Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-01-30

farmefs' movement to strengthen
their backbone have withstood the
&caiolery, threats and impotent rage
of the "ring bosses" The Senate is
now the main reliance of the enc
mics of retrenchment and reform,
who oppose giving the people their
rights. The Senate is the strong
hold of "existing institutions" and
the main dependence of those who
are antagonistio to all progress. AS
we captured the House we can cap
ture the Senate; but we must control
the Democratic State Convention
before we can hope to make economy
popular in Columbia, or be assured
of no more pocket oetoes. The
General Assembly is largely in
fluonccd by the ideas and policy of
the State officers, and we must elect
those before we can say the farmers
movement has accomplished its mis-.
SIC 1t is true that we have
wrenched from the aristocratic
cotorie who were educated at and
sought to monopolize everything for
the South Carolina College, the
right to control the land scrip ana
Hatch Fund and part of the
privilege tax on fertilizers for one
year, and we have $4,000 with
which to commence building scpa-
rate agricultural college where the
sons of poor farmers can get prac-
tical education at small expense.
But we dare not relax our effort or
rely upon the loud profession of oui
opponents as to their willingness
now to build and equip this agricul-
tural school. Senator McMastcr, a
trustee of the South Carolina Col
legc, gave voice to the sentiments
and wishes which are prevalent at
the University and Military Ac-
adcmy when he chopped to see the
internal Clemson College sink out
of sight next year." They all want
to sink the "infcrnal" agricultural
college out OF sight, and ii its friends
do not rally once more to its support
it will either be destroyed or starved,
SO that it cannot do tho great work
it is expected to accomplish. All
tho cry about "cxisting institutions"
WHICH must remain inviolatc shows
that the ring-thc South Carolina
University, Citadel, Agricultural
Bureau, Columbia club, Greenfield
building ring intend in the future,
rs in the past, to get all they can
and keep all they get. These pets
of the aristocracy and its nurseries
are only hoping that the people will
again sink into their accustomed
apathy. The University was given
an increased appropriation, and
there is no thought Of transferring
it to Fort Hill, although the land
scrip fund which is sent there was
expressly donated for the purpose of
mechanical as well as agricultural
education, and so with the Expert
mcnt Stations. The Hatch fund is
given to the Clemson College, but
the stations arc left at Columbia and
Spartanburg, under the control of
the South Carolina College. Is it
not plain that these people intend to
yield obedience to the law only when
they arc made to do it? The Farm
crs' Association demands that the
land scrip and Hatch funds and the
fertilizer tax shall be consolidated
and used for the building and main
tcnancc of first class industrial
school, with Experiment Stations at
tachcd, for farmers and mechanics.
We hold that the experimental work,
the educational work and the inspcc-
tion and analysis of fertilizers can
all be more efficiently and cconomi-
cally carried on under one board,
mostly at one place, and much of it
by the same corps of men who teach.
We have never and do not now want
any increase of taxes to accomplish
these ends. But our opponents hav-
ing seized the opportunity afforded
by our agitation to double the in
come of the South Carolina College
and call it a university, and in addi-
tion obtained the Hatch fund of
$4,000, donated for Experiment
Stations, cry out "Takc your Glenn
son College! We will give you
&oS,o00 or $loS,000 if you want it
raised by taxtion, but don't touch
existing institutions" They have
built with our bricks, but say we
must not take them, but that we can
build if we make others. Was there
ever such impudcncc
They seized first the land scrip
fund Vhpn thpv miSoppropuioto ol