Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-09-05
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.x.rIaor ssn.1,rsI 8 !: 3 AA.Nas
sTHURsD4sY, SEPT s, 1889.
The Farmers Alliance.

Hon. Benjamin Tcfrell, delivered
before the Oconce County Farmers
Alliance at this place last Thursday.
We have p,rposoly omitted his an
ecdotes and profanc words. His ad-
dress was an admirable one, and de-
liyercd in very entertaining style,
with one exception, which to us was
"a very serious one, namely, his un-
called for use of ofprofanity. When q
SSspeaker rises before an intelligent
4 audience and advocates righteous
8. cause, hc has ;io possible excuse for
cursing, and deserves severe criti-
cism and condemnation for SO doing.
is an insult to both the civilization
d and Christianity of his hearers, and
if he has no respect for God or re-
ligion himself, the prophecies of the
occasion demand that he should
&,rcfeain from tho use of profanc oaths.
Thinking this away, though, he
made most timely, wise and prac-
tical address to the people of Oco-
L nee on the organization and work of
the Farmers Alliance. 1t is our
:. .si,.,,-rresc ,.,. here briefly to cal tho at
I tention of our readers to one or two
thoughts, only, of the many which
he so forcibly advanced. The first
I is the abolition Of the credit system,
1 and the adoption of the cash system
in all of the farmers dealings. There
4 can be no doubt that the reckless
( trading on credit, by SO many, is
the great cause of continued poverty
and hard times which abound moro
or less throughout the country.
Credit is too easy to be had when
mortgage or lien on prospective
I crop is proffcrcd rs security, and
n often before the crop is made it is
& encountered with a lien calling for
its full value when harvested. Tho
existence and continuance of this
Z universal and pcrncious custom in
South Carolina, we believe, has been
tho main cause Of such slow pro-
gress and want of prosperity on the
part of many who have toilcd hard
from sun to sun, year after year.
If this condition can possibly be
remcdicd by the proposed organiza-
tion of Farmers Alliances, and the
united efforts Of al tho farmers
surely can do much to remedy it,
then we bid them God-specd in
their noble, sclf-sacriIicing and pa
triotic work. II is n work in which
every citizen, regardless Of trade or
avocation, should feel a deep and
abiding interest 1t is a work which
has for its object the Improvement
and bettcrmcnt of that large and
: important class, numbering eighty
per cent Of our whole people, who
are the very foundation of society
itself. On them depend the support
of all other trades and professions,
and it stands to reason that from the
abundance of the prosperity Of the
producer must come the overflow for
the consumer. We arc all depen-
dent on the welfare and prosperity
of the farmer, and therefore should
lend him n helping hand in the hon
est and honorable effort to help him
self.
Therefore, so long rs the farmers
strive to better their condition by
uniting in an organization which has
for its motto, "Equal rights to all,
special favors to nonc," they deserve
and have right to demand of the
army of consumers all the help they
can give. 1t is for this purpose, rs
we understand them, that they arc
banding themselves together. 1t is
not for the purpose of cngcndcring
class-feeling, or of ruling in politics,
except so far as is necessary to pre-
serve their rights, (and this they
certainly have a right and arc in
duty bound to do) that they have
organized in their Alliance; but for
the laudablc purpose of cffccting
their "mcntal, moral, social and
financial Improvement"
But the accomplishment of this
high purpose will require patience
and perseverance. We must not OK
pcct this revolution to take place in
day. If in the one matter OF get
ting out of debt alone, the purpose
can be accomplished in five years,
they will have worked one of the
greatest revolutions of modern times.
What blessing it will be when
every farmer can put his corn in his
crib, and his cotton under a shelter
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