The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-04-09
PLAIN TALK.
L.F. LIVINGSTON TAKES THE STUMP IN
GEORGIA.

L.F. LIVINGSTON TAKES THE STUMP N
GEORGIA.
Sub Treasury Plan-Whiskey Men Have th'
Favor of Government-Why Not FARMERS
the Alliance in Politics.
At recent mass-meeting OF farm
ers at Lawrenceville, Ca, Hon. l.. +
Livingston, President of the Georgia
State Alliance, delivered a speech II
| which he INDUCED in some very PLAN
talk. The following report Of his re-
u.:..::;s is going the rounds OF the
papers:
He said there are still in the minds
of many grave doubts as to the org
inal design and ultimate result OF the
Alliance organization. The two years
in which it had been in existence
should have been sufficient time for
all to have inquired into these things
and learned for themselves. But he
regretted to say that they had not
done so. / am constrained to con-
clude that this is due to two causes;
first, a fear or apprehension that the
organization will bring to the pro-
ducing classes benefits at their loss:
Second, an entire misconception OF
the intent and operation OF the
Alliance. 49,.
Thepurposes of the order are still
misunderstood and misconst1ued:
No greater innovation IN political
economy had been made since the
day of Adam Smith, than have been
introduced by the Farmers Alliance.
It has wrought a revolution IN that
science. Necessity has been called
the mother of invention, and these
new ideas in political economy had
grown out of the necessities OF the
times.
This is not political organization.
It has been said that it was conceived
in the political ring and brought forth
amid political councils, and its de.
sign is to capture all the political
offices. It has even been said that
we are banded together against law
yers and merchants. This is all un-
true. He could show, if any doubted,
that the order has nobler aims.
The necessity for the Alliance is to
be found in the
IMPOVERISHED CONDITION OF FARMERS.
Not in Georgia only, but in the entire
country. If you take dozen farmers
in any county of Georgia and COM
pare their condition with that Of a
dozen farmers in Ohio or illinois, you
will find that it is about the same.
The dozen Georgia farmers Will be no
worse of, perhaps not SO bad of, as
the Northern or Western farmers.
Georgia farms are not mortgaged as
heavily as the farms in Ohio or Hi
nois. Everywhere the farmers are I'M
poverished. It is not local trouble,
though the press has for twenty
years made the mistake of supposlng
so.
Il can not be so much the fault of
a protective tariff, or the revenue sys-
tenn of our government as just those
industries receiving the largest
amount of protection. Thus the far
mers are more deeply in debt and
less enable to protect themselves
from mortgages and their fore
closure.
We have been told that the farmers
Of the South were too lazy to succeed:
And now we are told that we need
diversified farming.
Ohio harvests twenty-seven crops
and is no better off than we.
II you are to lose money by farm
ing, as you have done, the fewer crops
the better. Better lose only on one
than on twenty-seven. Laughter.
FARMERS MAKE NO PRICES.
The farmer makes no prices. There
isn't a farmer in this house that in
fifteen years has ever brought butter,
eggs or cotton to Lawrencevile and
got the price he asked. He must say
to the merchant, show much will you
give me for my butter?" and then,
chow much viii you take for your
calico?" The merchant buys at the
price of another and sells at his own
price Applause.
No merchant or lawyer would
carry on business as you farmers
have been obliged to carry it on: The
traders aud spectators have allowed
US to keep body and soul together,
and that's all, butwe should be thank
full that they have not treated us
worse, as they had the power to do.
Applause.
CAUSE OF THIS POVERTY.
What has caused this poverty?
Not SO much the want Of industry
on the part of our people. The very
large increase in the products from
the soil, annually, with decrease IN
the number Gin the South) engaged
in agriculture, set, this charge to one
side.
Not so much the want Of a diversi-
fed agriculture, as the statistics show,
for just where diversity most obtains,
there our people are more seriously
and extensively involved.
Not so much the want OF economy:
as any observing man can see. Ou
people are not extravagant IN dress,
diet. tools, and implements. Very
few have means to indulge in the lux,
uries, or attempt to do so.
Not so much on account OF the
calling or business in which we are
engaged, for if any one fact be clearly
established it is that agriculture ano
it's kindred Industries are the basis o:
wealth and prosperity in this country
and from this fact, wish to make thus
statement, that unhampered, with 6