The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-10
Home Markets for Farmers.

In a recont pointed editorial article
in the New York Star entitled, "Lift-
ing up the South" we find the follow
ing suggestive paragraph:
The great obstacle to Southern pro-
gress has heretofore consisted in its
almost superstitious adherence to a
single industry. Blinded by the ira,
ditions of century and allured by
the exciting features of the pursuit
itself, the Southern people have, from
time immemorial, devoted themselves
exclusively to cotton growing, and
have concentrated upon each recur-
ring crop their energies and their
fortunes. Inbabiting the richest ag-
ricultural region in the civilized
world; enjoying climate most gra-
cious and beneEcent; relieved by ma
ture Of nine-tenths of the obstacles
against which the sturdy farmers of
the North have to contend, they have
stood still in all material respects
while their less-favored brethren have
prospered and advanced. Possessed
of surprisingly fertile grass lands,
they have reared no cattle; occupy
ing tracts infinitely superior to any in
the Northern States for fruit and veg
etable growing, they have neglected
both. They have clung desperately
to the old regime, paying for their
loyalty in hardship and dependence,
toilipg year after year at the cruel
and inexorable treadmill, while the
North has grown rich selling them
the necessities of life. The Missis-
sippi or Louisiana farmer, dwelling
in the midst Of eternal pastures and
| owning land simply peerless in fertil-
ity and resource, gives the whole year
of his labor apd care to the task of
raising cotton to pay for the Western
corn and hay with which he feeds his
teams, and the Northern bacon and
cornmeal wherewith he furnishes his
family bread. lfsuccessiul, he keeps
even with the world. If any misfor-
tune befalls him he takes fresh step
towards bankruptcy and expatriation.
That is all. The problem Of his life
has no further possibilities
Now, the facts here stated by our
esteemed contemporary are worthy
of attentions, but the attempt to ac-
count for facts themselves is some
thing of a failnre. For instance, the
| impression which the Star leaves on
| its readers is that lack Of thrift and
enterprise is at the bottom Of the
failure Of the Southern farmer to take
advantage of the unsurpassed fertil-
ity of his soil-that he has "clung
desperately to the old regime" and
the all-cotton theory simply because
| he prefers the old methods.
But nothing could be more unjust
or more untrue. The Southern farm.
er is precisely what his condition
has made him; his enterprise-or his
lack of its precisely that demand.
ed by his environment. Under simi,
lar circumstances the Northern farm,
ers who have tried the experiment in
this section do no better than the
Southern farmer and many do not
succeed SO well. The great trouble
. is that Southern farmers lack ade'
quate home markets. At the North
and even at the West, the farmers
have home markets. They find g
ready demand for their milk, theil
butter, their poultry, their vegetables
and all the other products of well
managed and well.regulated farm
they find markets that will pay then
profitable prices for their products
and the wise editors who seethis sort
of thing going on at the North can
F not understand why the Southern
farmer should not be enjoying sim
liar degree of ofprosperity.
There is but one obstacle in the
: way, and that is the lack of home
markets, such as the farmers Of the
North and West enjoy. To measure
the energy, the thrift and the enter
prise of the Southern farmer agains
: the solid prosperity Of the Northern
, farmer is to yoke what is unjust witt
what is ridiculous. If the Northern
: farmer were compelled by inexora
: bic circumstances to give his who'll
, time and attention to raising one ar
ticle fer market, we should find few
: er unjust comparisons between th'
farmers of the two sections.
: The farmer of the Northwest de
! votes his entire attention to wheat
f and the far Western farmer raise
] wheat and corn. Are they more pros
porous than the Southern farmer
save where the resources Of capita
8 are employed to overcome the din
I culties that lie between them and til,
,,orlye+e IF tbe WOrld2 The South