The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-01-13


white men, farmers mind you, were
too much for six thousand negroes,
even better organized than themselves
and backed by seventeen companies
Of Z. S. soldiers, but lacking the im-
perlal manhood Of the Anglo-Saxon
and without the daring leader whom
we possessed in Gary. And yet we
10000 farmers are now the puppets
and bondslaves of less than 100 law
yers, and twice as many politicians,
who parcel out the offices, spend the
taxes, pass laws in the interest of the
merchants and corporations, and take
no more thought how 70 elevate and
promote our interests than the En-
glish do to elevate and promote the
interests of their East Indian slaves
Yet we submit to all this and seem to
wonder why it is SO. And the strang
est thing of all is. that we know that in
every essential quality, as intellect, ed
ucation, character, business capacity,
honesty, we can show three men to
one, who are the equal of any lawyer,
merchant, manufacturer, or railroad
manager, among them. The only ad-
vantages which they possess being on
the part of the lawyers, the ability to
speak, gainel by practice and the
knowledge Of law, which we lack; and
even on that point there are many
farmers who know enough to COM
pete with them, anywhere except in
the courts. The secret of all is they
work together for purpose, while we
ace mob and will not organize. We
are bamboozlel, fattered, caioled,
hoodwinked, deceived, and robbed by
them, and I fear it will ever continue
to be SO.
''Twas ever thus beneath the sun,
The many still must labor for the one"
Farmers of Clarendon are you tired
of all this? Would you like to see
return of ante-bellum ways and ante
bellum prosperity? When the la@o-
owning farmers Of the State were tue
salt of the earth and called no man
master? When such farmers as Nc
Dufie and Hammond and Pickers
and Aiken and Allston and your own
Manning, with a host of others, con
trolled the State and reflected credit
upon her and upon themselves, both
at Columbia aud at Washington?
When men>were patriots and sought
political honors, as honors, not for
money nor for the salary Ii so, you
must organize Organize! organize!
organize with organization YOU WI.
become free once more, witl:out.it yon
will remain slaves. Organize for the.
purpose OF laboring and teaching each
other how to f,rln pr,itab:y. Organ
ize to protect yourselves aud a,lyanc..
your Own interests. To consult to-!
gether about what YOU think for tie
benefit OF agriculture and tilrn vote
tor measures and not men" Let your
ballots think. Legislate for your
selves i'll large agricultural society
at the county seat and a State society
at Columbia. Educate yourselves by
the same means; and above all things
let Us demand and enforce that de-
mand with our ba'lots, that at least
half the money spent for higher edu-
cation in this State be spent to train f.rm-
ers' sons as farmers, in farming college
with loyal board of trustees. How else
can We hope to either regain our we :lth, or
to prevent that control O. mini over m .tter
w:l!ch is one of the natural laws Of the uni
verse? II MI the best e,uc,.te,l lHcn go MO
the. profess: ons and leave the fools an the
ia: :llreS to farm, can the farmers expect to
rank with memce:s OF other professions and
com pete with them in the a,.stle, ever going
on, between men to olive by the sweat OF
somebody else's brow. The ignorant man
can no more hold his own against the eda-
Gated man than the savage c,ui stand up lie
fore tie trained soldier armed with the aD-
plianceS of modern warfare. therefore beg
vou gentlemen of the Clarendon Agricntar-
ii society, to sound bugle note calling on
the farmers OF your county to organize, and
calling on tue farmers OF every county in the
State t. do likewise Let Us come together
from the mountains TO the sea and take
command of our oYn vessel We have left
hec IN charge Of Lle" vino have proven un-
I; ithtul or incomp- tent, aud she is fast drf:-
ng on the rocks. Her masts are gone and
her sides are badly battered Near by are
several crafts of various sizes, carrying differ
ent flags. filed with nlcn advocating this is
sue or that idea anl as usual each ami ev :
r. one with its quot. of farmers. who thinA
more Oh every suGject than their own ,,d-
All OF these are striving to g t
near enough to board and take control OF
our good though badly dismantie,l ship. In
the distance is = little tug-boat flying tue
Free trade il.g, with sma! but choice
cre~ of men who appear to me to be drtam- |
crs and ldealistS Here again are SON
farmers: but they remind he of the man VIII
Was aaInG On the Stn.s and fe.l in 0 4 d e
pit Taritf-rcform IS 10 doubt = 6 ,nd thin; |
and we hope We Will get it. bat agricu tur;a /
rcfcr.n is better thing, nutl Ne mlst have !;
It, or go to the poor house. If TIE free trail !
ers get on board and. take copm and thy
will, rs some o! them now do, BE- content to
lraw fat salaries ..for the benefit Of Agcicul-
:ure..' and leave agriculture to taks-rslre OF
tself Their remedy for our ills is rz7.r #.
It is like prescribing y dose of. 3licine,
md then putting it o,,t of the =. !2ht the
patient, and thinking the sight q 1t would |,
;ure- hipI If our farmers are wise they Will
ook after agriculture II little III pre closely
Ian they have been doing am! let Free