The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-03-30
The Merchants. the Farmers, and the
CrGHs.

delayed.
The Merchants. the Farmers, and the
CrcHs.
Owing to the dry weather tho cotton
crop Of this county has opened prema-
tareir. Every hcl? that could DC Sc
carel has been employed in picking the
STAPLE. ana. in cnlS"IUcn"". tn crop ON
menccd to move towards the markets at
least two weeks earlier than usual. Dn-
ing The first twenty days of September
G13 bales have been shipped from .thho-
willie, nearly ail Of which has been placed
to the credit Of purchases made t. make
the crop. BY the middle 0f October the
E{cat bulk OF the cotton i'll this county,
will be gathered, and it may he safely pre-
Gicted that by the first of November Il
very large part Of it will have passed out
>f The hands Of the producer. and into
Ire hands Of the fictor. Last year the
shipments from Abbevilic amounted to
l4,4l0 bales, which WAS an unusually
large amount from this place. This year
it is quite likely that not more than from
5000 to G,OOO bales will be sent from Alb
boviile. While the crop will certainly
he the shortest and the earliest that we
have ovor known, it Is q fact that the
yield will be greater than was the porn-
lar estimate q month aTo. Yesterday we
took occasion to interview 4 number of
our merchants who have been advancing
70 planters on liens, ard We find nearly
MI of them cheerful rs 10 the prospects Of
fair COLLECTIONS, and all speak most pleas
antlv Of the manifest disposition OF their
creditors to settle their bills. The ner-
chants express no doubt, however, that
many OF them will have considerable
per cent. Of their credits to Garry OVER
for another year. which MAJ have the ef-
Get Of putting those with snail capital in
very straitcncd circumstances, while
tho stronger firms will tide over the
hard year with less Inconvenience. From
our talk with the merchants WE arc led to
believe that they will expect a tull and
honest showing from all OF those debtors
who fail to pay in fall. The debtor who
fails to pay will AVE to he very circusn-
srcct in his action, if he hopes to be able
to secure credit upon which to make an
other crop. As We said Il fpw weeks ago,
every man will be put 70 the crucial lest.
end those WHO dodge the payment Of
their accounts this year Will find it en-
ceeIingly difficult To get credit for anot;l-
or wear. Those who do not pay their
debts this Fall will be largely dependent
upon their present. creditors for their next
~'.aGvauccs,' as we understand that very
few, or none. Of the merchants of the
town are willing to take ris.is on anoth-
cr's bad customers. From the present
outlook it would seem that debtors are
doing al iii their power to pay in fall,
ana, as vet. we have heard Of no COM
plant against any debtor. They seem TO
be acting wisely and faithfully. Aside
from principles Of honesty. it would seem
10 us tina: their best interest would
prompt to this policy.
The effect Of The short crop it is 5aliev- /
el will be more p~erccptihle il The dimiu-
ished Fall and Winter trade than in any
failure to meet present Indebtedness:
s<leting upon Q skpewleages ofthis CT
tion Of affairs, wesbeiieve thai
merchants, TAlle bad Bge1ect q
Siefv "REMINISCENCES pr in, their stores,
have made lighter purchasers than they
did last year. The apparent honesty Of
orr debtor class, and the judicious cur
tailment of investments by our mer-
chants, will leave a majority, or all Of
them, in a reasonably good condition for
weathering the approaching storm, and
the opinion has been expressed that, i'll
the end, the present short crop and the
existing financial embarrassment Of all
classes of our citizens, will provea bless
inc rather than a calamity. Our people
as i whole will be taught q Wholesome
lesson by having impressed upon them
the great importance Of making their
farms nearer Selt-sustaining, and of be-
coming themselves more seif-rclianf,
while on the other hand, the merchant
will be benefited by finding ont and
knowing the mcst reliable class Of GUS
toners.
Tho recent FARMERS meetings. in !his
County, and other parts or the State is to be
greatly regretted, as they have perhaps
bv this action, done more to create dis
trus. in the minds of their creditors than
did the fact Of their short crops, or even
their present inability to pay. Any res
olutions looking to q short cut to rid the
creditor of a debt incurred in COOL faith,
will be Intellectual in bringing about the
desired result, but such 4 course Will he
wonderfully effective in il!iuring the
credit Of those who may seek to discharge
their obligations in that way. We think
the object and efforts Of the gentlemen
composing these meetings have been
very generally misunderstood. We
are familiar with the names of quite
n number of those who have participated
in some Of these meetings, and we know
certainly that they meant to do nothing
which was not strictly in accord with JUS
tice and right. 1t is wrong to taunt them
with being regulators OF honest debts.
They are as good men as there are in the
and would not willingly or know
;~ugiS$%rong any ones and have we'll estab-
lishcd ~sEhSacter for debt paying. We
hope therefore thai will not hold any
more of these meetings, witch can only
have the effect Of placing them in a>bHu
light before the public. Each debtor
must make terms with his creditor. No
general compromise can or will be made.
Such a course is impractible. Private
debts cannot be paid by public resolu-
tons, and anything which looks like a
combination for the avoiding of the pay
ment of debts would put the debtor in
an undesirable light before the world.
Let us practice economy, pay as far as We
can, hope for the best, and struggle on in
the battle of life.