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

been decided improveme ut in the field
icrops; manufacturing. household and
dairy departments, and all other depart-
ments are well up to and ahead of our. for.
mer exhibits; Che time was when ne were
striving for articles to exhibit $ but now
the great difficulty is to supply space
and the demand for the last few days
for them has been greater than We could
.snpply-and with our present progress
Of improvement as South Carolina goes
forward in her grand march of develop.
ment, our grounds must be extended, the
old buildings replaced by larger and bet
ter ones, which your future prosperity
will demand !; all the result Off faithful
and intelligent labor to advance the in.
terest Of our State. While ne have
briefly spoken of success IS made, yet
when we contemplate the future history
;of our country in its magnitude and
development, with its demand upon the
products of the soil for maintenance of
teeming millions, it is but an act of wis.
dom that we ascertain what difficulties
lie in the way to the greater success of
agriculture, and if possible devise some
way for their removal. We are conscious
that underline republican form of gov
ernment, with the yastness of our terrific.
ry; with its many and diversified indus
tries, that any system of revenue that
may be adopted for its maintenance is
liable to abuse, and its purposes design.
edly thwarted by evil Influences. Never.
theIess, I will make the assertion in a
spirit, of loyalty that there are evils exis.
ting against the agricultural interest of
our country which should be removed
by national legislation. When you
consider that 60 per cent. of our popula.
tion are engaged in the pursuit of agri-
culture and form the producing power of
our nation, that alone should be sufficient
reason to command fair and just legisla.
ton, and the power of government cannot
disregard their claims, for the stability
of the government rests upon just laws,
wisely administered, for the protection
of life, liberty and property. There is a
spirit of unrest at this time in the bosom
Of the sgriculturist against the present
tariff system. While he feels that his
life and liberty may be protected, he is
conscious that there is an unequal tax
levied upon the product of his labor for
the maintenance of the general govern.
ment, and that he is made to bear more
than his part for its support, its tenden.
cy being to crush and depress the chief
corner stone of prosperity Stop the
plow and you stop the loom. Stop the
plow and you paralyze the arm that
wields the hammer. Stop the plow and
the breath of the furnace is checked, the
car of progress retarded, and the ships
of your commerce will decay at the
wharf. Then may not agriculture be
termed the heart and muscle of the gov
ernment, and it is but reasonable that the
agricultural interests should receive such
aid through national representatives as to
make the maintenance of the government
equal upon labor and capital. upon its
many diversified industries, and that
special favors be granted to none.
Again, the rapid concentration of cap.
ital is another evil which tends to,retard
the process of agriculture by diminishing
the circulation of money, increasing its
purchasing power, and thereby lessening
the product of labor. The prosperity of
the agricultural interest demands that the
law Of supply and demand shall control
the market value of products and that the
action of combines and trusts, which
hover as a bird of prey to seize aud
absorb the product of the producer, after
netting out to him only mesgre support.
This is done not only by depressing an
increasing market value, but also by
buying and selling fictitious products
known as futures. Such q species Of
gambling is both degrading aud detri
mental 10 the interests ofour country, and
unless corrected by proper legislation in
the near future, the yeomanry, who are
the bone and sinew of our nation, will
rise in it's might and turn the concentra-
ton of capital upon the wings of wind,
and command it back into the legitimate
channels of production, where it will be
represented and made to bear its proper
tionable part of the tax for the mainten.
ance of the government. Another evil is
that of paying tribute or taxes upon fcti.
tous values, as upon The watered stock of
corporations. Nay, it would seem that
the agriculturist stands as beast of bur:
den, willing and ready to carry every
unjust weight that the ingenuity of com.
bines and trusts can place upon his broad
shoulders. Another evil that should be
remedied by legislation is that of the
present national banking system. The
charters of national banks forbid them TO
loan money or real estate; not only pre-.
venting the farmer from enjoying any Of
its privileges, but also depreciating the
only collateral which he controls. disarm-
ing him of his strength and placing him
at the mercy Of the money shark to protect
himself as his circumstances will allow.
L ask what was the material of the body
enacting such a law. With such evils
staring you in the face, is it any wonder
that depression should be the result?
Yet the thoughtless and silly will reply
that the fault lies at the farmers door,
and will ascribe it to want of energy and
business capacity. We have investigated
that line and 6nd no truth in their asser.
ton. We have been in every nook and
corner Of agriculture, and We know