The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-08-28
FARMERS ISSUE.

ILLS pIeuIy OIL corn IOr maj
and beast. The truth of the business
is, that not in two decades has there
been such prospects of a bountiful
supply of provisions. 1t not only
makes the people joyous, but gives
them stronger courage in the faith
and future of u section, and in the
possibilities of these old hills, 1t, is
apparent, and this paper has steadily
pressed it, that this cotton belt, or, If
you please, this Southland of ours, is
invested with the grandest possibili.
ties of any spot or section of the
world. 1t is a matter left almost alb
solutely to the farmer, and the ques-
ton is, will they meet the issue :?
Geographically we lie along between
the parallels of latitude of the worlds
best and highest civilization and of it's
most productive soil; with intelligent
citizenship; with the best of labor for
crops raised; with climate unsurpassed;
with soil that produces everything
that is essential to the life, luxury
and comfort of her people. God
never intended this favored land to
draw its substance from other sections.
1t is a lamentable fact that our section
has been fed from the Middle and
Western States, which have, in their
own easy way, absorbed all the muscle,
labor and money of this section for
years. Let the farmers of the South
answer the question: What has be-
come Of the 100, 600, 900 bales of cot
ton they have raised and marketed
for the last twenty years Who has
it enriched and who has it impover-
ished? The truth is, the farmer has
been under great pressure, caused
from his reckless, injudicious methods,
that he has been forced to market his
cotton in a hurry to meet and liqu1-
date his ration debt. Don't make
any difference as to the price. Wall
street and heartless spectators may
make murderous corners and force it
down below cost of production, yet it
must sell-sell to meet mortgages for
rations, bought at so to 100 per cent.
Fol- twenty years the farmer has been
bled terribly by SPECTATORS, middle
men and all sorts Of combinations and
corporations, and these tremendous
cotton crops, running yearly into the
millions, have not only exhausted
Southern lands, but has fattened the
East and West to bloated Pleutarchy.
The South has simply followed a
suicidal policy which brings to blush
the methods of the fathers of the old
Then no farming country
ever had such wealth, independence
and prosperity as they. The old South
produced everything at home, and if
cotton sold for 3 cents per pound, that
money was placed to his bank account,
or went to buy more land or negroes.
What was accomplished in the old
under our fathers methods may
and can be accomplished by farmers
the new South.
The issue is upon the farmers now.
and we believe, from the signs of the
times, they are going to meet it. The
time has come, and they feel it, when
their methods must change. They
are organized under reform, and the
fruits are being seen in the acreage
in cereals. Georgia and Ala
oama will raise bread enough for an
other year, and if they will do it
for the next ten years, this land
and people will be the richest and
most prosperous on the earth's surface.
Why not? 1t was the case with our
and will be so with their sons.
Raise breadstuff and meat, and let
he West alone, and we will soon hear
40 more of corners in wheat and meat
by INSCRIPTIONS spectators. Raise
oreadstuf and our wives and daughters
will bless us and our sons will fall in
owe with the farm and this wild craze
clerkship and easy positions will
cease. Let Southern farms be self
sustaining, and a new and happy era
will dawn upon land such as the
.isest patriot never dreamed of. Let
hem be self-sustaining and railroads
will be glad to haul their watermelons,
ruits and surplus products at living
'rices. Now they are bleeding the
in Southwest Georgia with
outrageous freight on melons and
Without a change will kill out this
lew industry of the South. You
armers have fattened the railroads
nd taxed their carrying capacity
corn, -four and meat to feed
he South. Providence has opened
he way now for your redemption, and
I'LL you profit by it. Let every farmer
aise breadstuff. Raise breadstuf,