The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-05-02
AN APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE.
THE PURPOSES AND PLANS OF THE
FARMERS MOVEMENT.

THE PURPOSES AND PLANS OF THE
FARMERS MOVEMENT.
Address of the Executive Committee
of the Farmers Association.
Plans for the support of the Agri.
cultural COlIege...RefOrms In
State and County Affairs Suggest.
ed.
committee of the Farmers Association at
Columbia, for consultation with friends Of
the farmers movement and the proposed
Agricultural College, the following address to
and ordered to be published as statement o.
the plans and aims of the Association, and
as an appeal to the sovereign people for theil
approval and endorsement at the polls.
The Address.
To the people of South Carolina the execu.
tive committee OF the Farmers Association
feeling that 1t Is incumbent upon us MS the
representatives of the organized farmers o
the State to outline policy OF retrenchment
and reform In CT nsonance with aims and pur
poses Of the agitation known as the farmers
movement, and to explain the grounds upon
which we shall ask the support and aid OF oul
Democratic fellow-citizens In the coming elec
ton. would call the earnest attention Of al
persons in sympathy with our aspirations fol
agricultural education and more economical
and efficient Government to the facts and
reasons herein set forth.
We claim only our just share Of educational
advantages for the agricultural and industrial
classes, and that the same shall be placed
within the reach OF the average farmers son
and not, as is now the case, shall we be com
PEELED to support only such institut ions as are
inaccessible to most farmers and which do moi
furnish the cheap practicable training needed
We make no war upon the South Carolina
University as place for obtaining scientific
and classical education, and we reiterate our
desire to see the South Carolina College liber
ally supported and become a real university
worthy of our State: but we assert without
cannot be educated In city and remain far:
mers, and that in all efforts to mix practical
and literary training the first has been over
shadowed; the agricultural students have
been few, and the attempt an utter failure.
The demands for better facilities for cheap
and practical education for farmers has been
heretofore refused on the plea OF expense, and
the opposition has not hesitated to scare the
of the probable cost OF separate agricultural
college. With consummate cunning and un
blushing inconsistency they have taken ad
vantage Of the agitation for seperate agri
cultural college to build up that wonderful
ten-student "annex," and, while crying. out
against "duplication Of plant and teaching
force" have actually increased the taxes be-
yond what the Farmers Association ever
thought of asking for. Not satisfied with rob
bling the industrial classes Of the benefit OF
the land scrip found, they have stretched
forth their greedy hands and GRABBED the
Hatch fund also; aud State which two
mental station at all now supports three
with their duplicated attaches, thus frittering
and wasting the funds appropriated FOR scien-
tilc Investigation. In 1885 the University, in
Guiding Clafiin and the Citadel, had an in:
come Of about $50, 900, and the trustees claimed
that, as then constituted, 1t afforded all the
practical training for farmers needed by the
State. Its income now is approximately S37,
h1 q school
it Is only bigger and more costly deception.
FORTUNES FAvoRING SMILES.
But while our efforts to obtain q recognition
of our rights and needs have hitherto failed
to secure a college for educating farmers, for.
tune has Unexpectedly smiled OH us. The
lection for his adopted State and wise insight
has removed the great stumbling block In the
way of providing suitable site and farm Tor
the college, gives us the coveted opportunity.
BY this bequest not only do the farmers come
into possession Of property valued at we'll
nigh 500 900, but also of an estate eminently
suited for the purposes for which IL Is given,
and hallowed by the sacred memories OF Caro-
thority OF Gen. Stephen D. Lee for saying that
100000 is ample for building and equipping O
school like the Mississippi College. Without
counting anything donated by Mr.. Clemson.
except the Calhoun hom mestead, we propose TO
show how the needed money can be obtained
without increasing the taxes one single dollar
and while many have believed that the build.
ing Of separate agricultural college was and
Is the only vital issue represented by the
farmers movement, we still call attention to
other reforms which we deem Of equal or
greater Importance.
REFORM ALL ALONG THE LINE.
The purchasing power of money is much
greater than 1t was ten years ago the taxpay-
Ing power has not Increased at all while the
price OF our main money crop. cotton, has
lowered very lear the cost OF production. The
reduction OF expenditures. when possible,
we'll as the pockets Of our people. No good
reason can be given why salaries in our State
should remain fixed higher than In North
Carolina and Georgia-both larger and
wealthier States. Weinvite the careful atten- :
tion OF taxpayers to the following figures,
taken from the comptroller's reports OF the
three States: