, let us meet
our engagements fairly aud spuarcly to the
utmost extent Of our ability; let us make
an honest, straightforward showing The
spirit that 10 times like these would prompt
a man to clude, to hide, to cover up is al
ready becoming ossiGed, is already bound
hand and foot in the temptation. Let
these stones be made bread. The rioh NAV
afford to DC dishonest, but the humble poor
cannot; their character is their capital, their
employment, their all.
3 Sptrituat uses Our decpcncd sense of
deponlonce is unon God for nh usinnl Life