The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-04-18
Are the Farmers Progressing?


A business. man, who has recently
passed over portion of our County in
buggy said: II notice that the farmers
of your County pay no attention to the
improvement of their homes. Old,
dilapiduted houses are seen on. SIDES
They have a tumb!edown appearance.
The yard fences are down and the gate
posts are propped up by braces OF large
stones. Then the dwellings havs' an
unattractive appearance, with little sign
of decoration or even comfort about them.
If your farmers make any surplus money
what do they do with it7 The same
state of affairs exists in my own County
and in portions of Alabama and Georgia
through which I have travelled
This brings up most important ques
ton, which is this: Are the farmers
keeping up with the merchants, brokers,
cotton mill men and professional men in
material progress? Or are they standing
still or retrograding? How about their
homes and standing in society?
Of course the farmers are called the
backbone OF our economic organization.
Politicians, once every two years bespat.
ter them with praise and hattery just to
get their votes, and the most adroit Of
these politicians come from the farmer
class.
In the early days Of the Republic q
plain farmer was called to the command
of the army of the United Colonies. He
was afterwards called 10 preside over the
destinies of the new Nation. The whole
country will celebrate the centennial of
the Inauguration of this farmer President
this month. Several other farmers came
after him in the Presidency; but for
nearly half century no farmer has been
even spoken of for President, and it is
doubtful whether the American people
will ever see genuine farmer settled in
the White House.
In the Congress of the United States
there are very few farmers, and the mum.
Der is growing smaller as the years 60 on.
Farmers are not sent on foreign mis-.
sions or given any good appointments at
home. They may occupy seats in State
Legislatures, but their influence there is
on the wane.
One inference is that farmers haVe
been standing still as political factors
while the other professions have pushed
ahead of them and won the places Of
honor and profit.
Then when we look at the material
progress of the country, how does the
case stand7 Are the farmers keeping up
with the inhabitants of cities and towns {?
Is the criticism of our business friend 8
just one? Or did he look through
colored spectacles as he was riding
through the country?
In all of our up.country about three.
fourths of the people live in the country.
They belong to the farming population.
If they were keeping up with the mer.
chants and town people generally they
would be spending about three times as
much for houses, barns, furniture, paint
and home comforts, as is spent in our
towns. Is this the case? Go to any Of
the new towns in the County and you will
find more good houses and attractive
homes than can be found amongst five
times the number of farmers. Fine
houses to the value of thousands of dol
lars 60 up in towns every year. 1t is q
rare thing for house costing as much as
$4,000 to go up ia the country. Good
and convenient barns, built to last, are
| very scarce. There is a want Of style in
the buildings that are erected.
Many of the people, and especially the
young men and women of the country
are anxious to get away from unattrac'
tive homes and get into the towns. This
would not be the case if pretty an com.
Portable houses were built, good and styl'
ish barns erected and the country homes
made Just as attractive as those in oul
towns.
These thoughts are not thrown out By
way of complaint. Our County is doing
as we'll as any in the State, but it is the
wish of the writer to set the farmers to
thinking about their relative condition
when compared with other callings and
professions. Are they keeping up viii
the procession? Or are they standing
still while it passes by? Or, worse thar
all, are they going backward while th'
great procession of the country is MOVING
1 SL...Iu,