The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-02-08
The work Of the Alliance. /.

An0 Oounty FARMERS Alliance met IN INC
Court House last Friday. In the morning
their proceedings were with closed doors,
as usual. and not being one Of the initiated
we can say nothing of what transpired, sim
ply because we don't know.
In the afternoon, however, an Invita- ion
was extended to the public to listen to an
address from DR.. 8. J. Hester, the business
manager or Contractor. This invitation we
knew nothiss Of until the address was closed,
consequently we did not hear it. The cor
respondent Of the Nevs and Courier, who
has but little more to eupley his time than
to be on the lookout for something new and
peculiar, was there, however, and We e1-
tract the following from his report Of it to
that journal
He began by saying that it was no ones
fault that the farmers were not prosperiug
but their own. To bring about change
there must be organization among the farm-
ers, and that the desired end could not be
perfected in q short while, but that it would
"take time, trouble and pat ence to make it
success" He told the farmers they had
made eight billion dollars worth Of cotton
since the war, and that they were not worth
one dollar more to-day than at the close Of
the war. He said the farmers had eaten
this amount of money up in bacon and corn +,
and now ought to weight twenty-five tons
apiece, but instead they were the scrawniest
set of men he ever saw.
He also told them they would have to raise
more supplies at home to meet the ever in
creasipg- demands made upon them, and he
distinctly wished it to be understood that
the Alliance was not in any way opposed to
any profession or industry. What they
wished TO see was an equality Of dividends.
The capitalists are receiving annually from
their investments q large per cent, when
the poor farmer scarcely realize two per
cent, and they intended to get things even"
The farmers really have the world under
their control. The Alliance of the entire
Southern States intend 10 hold their cotton
until they can get fair price for it--more
than 1T cost TO make 1t.
In the first paragraph the DR.. gives q
true statement of our Farmers past and
present condition, and what they must ex
pect to encounter before they weigh any
more than they do now, financially. W.
have been telling them the very same things
for many years, but it made no moro i'm
preston on them than pouring water ON I
ducks back. We sincerely hope the Dr.
words will be received as q mandate, ant
that the Alliance will make it imperative
upon each ono Of its members to raise al
the bacon, corn, oats, wheat and hay re
quirsd upon the farm. Then, ard not unit
then, will they "sss IN squAlity Of divi
dends" and their poskstbooks weighing
heavier. Then, and not till then, will 9Th
Alliances Of the entire Southern States b
ABLE to hold their cotton until they ca
get fair price for it,"
SO long ~ the Southern Farmers onl,
work seven or eight months in the year .n
employ the Western and North western Poi
mers, who have to work twelve months in
yenr, to raise supplies for them, and pay ii
railroads Ter bringing those supplies
them, it will hs cut Of the power Of III
Southern Cotton planters to "hold their CO
ton" one day longer than " hen their supp
bills fall due.
,RFss Ifihhs, Ifhs anu mus. tind Bs II
result; prompt payments to the merchant
or the merchants will be compelled to BOZ
row money to pay drafts as they fall du
and add the interest to the Farmers &C
counts and take mortgages to secure it,
the merchants must fail, with their sal,
full Of bad and doubtful Alliance debts.
| While we acknowledge that the Farmer
are right in forming Alliances to obtair
their supplies as cheap as possible, 6
everybody else do, they will find, whom the
attempt to combine merchandising wit
farming, that they are getting into yer
deep and muddy waters.
fthey wish to better their condition
through cheap supplies and keeping out .
the grasping hands of railroad and othe
combinations and trusts, each Farmer mus
begin the good work OH his own Farm, b
working to make the soil which God ha
put under his control, for that very purpose
yield him food and rainent. We believe a
firmly ~ We believe anything. that I'll
great reason why Southern Farmers are no
more prosperous is, that they violate tn
laws OF God and nature in that respect. FL
has favored us with the soil, climate ant
every ether requisite, above almost over,
other people on the globe, for produoipi
everything necessary for our comfort AnC
prosperity, and if We pervert and dssps
these gifts we must expect only the san,
results which invariably follow the violation
Of the moral and physical laws in ever,
other calling and occupation.
We ask our farmers to read tho article in
another Co lumn under the head Of 9Th,
contrast between the cotton and grain belts -
Personals.