The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-05-02
FARMERS MANIFESTO.
OBJECT OF THE MOVEMENT TO
MAKE A COLLEGE.

hiTio VI ehc otalc, 10 OutllEn q
policy Of retrenchment and reform
in consonance with the aim, and
purposes Of the farmers movement,
and to explain the grounds upon
winch we shall ask the support and
aid OF our Democratic fell0w-citi.
zens In the coming election, would
call the earnest attention Of all per
sons In sympathy with our aspira-
tlons for agricultural education and
n more economical and efficient
government to tho facts and rea.
sons herein set forth.
we claim only our just share of
educational advantages for the op-
ricultural and industrial classes.
and that the same shall be placed
within the reach of the average far
mer's son, apd not, as is now the
case, we be compelled to support
only gsuch institutions rs are mae
cessible to most farmers, and which
do not furnish the cheap and prnc
tical education needed. We make
no War upon the South Carolina
University rs place for obtaining
scientific and classical education,
and reiterRtc our desire to zee tho
Soutd Carolina College literally
supported. and to become Il real
university worthy Of our State. But
we assert Without fear Of success
full contradiction that farmers can.
not be- educated in II city and re-
main farmers; and that in all efforts
to mix practical and literary train
ing, the first has been ovprshadow
ed; the agricultural students have
beer .ew, and the attempt an utter
failure.
The demand for better facilities
Tor cheap and practical education
Tor farmers has been heretofore re-
fused on the plea OF expense, and
the opposition has not hesitatcd to
scare the taxral ers with largely cX-
aggerated estimates Of the proba.
BILE cost Of separate agriculturoI
college. With consuminatc cunn-
ing and unblushing Inconsistency
they have taken advantage of the
agitation for n separate ugricultu-
raj college to build up that wonder
f,ll ten students" "anncN," "and, while
crying out against deception of
plant and teaching force, have ac.
tually increased the tax beyond
what the farmers ssociatio
thought OF asking for. Not salts
fled with robbing the "industrial
classes" Of the benefits of the 'Iand
script" fund, they have stretched
forth their greedy hands and grab
bed the Hatch fund also; and a
state which two years ago was too
poor to support any experimental
station at all, now supports three,
with their duplicated attaches, thus
frittering and wasting the funds APP
propriated for scientific InvcStiga-
tion. In 1885 the University. in
cluding Claflin and the Citadel, had
an income OF about $4,000, and the
Trustees claimed that, az then con-
stituted, 1t afforded all the practical
training for farmers needed by the
State. Its income is now approx
mately $4,000 per annum, but as
an agricultural school it is q bigger
and more costly deception.
Hut while our efforts to obtain Il
recognition OF our rights and needs
have hitherto failed to secure IL col
lege for educating farmers, fortune
has unexpectedly smiled on us. The
munitlcent bequest Of Mr.. Clemson,
whose affection for his adopted
State and wise insight has remOv-
ed the great stumbling block i'm the
way OF providing II suitable site
and farm for the college, gives US
the coveted opportunity. BY this
bequest not only do the farmers
come In possession of property val
ued at well nigh 100000, hut also
OF an estate cmincntIv suited for
the purposes for which ii is given,
and hallowed by the sacred memo
ries OF Cardinals greatest statcman.
We have the authority of General
stephen ID. Lee for saying that 800.
600 is ample for building and equip
ping school like the Mississippi
College. Without counting any
thing donated by Mr.. Clemson eX.
eept the Calhoun homestead, we
propose to show how the needed
money can be obtained without iu-
creasing the taxes one single dol
lar; and while many have believed
that the building of II separate ag-
ricnltural college was and Is the
only vital Issue represented by the
farmers movement, we shall call
attention to other reforms which
we deem Of equal or greater impOr-
tance. The purchasing power of
money 10 much greater than 1T WAS
ten years ago. The taX-paying
power has not increased at all,
while the price of our main money
crop--cotton--has lowered very
near the cost of production, The
reduction of expenditures, when
possible, must then appeal to the
common sense as well as the pock-
cts of our people, and no COED rcn-
son can be given why salaries in
onr State should remain fixed high
er than IN North Carolina and Gcor-
gia--bOth larger ;tnd Weather
States. We Invite the careful at
tentioD OF taxpayers to the follow
Ing figures, taken from the Comp
Ntroliers' reports OF the three States:
NC. s. G..