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

indeed more than Iiisi: of iilis white
agricultural host are already the hope
less slaves of debt and ignorance, with
only two gloomy means Of escape,
starvation or emigration.
I am aware that in talking thus shall
be accused of ademagogueism--and
the charge made that 1 am trying to
ARRAY class against class, &c. 1t has
already been made out such is uot my
purpose. I only desire to show our
farmers their true condition and get
them to make a manly and merited
effort to remedy these evils The
fault lies with US, you and me, that we
are underlings. We do not farm III.
tionally, apd very few of US really
know how to farm at all. We sneer
at the rock and pumpkin way of doing
things while nearly all of our farming
is conducted solely on that principle.
It is rock and pumpkin from years
end to years END, while a grinnine
happy negro rides the mule across
which the boy is thrown: 1t is fun
for him, but death to US! Why are
we so Ignorant, so apathetic, so indif-
fereut, SO stupid? Because we have
had no agricultural societies to act as
educators and stimulants, no Board
of agriculture, worth the name, to set
in motion these hidden springs of ac-
ton, and to utilize those means fpro
noting and encouraging progress and
enlightenment which are in use all
over the North. Because we have
had no agricultural college, conducte. /
by men loyal to our interests, to teach
our young men scientific and practi-
cal agriculture, SO they could go into
any county, and act as missionaries to
teach better way to those of us, who
are still blindly following the old slave
system which said, t'Cut down, wear
out and move West" In word, we
have had no craftsmanship, and the
farmers of the State must awake from
their lethargy and devote themselves
to bettering their own condition if
they expect any change-"God helps
those who help themselves; and if
farmers will not look after their own
interests nobody else will do it for
them. We have yearly waited for
some Jupiter to lift our wagon out of
the mu>is, but until we put our own
shoulders to the wheel It is likely to
remain stuck there Have we lost the
breed of Statesmen III South Carolina,
and have we no farmers, pure and
simple, who can cope with these burn
ing questions and solve them? who
can pilot our people out of the wilder
ness of debt and ignorance, in which
we are plunged? We have waited
patiently, prayerfully, for nile years
for an agricultural Nose" to appear,
but so far in vain l have been called
slch, in derision, by one who claims to
be a beacon light, to show the people
the way OF salvation, I make 20 such
claim for myself I do not aspire so
high. but I can and do claim to have
clearer conception of our needs
than the gentleman il question, and
to possess honesty Of purpose at all
events. But the real Moses, 1 hope
aud believe<s near:at hand, ard only
waiting for, an ..opportu2ity to show
himself Il l,as;bea the curse OF this
State since her redemption from Rad
icalism that We have been compelled
as it were, to encourage what I may
call personal politics. Ave have voted
for men and not measures, and the
dire necessity under which we have
labored of supportinSstlle Democratic
nominees, however: unfit they might
be, has also kept Us until recently
from agitating an8s question which
would be likely to create division in
our ranks. This condition of affairs
has been fruitful source Of evil, and
the demagogues andsselish politicians
tave had entire possession of the field.
Office seeking has grown into mania,
and hand-shaking into fine art
The how-d-ye-do statesmen have had
it all their own way; and SO far as we
farmers are concerned u pretty mess
they have made of it-.In other words,
a pretty mess we have made Of it by
sending such men to care for our in
terests. Many of the very best mon
We have, all over tie State have held
back and refused to crawl through
this slime and filth to obtain Office
There have been no issues before the
people, t, ese men lave been unwilling
TO enter race in which shaking hands.
kissing the baby andSsmiling sweetly
on the sovereign voter, were the oul,,
avenues to success. 1t will be asked,
if we have had no honest and loyal
farmers in the Legislature at all, and
d. I consider them all as Office seek
ers and delnagogues? I answer, by no
,neaus. There have been good and
true men, able men, some Of them even
lawyers, sent to Columbia from diff
ferent parts Of the State, but they |
have found themselves in hopeless
minority, and have failed to urge any