The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-07-28
CEDAR SPRINGS FARMERS CLUB.
GrGauiZafion---.An Interesting Letter
which WINS Heni Before shc Club.

papers, the farmers Of Cedar springs town.
! SHIP met at the Jackson place the afternoon
Of 2lih, and organized. About twenty-five
men enrolled themselves rs mclnbers OF The
club after which The election Of officers was
held, with the following result:
! PrrSdcnt-JOl.u Lyon.
Nicc-lrcStlcnt-Wm Magill
| Sccrctary-lt. j. McCaslhu.
! The Chair appointed seven delegates to meet
the other clubs At Abbcrillc at the next meet
ing
! \ farmer from another section who was
present was called Il pOn for his views. lie de-
clincd to give them until lie was assured THAI
none were committed to the Tilllnan move
mrnt, when. after q few preliminary rcnlr KS
he read the accompanying copy of letter lie
had written and sent some time previous TO
another farmer in an adjoining township. lie
read this letter in bold clear voice, and at It's
conclusion hc remarked that in that letter
was cmbudicd all hecould say III reference to
the agitation that is antagOniSing the nsricu-
tural element against all others. The letter
was as follows:
DEAR S1R.-Some time since n number Of
farmers in Calhoun'S Mills township met at
Mt Carmel wit view to organizing an !ts-
rlculturql Club. Being fully aware Of the
hack ward state Of agriculture iii a sectlon OF
country in whose material prosperity l have
IN interest, / attended the meeting. some
TWENTY-FIVE or more persons were present, SiN-
teen OF whom enrolled their names as mem,
berS of the club. w. ID. Mars was elected
chairman and James l.. Gown secretary pro
tenn. 3,
briefly to the bad condition of the country
and the necessity Of an immediate and radi-
cal change. In this there seemed to he con-
currence, and the following persons were
nominated and elected officers without dis
senting voice: w. d. Mars, president; j. w.
Morrah, vice-prcSidcnt; j. H. Gown, secreth-
ry, and seven Delegates were elected, at the
same time, TO meet the Central club ut Able
vile.
Upon seeing, with surprise and alarm, the
direction that the thing was taking noJecle,!
! and demonstrated. All my efforts IN that wa!
proved ahOrtivp, however Bnt L nave inc
| satisfaction of knowing that measures which
| | opposed and condemned as impolitlc anu
unwi>c q mic Int even have added, pregnant
with pcrncious consequcnccs,) by wofu Oh
mouth, did not, in the long run, have the
! sanction Of Il reluctant and apathctlc attend
atlce.
! This was all could do, and I did that, not
! from the presence OF any fell spirit OF diScord
within my bosom, but from an earnest con-
victiOn that ihe cause of agriculture is cnllre-
! ly distinct from politics and that It's interests
never can be SubScrvcd by blind and crcdtl'
/ luuS compliance with the cOunSclS Of those
seeking the public suillagcS. Tho evils that
| bcset agriculture do not proceed from bad
! laws or lniquilOuS taxation. The taxes wrung
| from the taxpayers for the Railroad Commits
sioncr, the State University, the Colunbi;.
canal, and other things Of Il kindred charac'
ter, which, by the way, is one of the l;tvnriie
| themes OF the demasogncs who are cterhaIly
seeking Office for themselves arc merely nom
I inal-but as the weight of Il 1Calhcr-in COM
parison with the load under which wc strug-
gle.
What then, YOU will ask, is the main cause
Of the bad condition Of the agricultural iMter-
csts of this comfy? | will tell you. The
causes much be sought in the diSpcnSntionS OF
providence and ourselves. We cannot avert
The visitations Of calamitics sent hy pr"rl-
tlrncr. Winter freezes, spring and summer
drou%hts and frcShetS will come prriodirally,
whenever those conditions of the atmosphere
favorable to those vicisSitudrs exist.
t.,tl nT
cnt crops SiI:cc 1SS? have been immense, not
to mention losses resulting flOm bad wheat
crops In lSSS. 1885, and Il total loss OF mat y!
