Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-07-28

agents, nave caused tneSe pIeSeltS u ue Sibleu
and its corporate seal to be- hereto affixed, and
the said Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company
has also hereunto affixed it's name and seal on
this 18th day of April y. d. 1856.
THE TIRZAH MEETING.
The meeting at Massey's Store, in this county,
yesterday, under the auspices ofTirzah Farmers
Club, was a grand success, far exceeding any
public gathering of the people since the memora-
BILE days Of 1876. Every section of the county,
except possibly the northwestern, was repre-
scented, and In addition to the manhood and yeo-
many of old York, the occasion was graced by
the radiant presence of a goodly number of her
fair daughters. 1t was estimated that at least
$500 persons were on the grounds, and the esti-
mate was not unreasonable.
OF course, the great attraction was Capt. b. r.
Tillman, of Edgefeld, who had accepted an in
~vitation to address the people, and the immense
gathering to greet him was certainly 4 very flat
tering recognition of his efforts in behalf of the
agricultural element Of the State.
Capt. Tillman arrived at Tlrzah on Monday
evening, and was the guest Of Mr.. Henry Mas
sey. Early yesterday morning the people COM
menced to gather on the grounds, and until the
appointed hour for the speaking to commence, a
constant stream of ladies and gentlemen poured
through Mr.. Massey's house, each DESTROYS OF
taking by the hand the agricultural Moses OF
South Carolina, whose staff is to prove a guide
and comforter, and its magic influence a deliver
er from the Egyptian darkness now clouding the
farming interests of the
Capt. Tillman is a gentleman Of clear cut
features, pleasing address, atfable disposition,
easily approached, and while he has a pleasant
word for every one, his manners are entirely
free from the guile Of the politician, readily i'm
pressing one that he is honest and sincere in
what he says and does. By an accident when
a boy he lost one eye, but he makes good use OF
his remaining optic. AS a public speaker he is
free and unconstrained, and though at times a
little brusque, he has the happy faculty of in
t~eresting his hearers and making himself under
stood.
The speakers stand, erected in DR.. Hopes
grove, was beautifully decorated with flowers
and evergreens, and streamers bore the legends,
'We heed Tillman ~ Farmers to the Front
The meeting was called to order at II o'clock
a. NJ, by Mr.. Frank H.. Brown, Chairman OF
Tirzah Farmers Club, who requested Rev. d.
Harrison to open the exercises with prayer.
After prayer, in a few well chosen remarks
laudatory Of the farmers movement, of which
Capt, b. r. Tillman, Of Edgeteld, is the origi-
nator and acknowledged leader, Capt. lredell
Jones introduced that gentleman, who was re-
ceived with cheers and applause.
Capt. Tillman, said he did not think it neces-
sary to express his surprise at the magnitude OF
the crowd there present, and after compliment
ing the intelligence and beauty before him,
thanked the large audience for their attendance,
whether prompted by curiosity to see what sort
of a looking animal he is, or whether they came
to learn something. He hoped he might be able
to learn his hearers something, and even if he is
the crank that some pretend to believe he IS, he
is thankful to know that he is honest. Hesaid he
is but a plain farmer, unused to puDllc speaking,
and had never made a public speech previous to
last August, at Bennettsville, when he spoke on
the resolutions then introduced by him and which
was the origin of what has since become known
as the farmers movement. The history of that
meeting it is unnecessary to repeat; but he went
there conscious that the agricultural affairs of the
State were in a deplorable condition and pro-
posed a scheme which he thought would be ben
efcial to the farmers Of the State. Although
that meeting was composed Of representative
farmers, his resolutions were voted down, and it
was then that he went home and resolved to re-
new the fight and persevere in it until he gained
the victory. The contest was renewed by q
series of letters in the public press, and about
the time of the meeting of the last session OF the
Legislature, he was aStoniShed at the effect the
letters had produced: He discovered that he
had struck a responsive chord, which encour-
aged him to prosecute the fight.
The gentlemen who control the Democratic
party have been unjust, impugning his motives
and charging that the movement was inaugu-
rated for the purpose of splitting the Democrats
ic party. AS to that, he could only say that he
was endorsed by the Democracy of Edgetield,
which was sufficient endorsement for any DEM
ocrat.
He said he was present by invitation of the
Tirzah Club, and was alone responsible for what
he said. He could only 80 along in the ranks
and give advice.
The main object of this movement is to organ
ize farmers into societies for the purpose of
educating them. We do not know how to farm.
If we do, why are WI grOwing'poorer every day,
and why do so many of our farmers go with hat
in hand and beg some merchant or factor to run
them for a year?
You live in a county beautiful by nature, but
like old Edgefield marked and Scared by gullies,
CHASTITY skeletons of once fertile fields. Why IS
this? Ignorance, which is also the root OF our
poverty. For our condition to-day we may just
Nv blame ignorance, extravaganza and laZiness.
But while I make this charge to others, l may say
that 1 need educating too. One solution OF the
deplorable condition of our farms is the fact mat
so many of our people have moved to the fertile
fields Of the West. After having exhausted the
fields of South Carolina they went West, and we
of the South are now in competition with those
people west of the Mississippi rivera competi-
ton that we cannot stand. The people of the
Northern States have made this discovery, and
they have intelligently gone to work to improve
their lands and meet the competition OF western
agriculture, while with the blindness of an idiot
we are following in the old ruts that have ruined
our farming lands
1t is now the fashion to lecture the poor
farmer. Not long since aJudge even was guilty
of dragging his ermine IN the mire to explain
their condition to a grand jury. Every little
editor in the State is telling us what to do-ad-
yising us to make our own supplies, to keep our
smoke-houses and corn cribs at home. This is
all good advice but you must also learn how to
recover your old fields and reclaim the land
that has gone to waste. 1t is not intelligence to
follow a plan that attaches no value to the lands
you cultivate.
These remarks brought the speaker up to the
three agencies in our State intended for the bene-
fit of farmers these are the State Agricultural
Department, the Agricultural department OF the
South Carolina College, and the State Agrlcultu-
raj Society. All these are said to be for the ben
eft of the farming community, and yet all three
are under the management OF separate nOaruS
with no concert of action, and to cap the climax,
there are no farmers on either OF the boards!
Seven of them, elected by the Legislature, are
lawyers. After the college was reorganlZed with
the so-called agricultural department, the Leg
~islature was bamboOZeled into voting an appro-
%priation, and two political farmers were placed
on the board. There are about 100 lawyers III
this State and about 10000 white farmers; yet
the Legislature could not find one bona tde far
mer to put on the board of trustees. And yet 1t
is said that the farmers have Il majority III the
Legislature and that they will look after the in
terest of the farmers | fear that too many OF
them sold their votes for Il mere how dye do
to such men as IZlar and Simonton, and other
Charleston and Columbia lawyers who run the
Legislature to suit themselves.
The speaker then dwelled on the land scrip
granted the States in 1862 for educational urpos-
es, and showed how South Cardinals apportion-