The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-28
The Trouble with the TilImanites.

The Trouble with the Til1manites.
The Tillman. or Farmers Move.
ment. may be said noar to be under :
fnU sail. The different counties in
the State have had meetings and
chosen delegates to represent them
in Columbia. AS such delegates
they are chosen under the address
sent out some time ago by B. R.
Tillman, and signed by quite mum.
her of farmers from different sections
Of the State. Going to the Conven-
tion under that call, they are pledged
to certain lines Of action. Of course,
Tillman will ride his Agricultural
College hobby, and since by resolu-.
ton numbers Of the farmers 'sdo in
straightforward terms endorse B. R.
! TillEIan in his movement to redeem
the farmers of the State from the
thraldom under which they are now
laboring;" and since Tillman believes
that salvation lies alone in an Agri-
cultural College, therefore the farm
ers' delegates will mount the same
hobby, and follow where their
Moses" will be pleased to lead
them. They will therefore have to
devise ways and means for the es-
tablishment of an Agricultural Col
lege. 1t is to be feared that they
will not sec far enough into the fu-
ture, to see that money will be re-
quired year after year to run the coll
lege. A Legislature composed of
farmers. however, could easily make
all appropriation annually, of the
public funds to rua it, although such
annual appropriation might not tighten
the burden of taxation now com.
planned Of. And then the delegates
from all the counties will wish to re-
duce the taxes. In order to accom-
plish it, they "desire more econom-
ical disbursement of the taxes; they
"wish fewer Offices both County and
State;' in short, they wish to elect
legislature pledged to the calling Of
Constitutional Convention by
means of which they propose to over
turn our present system and rey61u.
tionize the whole State government.
And yet strange to say, at nearly all
the County meetings, the farmers
beve by resolution, disclaimed the
movement to be political ir9it nature
and express their confidence Is and
fealty to the Democratic party 9
Stranger still. no resolutions bearing
directly upon the agricultural inter-
ests Of the farmer, without some po-
litical significance, have been voted
uDon in any Of the County meetings.
Tie conclusion is. therefore, irresist-
able, that the movement is strictly
political in it's nature; and at the
risk of being called ''liar,' I mildly.
yer rture the assertion, that Tillman
expects place for himself, and like
wise his most active subalterns in the
movement have their eyes longingly
fixed upon some place that 6hey have :,
heretofore sought and not found.
The County meetings held through
out the state, as rule, have been
attended by small crowds Of farmers.
The conclusion then is, that quite
respectable majority we're at home
planting cotton and corn, and there
fore not yet thinking of politics or
farmers movements, (so-called). But
this majority who have been at home,
many Of them, can tell you from ex.
perience. what is the trouble wita the
Tillmanites. They will tell you that
the trouble is not in the State Con-
stitution, not on account of high taxes, T.
not for the lack of an Agricultural
College, but chiefly because the farm
ers are IN debt and without money.
The Farmers Movement (so-called),
they say, will not raise mortgages,
pay debts. and put money in their
pockets; but more bountiful provision
crops, and strict economy, with cot
ton as a surplus crop aciU do it.
In conclusion, the Farmers Move
Eent as q political move, will have
to deaf with the negro Question. .
Their action at Somerville showed
that they were wide awake, and of
course ready for any emergency.
The Republicans are looking on with
much interest, hoping many things.
-AGR1coI.A, in Marlboro Democrat,
A Goose Farm.