1856. Now, leave bad cotton crops In lSS3 ana
lSSl out of the question, make reaSnnlhlc
estimate of the losses sustained In the fail
nrcS OF the Oat, wheat and corn crops since
lSS2, taliin. the average yield of the preceding
ten years as q basis. and you will be appalled,
at the cnornlity of losses Abhrrille county
has observation-disclosures com pared with the mag
niudc of which the taxes for the mamie
nance OF the State Unversii y. the pay OF the
Railroad Commissioner, and other necessary
expenditures that seem To haunt the inaglnl-
lion Of the SycuphantS who are wooing the
public favor hy landcring TO the pubic cred
ulily and iGnurHnce are mere aloniS, scarcely
Il, serving notice much less mention. from
their ntter inSigni!icancc.
The ills which providence inflictS upon us
and which so severely try our iOriiludr, we
cannot prevent even palliatc Those when
result from ourselves admit of aSsuaglnS and
modifying If not of absolute prevention. In
what way, YOU will ask, are results of such
vital Importance TO lis to be achieved? ny
investing agriculture with the dignity that
belongs toa scirncc-tic most important oi
the sccncrS because the most use tul-and con-
SCcTaing To It, Our energy, our talents, our Az
t:inur.ItS. Is il possible for Il pursuit 10 ID"
attractive where every outline is rcpugnant
and rcpulsivc? Is ~ possible for 1t TO be re-
mEnrraiivc when an ignorance OF It's princi-
pies is esteemed u merit" Elevate hglicui-
lure. Give a dignity to it. Clulhc it in vest
mrnfS such as chemistry. botany, anu othcr
branches OF science can bcStow, and good
pastures, good cattle, good horses, wcll-tliird
fields. and ail the Nirifying elects or IL skill
Iul and diversified huSlnndry Will arise 10 a.
lure from the halls of the academy and col
icgc those who are drifting into other pursuits,
not 50 much frum Il greater inclination or
greater aptitude for those pursuits as f:nln an
antirathy against viSagu 81 tOrhiuding nnu
50 horrible as agriculture III this country Is
doomed To wear.
Agriculture can he invested with beauty, IL
can DC rendered cnticing. Think of the Llnc
grass pastures CT Kentucky, OF the nagnii,
cent panorama that unfOlds itself to the en-
| rapiurcd vision from Baltimore To New York
| city, thence 10 Boston, and Albany, and, IN
deed along the line of every ailroad through,
out the North and West. Think of that, and
see what industry and skill can do " hen
! rightly applied to the promotion OF agIiCul
iurc. If an ignorant application OF labor is
| The hest means of extracting pleasure and
profit from the fIrm. agriculture is certainly
The only pursuit that will confer good results
! rom ueicctlNc lliclllOuS.
Iu conclusion, would suggest, yea advise
all men interested in the agricultural dcrrl-
Opmcnt OF the country to unite themselves
| together in u club whose aim will Gc to clo
vale agriculture by an acquisition ana ullu'
sion of agricultural knowledge, for l appre.
| hcnd no important results can TO any
one from pursuing a vocation of whose fun
damcntal principles lie Is lamcntnbly igno'
! rant.
| ] would como over to attend your meeting
bit I'm going 10 Mt. Carmel To encourage, to
rXnort, and to Cntrcut the good people of that
section tn let phant0nis alone, for phnntonis
they surely are, and if they he so blind and
infatuated as to persist in following them in
defiance of reason, in defiance 0t aumOnition
! they will just as surely find themselves hy
these very phantCms most cruelty and wall
tonly deceived.
! With many kind wishes for your success in
organizing and perrrtuaing club that shall
cXis! when all the Tiilnian clubs shall have
expired with the selfish and Nena! causes that
called them into bring-tu be Il CT ctlit 10 those
WHO originated IL and the whole Of Magnolia
| township, remain.
Your sincere friend. ---
| Quite Il large number Of young ladies and
gentlemen had assembled 10 dance in view O
the farmers meeting in the afternoon. They
! had Il splendid dinrcr AMI Il good time gcncr.
ally, and the dancing and the music and tho
;, white dresses OF the pretty girls who hOnOrcl
! the occasion with their prcScncr, gave mosl
appropriate feature to the landscape. May
! many meetings of the farmers be held III the
same place and the same array of lovelinrSs
put in an Attendance, Tor it is most apprOpri
ale that Ceres should he honored with tho
f, presence of the GracrS.
AID FOR MEXICAN VETERANS.
Congress Passes the Mexican Pension
Bill.