The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-10
Wednesday, March 10, 1886.
The Farmers Movement.


Elsewhere in these columns we present the
call for q convention of the farmers Of the
State. In that call some of their grievances
are recited, and some of their objects are
stated. .-
Except that the address itself is evidently
the result of widespread unrest and dlssatis'
faction on the part of OUR people, there is but
little on its face which would approach to
anything like the formulation of serious
objection to the present administration OF
the government
We believe the farmers have q cause of COM
plaint, We believe that our nominating con-
Sentions and our Legislatures have Disregard
cd the wishesof their constituents, and we be-
lieve that some Of the city newspapers have
not only not been watchful of the interests OF
the farmers, but have jeercd them and ridi-
,uled them or their representatives as being
"three for q quarter" We furthermore be-
sieve that the country people receive from the
people of Charleston very meagre irlendsnlp'
We believe too, that Charleston by the lnnu'
euce ef her unjust number of delegates, ana
ny the number of county delegates who think
they owe greater duty to Charleston than TO
their own constituencies, wieldS an influence
over legislation which is not for the welfare Of
the up-country. We cite a few 1n-
stances: the railroad commission to crush
out railroad building in the up-country; the
phosphate monopoly whose profits arc enor'
NOUS butwho have no commission to prevent
their extortion on the farmers; the factory en-
cmption act whereby citizens OF Charleston
were allowed to invest their money without
taxation for ten years; the refusal 10 grant
Robinson a railroad charter to build a road at
his own expense through the State, merely
because it did not head toward Charleston !;
the refusal to pass the census appropriation
the support of the enormous expense Incl
deaf to the Columbia canal; the refusal TO
hire convicts to work on railroads, while they
were at work in the phosphate mines; the en-
actment Of the law in favor Of capitalists as
against the farmer, in legalizing high rate OF
interest; the legaiized eXtortion by the phos-
phate companies OF $4,000 royalty from the
farmer.
We believe the appropriation for the South
Carolina College to be mere bagatellc, when
it is remembered that half million OF dol
lars is appropriated annually for the So
called public schools, which large amount,
prated by the rich or paid out to schools in
The towns, from some OF which the poor nave
been excluded The farmers, in their call for
u convention, do not recite the fact that the
poorest of their number ray their collar to
the school fund, even though they should be
unable to buy book for their children; they
seem to forget that the farmers in all parts of
the State pay an annual tax of two mills on
their property to keep up the schools, which
:are seldom taught within reach OF them or
their children they seem to forget that the
farmers are thus compelled to pay taxes to
llecp up schools in the towns, which cannot
possibly be of any benefit to them; they
seem to forget that the people Of the corpor-
ate villages, for the accommodation OF their
children, have schools within few hundred
yards of each other, while country people are
required to send their children, unprotected
in many instances, for miles through isolated
sections, in order TO reach an alleged school
house. We further believe that our lead
Aers promised a reduction in the number
OF public officers. We believe the num-
ber of offices and officers has been great
ly increased. We believe that it was promis-
ed that our taxes should be reduced. We be-
lieve that they have gradually increased since
1876.
We believe the wishes and interests oil the
farmers have been disregarded and neglected
because of the inefficient representatives whom
they have sent to the General Assembly. We
further believe the farmers are directly re-
sponsible for their grievances. Instead OF
electlng from their own number delegates to
the Legisla ture, their rights would be secIr-
ed If they selected q representative for his
ability, his education, his honesty, his keen
perception of right and wrong, his knowledge
of the law, and his ability TO interpret the
meaning of the work of the Legislature. The
insane idea that inexperienced men of any
profession can 20 to Columbia, and stand the
peer of the ablest men in the State has
brought all the trouble Of which we COM
plain. If man is sick, he sends for phys
clan. If man needs legal advice, he goes to
q lawyer. It is utter and absurd folly to ask
Il man to frame a law, when he could not exc
cute the simplest :orm of contract. 1t is
senseless to send men to the Legislature who
have not to some extent the power OF elo-
luence and the ability to grapple with the
most learned. A crossroads good clever fel-
low without q knowledge of the law, has no
business in the Legislature, where he would
tbe run over by the giants which are sent
there by Charleston.
Charleston always sends men to the Legs-
lature who have power and influence, and it
Gs the lack of equal ability in our representa-
stives tcat enables them to run rough shod
over us. We believe that any talk that law
yers are not as honest, as patriotic, and as
faithful to trusts as any other class of men is
.either idiotic or malicious. Lawyers shonld
he chosen to make our laws; to stand up for
~our rights; and to protect us from the aggrcs.
sions of those able and influential Represent
:atives who are faithful to their own local
trusts. no matter how the up.country may be
effected.
If the farmers will vote for the men who
are most able 10 serve them in the Legislature
they will in future be saved the necessity OF
making the extremely humlliatng confes.
sions contained in the call for Il farmers con-
venton.
The Negro Question.
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