The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1889-12-05
THE AGRICULTURAL AM
FINANCIAL SITUATION.
Contributed 10 THE CAUCAsIAN.I
BY a CDLTARD.

Week before last we attempt
ed to sh wv the great probabili-
ty OF an excessive production of
cotton and the ruinous effect of
such thing upon those engaged
in it's cultivation that by reason
Of the decline in the price of
the staple and the moral Ger
ta;nty Of Il further decline as
production increases, it had
ceased to be profitable for the
North Carolina farmer to pro-
duce cotton in competition with
the rich lands of Texas and the
Mississippi Valley.
Our IA mes, and in conse-
quence all other classes of our
people, are in q state of great
financial depression. This has
been brought about by a great
many causes the chief of which
are as stated week before last
in their section, the decline in
the price of cotton and the ex-
haystion of onr naval store pro-
ducts, to which may be added,
a succession Of poor crops, and
the unjust discrimination made
by the national government
against the farmer by the oper-
alton of the tariff. The price
Of nearly every thing which thu,
farmer buys is made higher
by the tariff tax while in the
very nature Of things the price
Of nothing that he makes can
be increased by protection. \
tax on imports cannot affect
anything which is expected, ex-
cept by lessening the demand
for exports to give in exchange
for imports and this decreasing
the prices Of our products. Tt us
the tariff works an injury to
the farmer in too ways by i'll
creasing the cost Of what he
buys, and decreasing the price
of what lie sells 1t is high
time that this injustice was
ended. The toiler in the fields
is entitled to as much consider
alton as the wo ker in the shop
or factory. But reduction of
the tariff would only bring
partial relief. 1t is our firm
opinion that in this section
prosperity can only be revived
by radical departure from the
established practices of our
farmers. We do not pretend to
say that We can sketch even an
outline Of q system that will
a ccomplish what is needed bnt
perhaps if we try and fail some
one will succeed. While il is
true that each particular case
must be governed by it's special
circumstances it may be said
in general that less attention
must be given to the production
Of cotton and more to stock
and food products. Dur
ing the late war such a. course
was adopted in the South of
necessity and the women and
children and old men supported
the army III the feld and were
fairly prosperous. This should
serve as an object lesson for us.
1t shows that our industrial
and financial independence is
possible. With a large number
Of cattle, hogs, sheep and goats
and STOCK of every kind suited
TO our climate the necessity for
fertilizers-t h a t
great Grain upon the pockets of
our farmers-would be removed
md p?oduciiveness Of the far
ners be much increased. We
should then see barns full of
corn, and a profusion of all
farm products. With s. little
rare it would be easy for each
farmer to have four " Eve fat
beeves to sell each fall and oc-
;asionally calf which lie has
raised. Then with a little corn
and bacon to sell to his less for
innate neightor, and butter,
eggs, etc, we do not
see why he could not come out
ahead at the end Of the year
md be independent. Then too
ne could plant few aces in
cotton purely as a surplus crop,
lot with which to lay debts,
'or there would be none, bnt to
make hard cash in his own
pocket.