The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-11-21
Stand By the Local Mills.

Il
watchword. I love my brother tillers
of the soil, and my greatest desire has
always been to see them aspire to that
more elevated sphere to which they SO
justly belong. Actuated by such emo.
tions I trust my brethren in and out Of
the Alliance will not charge me with
arrogance or presumption ii venture a
word of advice. Within the last few years
all over this Southland, farmers have al.
lied themselves in bonds of brotherhood
believing that by united action We might
better our condition both socially and
financially and at the same time fight
down the Trusts and monopolies that
have 30 long oppressed us.
The better cry, "Down with the Jute
Trust" has been raised aid reached all
along the line, from the Old North State
to Texas, and right nobly have we thrown
ourselves into the breach, and as an Alli-
auce man, / have the most abiding con.
6dence that we will stand by our colors,
and never cease the fight until we see
the last bale of the aeecy staple clothed
in it's kind. But my brother farmer in
our zeal in fighting this one trust; have
ne not become oblivious to the fact that
in selling cotton seed to the Oil Trust
we are aiding, abettiDg and encouraging
the most gigantic monopoly in all the
land? one before which the Iute pales
into insigniAcance. AS farmer, as an
Alliance man, 1 would infinitely prefer
to surrender all we have gained in the
jute rather than see our farmers contin
ue the indiacriminate sale for money
consideration. Manure is the basis, the
very foundation of Agricultural pros.
perity: science and experience have
taught us that the cotton seed, or its
product meal, has no superior, if an
equal, as a fertiliaer, then is it not suici.
dal for the farmer to send his seed abroad,
thereby impoverisbing his own soil to
enrich that of other sections?
When joined the Alliance and got
an inkling of its inner workings I felt that
the era Of better days was about to dawn,
but when the season opened and I saw
my brother Alliance men too selling
their seed to the oil Trust for the gain of
few paltry cents on the bushel, I con-
fess that my confidence was shaken and
could but exclaim, surely, surely they
are killing the goose that laid the golden.
egg. I have q notion that when a farmer
SELLS his cotton seed, for thoneied
consideration, he feels mean about it, he
seems 10 be conscious that he is com.
mittiug great wrong; often tries to
excuse himself by saying he needs the
money to pay debls; to such I would
say ifyou cannot pay your debts by ap.
plying the seed upon your lands you
never will get out of debt by selling them
for money. The farmer should remem-
Der that his land is the only heritage
he has to bequeath to posterityj and if be
continues to strip it year by year of this
Great source of fertility, when he is called
away instead of leaving an inheritance
upon which they may subsist in plenty,
he simply entails poverty upon them.
Now, brother farmers, and particularly
brethren of the Alliance, what are you
going to do aboutit? Ifyou continue
this policy you are placing an obstacle
in the path Of future prosperity which is
simply insurmountabte, you are under.
mining the great source of Agricultural
success. We see that local oil mills are
being projected at Ninety Six, Green
wood, Abbeville, and other portions of
The country. The public spirited gentle.
tlemcn who invested their capital in
this enterprise of course expected to
make money out OF it, but the farmers,
if fthey will do their duty will be mostly
benefited. We hold the life, the success,
the very existence of the mills in our
hands. Let me appeal to you by the ties
that bind you to your wives and to 8
common country to stand by these local
mills, cease to sell your seed to that
great monopoly the oil Trust; the local
mills have already caused an advance in
the price of seed several cents over last
years prices, while The price Of oil is 10
to 124 cents less.
The Ninety Six mill now in operation
propose to give l, 100 pounds of meal in
exchange for ton Of seed, also from all
points within reasonable distance to
pay freight on seed and meal in car lot.
We have it fom scientific and agricultur
al authority that 750 pounds of meal is
equal in value for feed and fertilizing to
ton ofraw seed. This is certainly a
most liberal offer to those who expect
to apply raw seed to their crops; in my
experience I have found that 200 pounds
meal applied per acre upon any crop
gives better results than the % bushels raw
seed
Let me again urge you my brother
farmers, and especially brethren of the
Alliance, to resolve never, no never at
any price to sell your seed for money,
but instead send them to the local mills
and exchange them for their meal and
feed to your cattle or apply 10 your
land.
Ifthese local mills fail, and they will
without The united support of the farm
ers, the responsibility rests with US, but
if we will come to the rescue and give
them that support which they deserve,
we will have the proud consciousness of
having performed our whole duty to
ourselves, our families and our country ;
those who are to come after us will bless
us.
own no stock in any oil mill and