The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-02-09
THE POVERTY OF THE PEOPLE.
What They Are, Financially, and What
They Might Have Been.
I.NGrange kennrie

thlruS, OF more, OF her citizens are
engaged in agriculture as a pursuit
and the remainder depend upon i
for success to their business.
End. This great industry has beer
carried on, year after year, at loss
The fact that few have managed tC
save something does not disprove the
proposition; the average result has
been loss. This loss has gone on
until the situation has become very
grave. So much SO, indeed, that il
should command the earnest attention
of our wisest statesmen. Ii states
manship is worth anything at all,
practically, it is in just s0ch difficult
ties as the one in which we are strug-
Cling. 1t has been the habit hereto
fore to leave the correction of such
abuses to the individual action of the
people, and in ordinary cases, this is
the true policy; but now, the evil has
assumed such huge proportions, that
it overshadows all other questions,
and imperatively demands the earn
est consideration op the law-making
power of the State. 1t has been sup
posed that the people would see the
cause OF THE downward movement,
ana by change of policy, stop it. But
such has not been the ease. The
people have not been ignorant of the
cause, but they have deemed them
selves unable to apply the remedy.
The cause Of this loss-this retro
grade movement-had its origin in
the fatal idea among our farmers that
supplies could be imported for less
money than il would cost to produce
them at home, Our farmers and
planters deliberately adopted the
theory that they could buy fertilizers
to the extent of one-fourth the value
of their annual cotton crops, and, in
addition, buy meat, -four, corn, oats,
hay, and many other things-and all
at credit prices-and then have some-
thing left for profit out of tho cotton
crop. And ! will say here that, if a
theory was thoroughly tested, this is
S sas Of them aHsSr er a SPE the g Ss
yet, like the plucky pugilist, who,
having been Knocked down half
dozen times in succession, comes to
time when called, so our farmers have
picked themselves up at the begin
ming of the new year, rolled up their
sleeves and squared themselves for
another round, Thus the fight went
on, until, when many would have
abandoned the hopeless contest, they
found themselves tied, hand and foot,
by debt. Without money and with
out food for man or beast, the farm
ers were in no condition to make
terms with their creditors. The
mortgage halter was put around their
necks, and, drawing them up to the
lick log, the creditor said "You owe
me money and | want it. | do not
believe you can pay me unless you
plant cotton; you are compelled to
have food supplies; these | will furn-
ish at certain figures, if you plant so
much cotton otherwise, | cannot
make any advances, and will feel my
self under the necessity Of closing
my mortgage This speech was
short, though not very sweet, and it
was potential. The phillipics Of the
great Athenian were not more fruit
full in results.
The outcome of this mistaken all
cOIJOn THEORY was
list. To perpetuate, from necessity,
system Of farming after experience
had demonstrated it to be erroneous
and fatal in its consequences; and
2nd. To foster upon the country
the credit system of business; and
Bird, To send off annually to distant
States millions upon millions Of dol
lars to pay Tor food supplies, thus re-
ducing the amount of circulating me
dunn in the country to the lowest
point, the effect of which has been to
reduce all values and repress enter.
prise. This depicting process has
gone on until property has no value
except the necessaries OF life. [ poin'
to the sale Of land in confirmation
Lands that would have sold for SO Il
SO per acre, some years ago, ar,
knocked of at $3.50 to SO.
The farmer who buys his home sup
plies Injuries no one but himself, il h
can buy from his neighbor; but if h
has to send abroad for them, he in
flicts an injury both upon himsel
and his country. If bought from hi
neighbor, the money remains in tn
community and the community sui
fers no loss, but, if sent abroad, it
so much lost capital TO the communi
ty. Now, when we remember tina
for the last twenty-five years, W
have been sending abroad, year afte
year, the whole proceeds OF the col
| ton crop for commodities, the most 9
which is annihilated in twelve month