The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-06-16
Mr. Tindal's Speech Before
the Clarendon Agricllltllr-
al Society.

for the small sum OF $1,000 per annum Tor an
alysis, every farmer has confidence that
when he buys guano he gets precisely what
he buys-and furthermore, through the aS-
ricultural societies. the board is able to IN
tinence all classes of farmers, while 1t IS
stimulated and reacted upon by them. 1t
is so divorced from politics that Repubil-
cans and Democrats who hotly contend for
every other Office in the State, join hands
in cordial support of their agricultural IN
tereStS
The argument urged that lawyers could
Just as reasonably be allowed to elect tae
Judges as that farmers be allowed to
elect their Board Of Agriculture, can have
no weight with any man whose habit OF
reasoning has not been perverted. II JudS-
es. had only to sit in judgment over the law
yers it would be just and proper to allow
the lawyers to select them-Dut judges pre-
side over all classes of the population, and
therefore all should share in their election
But the Board Of Agriculture as we propose
will confne it's work to our agricultural IN
terests, will not legislate but recommend
lesislation-will be to the farmers some
thing like boards Of trade are to the COM
mercial population, and therefore should be
chosen by the farmers whose interests alone
are at stake and who alone support it? Why
do we always elect our judges and solicitors
from one class, viz, the lawyers? Because
we rightly presume that men whose busl-
ness is the practice of law, are by that very
fact better Judges Of the law. Is it not Just
as reasonable to suppose that men whose
business is agriculture, whose time and tai
| ents and interests are al concentrated upon
it, are lust as much more fitted foc board
of agriculture? 1t has greatly surprised ms
that we should meet so much opposition on
such q point. I have never found self
respecting farmer, though well educated,
who desired to be elected judge. Why
should other classes who know nothing OF
agriculture, so hotly contend to get upon the
Board of Agriculture?
Again, it is continually insinuated that
we are casting reflections on Gov. Thcmp-
son and the whole Board of Agriculture. by
wanting to reorganize this Board. When
State officials execute the laws as they lind
them, they have done their duty. 1t IS our
prerogative to charge or modify the law, II
we feel that our interests demand 1t. l have
botk on public occasions and privately ex-
pressed the highest appreciation OF Gcv.
| Thompson's adminlstration-and if a desire
to re-organize the Board Of Agriculture is a
reflection upon him-then every proposed
change of every law ever amended, is q re-
fection on every officer that ever held an
Office. Now, my friends, what does this
farmers movement really mean? 1t means,
first the thorough organization Of the farm
ers Of the State, if it can be effected.
For what purpose? To improve and ad-
vance our agricultural interests, and to
place ourselves in the same condition to
protect our rights, that oil other classes have.
The farmers are beginning, at least, to real
ize that all other classes are quicker to un-
derstand their rights, and are better organ
lied to protect them and advance their In
terests. Every class is organized but farm;
er. The merchants have their Boards OF
Trade-in every city-composed OF men
quick to appreciate their interest, and intel
hgent to see the present and proSpectlte
bearing of proposed legislation upon thelI
interests. You frequently see IN the news
papers, that this or that measure Will lnJure
the business interests, twill alarm the
business interests, will promote the busl-
ness interests" When you come to inquire
what this business interests is. you md
that it is the banks, railroads, manufactures
and commerce. The farming interests, the
greatest and most important of all, is not
even taken into the account. Whether a
measure injures them Or not, nobody cares.
Why? Because they don't know their rights
and make no fuss about them. They ask
nothing, they get nothing, they pay OIL
Let measure be proposed which, Will In
! lure commerce either in state or the ma.
tional Legislature. The Boards of Trade at
once meet and enter protest, backed up by
all their constituency, and by their own
| newspaper press-and so Of their interests.
| They at once take alarm and are up in arms
to protect their rights Not so with the
scattered, unorganized, needless farmers.
Millions of dollars could be wrung out OF
them .,y indirect methods and they would
not even know it. Are We not so informed
by the Tariff Reformers? Yet, when we
make an effort to do what we are advised,
ought to be done What we know to be
necessary, what all other classes do, We are
met on every hand and every side by the
Jealous politicians, and by the fears of many
who live and thrive upon the farmers folly
and ignorance.
Think how little is done for our agricul
ture. The Republic of France, we are told
spends 20 millions per annum to support
and protect. encourage and develop her ag
ricultural resources. After the war with
Germany, the first wise act Of the new
French Government, was to lend a helping
hand to her farmers. The result was thai
in few years France was able to pay off the
whole war indemnity to Germany, and the
whole people had risen as from the ashes
to inspire anew the fears Of Germany.
After the destructive Napoleonic wers, ev
erv industry III France was destroyed. She
had no manufactures, and no skilled me-
chanics. England held q monopoly and
forbid skilled artisans and manufacturers
from leaving her shores. France supplied
their deficiency by establishing industrial
schools or colleges, when science as applied
to manufactures was the principal aim Of
the curriculum. In short time England
herself was amazed at the progress and
skill Of France in manufacture. Now n
South Carolina we want to learn to apply
science to our agriculture, and we want
skillful and carefully taught mechanics. Il
is q necessity Of our condition. In past
days boys were apprenticed to learn me-
chanics In our generation the youth
have rebelled against that plan Of educat
ion. The mind of the scientific world has
been more concentrated lately upon agri.
cultural science than ever before. Rapid
progress is being made everywhere in bet
ter knowledge of the science of Agriculture
No people need this increasing and expand.
ing knowledge more than We do. But when
we propose to obtain it for ourselves. most
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