The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-08-05

iectioas which my friend, the chairman
of this meeting, set before the candidates,
at speaking in this house this afternoon.
l have never objected to speaking to the
ladies, and have never sought to have
the privilege of speaking to man alone;
and, therefore, beg to say that had no
part in tho programme of which be
spoke.
It gives me pleasure to meet with you,
gentlemen Of tho Storeville Farmers
Club, and speak to you upon the issues
which are before the people of South
Carolina at this time, because / believe
that you have taken step, which, if
followed all over the State ofSouth Caro-.
lima, will result in great good to the peo.
pie of this State. Just such organizations
as tho one which you have here are ca'cu'
lated to do more to diffuse wholesome
knowledge and useful information among
the people of the whole State than any
other organization that we can have.
The Club which you started here, as your
chairman stated, was not started to be the
tail to some politicians kite to sail them
into Office. 1t was not started as part of
any movement to make particular man
Governor, or particular man Sena.
tor or Representative; but it was started
for the purpose of discussing those agri.
cultural interests which affect the whole
State of South Carolina, and upon whose
success the very prosperity of every pur-
suit depends; and it was started in Q way
which, should every township in South
Carolina follow your example, it would
result in good which few can foretell.
My friends am not afraid of farmers
movement in this State; I am not one of
those professional men who fear any inju-
ry to the people of South Carolina from
an organization Of the farmers of South
Carolina. Your interests are known in
South Carolina. There is not man
doing a legitimate business whose pros
perity does not depend upon the agricul.
tural prosperity of this State; and there
ia no man in this State who is good
citizen, who is not identified with your
interest, and who does not wish to see
that interest prosper and thrive; and
anything which will tend to give you
improved ideas of agriculture, anything
which will tend to give you information
upon your business, anything which will
tend to give you an understanding of
those matters of special, or those matters
of private management, which will affect
the agricultural industry of this State
will be to the advantage of the State. |
say that such an organization as this
ought to be formed in every township in
your County, and when you get those
organizations, you should have your
County and State organizations; for
when an organization, composed for agri.
cultural purposes in this way, meets and
sends a delegate of the body to represent
the agricultural interests of the State,
and requires anything from the State
|. Legislature touching those agricultural
interests, you may depend upon it thatit
will not only receive respectful hearing,
but that it will be granted /; for, my
friends, little as you may believe it, and 1
as much as the demagogues who wish to
hoist themselves into public positions by
the people of the farm may feel to the
country, / know that the people of this
County know that if they show to the
Legislature-of this State what the agri
cultural interests of the country wish,
and what would benefit those interests,
there would be no difficulty in getting it
adopted; and just such organizations
with monthly or weekly meetings, and
essays, discussion of public questions,
| informing yourselves on those questions
and giving to others your thoughts on
them, this interchange of views, this
coming together will give you an oppor-
tnnity Of finding those men who know
most about your condition, and who if
elected to represent you, could do the
moet for you, and such candidate should
be brought before the attention of the
Club, aud if he will do the most for the
agricultural interests of the country he
should be sent to represent you, instead
of the little politicians who wish to claim
your favors for the purpose of riding
from the farm into positions to help
themselves. [Applause]. This is just
what the true people of South Carolina
are interested in having, and I. take part
in urging you to join an organization of
this Kind. Our merchants have their
boards of trade, our lawyers have their
bar associations and it is right and prop
er that they should do it. Those boards
of trade are to the interest of the COM
munity which trade in any town: 1t is
through those boards of trade that the
merchants are able to buy where they
buy cheapest, and get things upon the
most advantageous terms. It is through
those associations that they can sell your
produce where they get most for it, and
tits clear that they will pay you more for
it when they get more for it at the other
end of the line. It is right and proper
that bodies of men engaged in any busi-
ness should associate together, that they
should discuss those questions bearing
upon their avocations, not in the light
of personal interest, but in the light OF
the interests of the great masses of those
who belong to those organizations, and,
therefore, say that I am pleased to have
this occasion to address this association
upon the subjects which you have men.
toned here to-day. I come before you
as candidate for the position of Senator
from Anderson County. am not can
didate to represent any interest in this
country, I don't ask you to send me there
as the representative of the farmers of
the County I shall not 60 there as the
representative of the merchants of An.
derson County I shall not go there as
the representative of the professional
men of Anderson County. No class in
this County shall have any service, and
if should be selected to represent An
derson in the General Assembly, the
whole County of Anderson, and every
interest in this County shall have faith
full, conscientious and earnest service
during the period that I may be there.
No interest shall suffer at my hands un-
les, it be from lack of ability on my part
to represen that interest.
We have been told here to-day some
thing about practical farmers and some
thing about pen farmers. l don't know
but that l am a little of both and not
much of either. I have some interest in
agriculture. Like the first gentleman
who spoke to you here, although q pro.
fessional man, I run little farm, and l
expect that both of us will agree that we
have to use all we may make at every
thing else to keep our farms in present.
able fix, for admit that farming has not
been profitable to me. l have found no
great money in it. lean well understand
how our people who are engaged in agri-
culture, have failed to make any great