The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-24

their way in ignorance and poverty"
Even the pittance donated to edu-
cate farmers by the United States
government is taken from US and ap-
propriated to sustain the institution
at which our future masters ere be-
ing trained" Is this statement
true? ?
Now, these are some rather start
ling statements. and if true. certain
ly . remedy should be applied at
once both for the admitted 'sinsan-
ity" and the lnisappl;cation Of the
funds. SO far as the 'insane sys-
tenn goes. this is said to be free
country and every man can do as he
likes with his own. You may put a
lunatic in an asylum but you can't
warrant cure, neither can any legis-
lation cure vicious or insane system,
or more correctly, the want Of any
system Of farming. 1t is charged
that the farmers pay $4,000 annu-
ally for college, &C., and that ''ttey
get nptAmg.' Is this mere flight of
rhetoric, or is it intended as a state
ment of facts capable Of proof?
VIII these farmers, or the compo.
sers Of the "call," he blind enough
to tell their fellow farmers if there is,
or ever has been, any discrimination
practiced against the sons of farmers
when entering the College or Citadel ?
DO not they stand on the same
plane as the sons Of other citizens
who are TO become 'our future mas
tcrs ?" Don't the farmers in every
county in the State know Of farmers
sons receiving as good education as
any one else, and making as good re-
cords In making this charge. they
surely must have forgotten that
there are now in the South Carolina
College some eighty turner's sons,
pure and simple, and some ten to
twenty more whose fathers combine
some other business with that Of ag-
riculture. And there being no limit
to any class, there is no reason why
the farmers should not send a hun.
drcd more, the only cause to pre-
vent it. | am afraid, being the lack
of means. At the Citadel there are
thirtv-two benefciarics, the sons Of
farmers, representing twenty-five
counties, three Of them being from
Edgetield.
Again, We pay $4,000 annually
by specific tax, which comes out Of
the farmer alone, to sustain a De-
partment of Agriculture.'' IS this a
fair and true statement ? My idea
is that this tax of twenty-five cents
per ton is pail by tie manufacturers
Of fertilizers, for which sum each one
of them receives q number Of tags,
one Of which is required to be affixed
to every bag sold, as guarantee
that the article is really what the
analysis represented it to be; and in
case fraud should be detected in any
samples the manufacturer would be
liable, not only for heavy penalties,
but also to loss Of business. We
might possibly, get our fertilizers
twenty-five cents per ton cheaper
were there no tax tag, and no security
against froud, but even that is very
doubtful; and as it can't be proved
that we pay the $4,000, why let us
keep what protection we have.
Now, fellow-farmers. do you find
the words of truth and soberness'
in this ':call?' Can you conscien-
tiously endure the deductions, state
ments and language in which this
matter has now been carried on for
some time? Do you believe that
-four bad crops out of five" are the
results of bad legislation, dishonest
officials, &c? DO you, as mass, plead
guilty to pursuing "an insane system
of farming" as you stand charged in
this call? you have been oblivl-
Gus Of that fact until now, are you in
condition to be helped by fellow
lunaticS; because, if we are come to
this pass. where are We to find any
body sane enough to take care Of
himself, much less Of his fellow-sut-
ferers?
Can convention do any good?
1t may do harm by antagonizlng
different classes. Can it raise the
price Of cotton. or create a demand
for manufactured goods? Can it
start the wheels Of trade and CON-
merce throughout the world, in every
quarter of which stagnation and low
prices are the rule? Can q conven-
ton convince a people of the neces-
slty Of diving under their own vine