The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-02-19

to 1880. South Carolina has ter
per cent. contract rate; her farm
lands increased 81, 20 per acre foi
the time named for the other states
We could, if time and space per
mitted, continue these comparisons
through the entire list of states and
territories, with the same results,
but we deem it unnecessary, as the
foregoing Is quite sufficient to con
vince any unprejadiced mind that
liberal and friendly laws regulating
money attracts capital to state,
makes it abundant and cheap, slim
ulates enterprise and enables the
farmer to control such sums as are
needed on his farm to buy supplies
at the lowest cash price, instead OF
being forced to buy on credit, as
is now the case, and pay thirty or
forty per cent. above the cash prices,
which in reality consumes all the
profit in his crop and often much
more than the profit, thereby leav-
ing him at the close of the year ia q
worse financial condition than he
was when his crop was planted.
These conditions prevail to an
alarming extent in the western sdi-
vision of the state, where cotton is
the principal crop relied on for pro
fit. Every representative from West
Tennessee in the legislature at
Nashville is a living witness that
great want of thrift and prosperity
exists in many, if not all, the coun-
ties in this part of the state. Farm
lands are being depleted year by
year for want of ability to fertilize
and improve them; farm-houses and
fences are growing dilapidated and
shabby until they are becoming val
ueless; in fact, it is next to impos-
sible now to sell an average farm
for cash at any price, Not only
this, with reference to the real prop
erty, but large numbers of farm
hands are in abject poverty and fl
thy rags, scarcely able to obtain
food and clothing sufficient TO keep
life in them during the winter
months.
These are facts that no one will
gainsay or doubt, and we insist that
want Of a more bountiful supply of
cash capital in the state has been
the main cause of this deplorable
state Of affairs with our agricultural
people. Other occupations and
pursuits in this state are, we believe,
enjoying some degree of prosperity,
because their scope is wider-they
trade with other states and commu-
mites lying Immediately on our
border, thereby overcoming in some
degree the baleful influence of this
stringent money legislation. But
the plow-boy has no such latitude,
and s-the first to feel the effect Of
unwise legislation. If, then, agri-
culture is the source of all wealth
and the foundation of all prosperity,
it will require but a short time for
all other interests and occupations
in the state to be seriously and
damagingly affected by the decay
and downfall of agricultural thrift
in our midst. These facts are suffi-
cient to warrant every citizen OF
Tennessee, of whatever condition or
avocatien, in appealing to their rep
resentatives in the legislature to
pass this bill at ence and give the
people relief, as far as possible,
from the effects of past unwise law
making on this subject. Allow cash
capital to flow into the state with
the same freedom it has into Mas
sachusetts, California and many
other states. Wake up old Tennes-
see out of her Rip Van Wrinkle
slumber. Develop the splendid
gift nature has bestowed, and we
will see a wealth never before sur
passed of corn and wheat and cot
ton and tobacco and potatoes and
fruits and grasses and cattle and
horses and hogs and sheep and
marble and coal and irons and
railroads and turnpikes and mills
and manufactures of every kind,
until thrift and prosperity will pre-
vail and farms that to-day are 90
ing begging at So per acre will
command $40, $50 and 500 per acre.
But to secure these splendid results
we must keep step to the progress
of the age and advance to the head
of the procession.