The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-10-04
Extracts from Maj. TerrelPs Speech.
REroRrED Dr J. L. STRAIN. (pARr THIRD

REPORTED Df y. l.. STRAIN. lPART THIRD
The question now comes up, "what must
be done?' 1t isn't necessary for me to CO.
cupy tho time of so intelligent an assembly
as this in discussing this matter, or attempt
ing to prove that the farmers are not making
money, or that the education OF our chill
dren is being neglected, and that we are
not in the enjoyment Of our labor. Every
body knows that this is so; whether they
pretend to believe it or not. Were you to
give the wages made by professional men
and merchants, taking that as n basis, il
would cost you so cents a pound to raise
your cotton. If skilled mechanics were to
do the work it would cost you 20 cents
pound but as il is you can't get an average
of more than 8 cents pound for it. Your
cotton is the great money crop, and you
realize the least advantage from it.
Seventy per cent. of the population of
South Carolina are farmers, and the Same
per cent of her people are securing such
scsnty wages that they are OF able to make
their families comfortable, much less edu-
cate their children and fit them for positions
they should occupy. If we ask ourselves
the cause of all this, the answer comes in
plain language: The farmer receives only
81 or So month for his wages. In this
matter the white and colored man are botn
in the same boat. The labor Of the one is
just as remunerative as that Of the other. If
be will live close, and if he has house Of
his own, and does his own work, and makes
O good crop and could sell it at fair price he
can make some little money on his farm,
perhaps but generally where man has to
make il by his own hands, whether on his
own land or somebody else's, there is but
little money 10 it for him at best. In 90
cases out of every 100 he sells his crop at
an actual loss. Gentlemen, why is this
Is it intelligent or manly to work yourselves
and your families hard oil the year; to put
your girls in the field at hard work and
neglect their education, and at the end Of
the year sacrifice their labor at less than it
cost to produce it ! As intelligent men, if
you will get up the Alliance and come TO-.
gether and reason about these things you
will put a stop to this down-hill business.
You won't stand it-YeG W III devise some
means by which you will secure the right
to sell your own products at o living profit.
and to lay up something TO educate your
children and place them upon the plane you
wish them to occupy.
1t requires an effort, and strong one,
too, to bring about this revolution an ef-
fort in which all the farming classes must
unite in one organized body, to make it
success. Look around you and see what
organization mas e1eCteu LOOK at tn0Se
vino have succeeded and let me call your
attention to the fact that it was organization
that made success possible with them.
venture TO cay that there is not respect
able merchant-one that his fellow mer-
chants will recognize as worthy of their
companionship-that does not belong to
some mercantile association. There is not q
lawyer but belongs to his organization. The
doctors, too, are organized for wise pur-
pose. No lawyer, who is gentleman,
would take your case when he knows you
have gone to and consulted brother Of his
profession, and not paid him for his counsel.
This fact alone is sufficient to convince you
that organization is necessary for their pro-
lection. Who blames them? Nobody. No
honest, intelligent man blamcs another for
making money honestly when he can do SO.
l don't blame the merchants or the Jutc
trusts, 30 long as you permit them TO carry
on their business. Just so long as you per-
nit them, they will extort money from you,
and you have no one to look TO for redress
but yourselves. Will you make the effort
Will you sit down in your Sub-Alliances
and discuss these matters freely and fairly
and let the majority rule? Everyone Of
you must act as unit. Let me ask tho
question: ''Iiavc any Of you joined the
Alliance without laying aside your personal
desires and resolving to 60 according to the
will Of the majority?" If you have, you
are in tho wrong pew, my friend.
ITO be cOnHnUPd)