The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-29
IT SOUNDS LIKE HLLLLMAN.
MIR. SHEEL, OF LAURENs, CALLS THE
CLANS TOGETHER.

ssEEa NHOlc Aafith - ratfN. s.',. INV
whole Heart IL Faini'---Siire:y we
Have Had Enou=l, OF s'omDlNis,imS:
nad Enough of NErmurinS---ssn''
il Thine 10 Step Ei!lifyinG Oar
State Officers :--sureIy There E9us!
be at s.east Sonac EsonesiS ant' y
Little Ecccncy Among t!lc Respect
able People Of She :1.;stc.
Mr.. G. W. Shell, OF l.aufcns, president I"
the Farmers Association of South thfniiin
requests the .Nc,rS 0Hd Courier u publish l!it
TO lowing address:
Tn the Democracy of South Carolina:
For fOar years the Den0cratic party IN th'
State has been deeply a@ltatco, ana cnoI.'
have been made at the primaries ana coiiVchi
tiOnS to secure rctrcnchmcnt anu reform, ana
q reconnition of the needs and rights oil INT
masses. The first Farmers Convention met III
APRIL 1856. Another in NoNcmbcrot OF INC Saill'
year perfected 4 permanent orsaniZhlon un
der the maine of the "FarmerS Association o
south Carolina" This association, represent L
ing the reform element In the parry, has ncio
TWO annual sessions since. ana AT each oil thcst
four conventions, largely attended oy repre-
sentative farmers from nearly all the c"un
ties the demands of the people Tor greater
economy in the government greater eihclcnc!
IN its officials, and fuller recognition ol th'
necessity for cheaper and more pracllcil euu
cation haye been pressed upon the attention.
of our Legislators. .
In each of the two last Democratic state
Conventions the ''Farmcrs Movement hi'>
had large following, and we only tulcd O
controlling the Convention of 1883 ny sih'l
vote-less than twenty-nve-and that, TOO, III
the face OF the active opposition OF nearly cE
cry trained politician in the State. we cEtih
that we have always had majority of tho
people on our side, and have only ialiea u!
reason OF the superior political tactics oil o,li
opponents and our lack OF organiZntGn: III
proof of this we point to Abberille and CheS
ter the only counties except Charleston Whlcl
had not already appointed delegates 10 tn'
State Convention before the campaign meet
| ines two years ago, at which Governor lich-
| urlson spoke. Both OF those counties, aitci
| hearing the Governor defend his policy ano
that of his faction, repudiated him ana aho
| he received only two votes from them,
| The executive committee of the FARMERS
| Association did not deem it worth While Il
! hold any convention last November, but We
| have watched closely every move OF the enc
mics Of economy-ihe enemies OF agriculture
education, the enemies of true Je1irrsonial
Democracy-and we think the time has come
| to show the people what it is they nCed ;lno
| how to accomplish their desires. we VII
| draw up the indictment against tnoSc WIG
have been and are still governing our Statc
because 1t is at once the cause and juStllcn
| ton Of the course we intend to pursue.
| South Carolina has never had Il real RePuo
lican government. Since the days of tht
Lords ProprietorS" it has been an ariStocracy
under the forms Of Democracy, and whenever
Il champion OF the people has attempted tt
rights an arisucratic oligarchy has Doughl
| him with an Office, or failing in that turned
loose the flOOdgateS of Misrepresentation ano
| sander in order 10 destroy his influence:
The peculiar situation now existing IN tnt
State, recurring the united efforts q; every
true white man to preserve white supremacy
| and our very civilization even, has lhlrnSilico
and tended 10 make permanent the conditions
which existed before the war. Fear of Il diVi
sion among us and consequent return OIL Negro
rule has kept tine people quiet, and they nave
submitted to many grievances imposed pS int
ruling faction because they urcadcd 10 rlsh
snch q division.
The "Farmcrs Movement has been ham
pered and retarded IN its work by this conal
| ton of the public mind, but we have shown
our fealty to race by submitting to the edlclS
of the party. and We intend, as heretofore, tc
| make our fight inside the party lines, fecllEe
assured that truth and justice must ilnatlS
prevail. The results of the agitation thuS liii
arc altogether encouraging. Inch by incn ano
| step by step true Dcmocracy-the rule ol tllt
peOple-bas won its way. We have carried nj
the ouposts. Only wOstrongholds remain &C
be taxi Ell, AID with The issues fairly made ul
and plainly put TO the people we have no ical
of the result. The House Of Representatives
has been carried twice, and at last held after
desperate struggle.
The advocates of reform and economy arc
no longer sneered at as "Three for q quarter
statesmen" They pass measures OF economy
which four years ago would have excited only
dcriSiOn' and with the Farmers Movement u
stren.t then their backbone have wilhstood the
cajOlcry, threats and impOtcnt rage o1 The o!u
'rIng Bosses" The Senate is now the main
reliance Of the enemies OF retrenchnent ana
reform, who oppose giving Inc people theil
rights. The Senate Is the stronghold ol 'eA'
isting Institutions and the main dependence
of those who are anta9 9oniStic to all progress.
AS we captured the House we can capture the
Senate; buI we must control The Democratic
state Convention before we can hope 10 make
economy popular in Columbia, or be assufcu
of no more pocket vetoeS.
The General Assembly il largely Influenced
by theids;l and policy Of the state officers
nrtwc must elect those before we can say nc
Farmers Movement has accom- plSheq lis ms
sion. 1t is true that we have wrcnchcG rom
the arlStOcrttic cotcric WHO ."ere educated al
and sought To mouOpOliHc everything Tor lat
South Carolina College, the right 10 control
the land scrip and Hatch fund and Il part OIL
the piSilcge tax on fertilizers for one year,
and we have $l0,10 with which to comnr"cc
building Il "craiatg agricultural college, where
the sons Of poor farmers can get practical
education at small expense
But We uaIr not relax our CHOft or rely upon
the loud prO!es siOnS Of oar opponents rs t'
their Willingness now 10 build ana equip 'hh
agricultural school. Senator McAlhster,a 81 tfES
Tee Of the South Carolina College, gave voice
to the sentiments and wishes which are prev
alent ut the University ard Military Acade
my when he "hored to see the infcrha! Cicm
son College sink out of sight next year" Ihcy
all want 10 sink the "iuicrnal Agricultural
College out of sight" and if its friends do mol
rally once more To its support IT will either ht
destroyed or starved. so that IL cannot do The
great work it is expected TO accomplish.
All the cry about "eSiS:inS institutions
which must remain inviolale shows that Tho
riDg-ihe South Carolina University, Citadel
Agricultural Bureau, Columbia Cinb. Green
field building ring-intcnd in tie future, aS III
The past to get all they can, and keep all they
get. These pets OF the aristocracy and its nur
series aIe only hoping that the people viii
again sink into their accustomed apathy. Tho
mechanical department O! the University was
given an increased appropriation. ana there l.
no thought of transferring 1T to Fort l!iii, at
though The land scrip fund, which Is sent
there was expressly donated for the pTrpost
Of mechanical a well aS agricultural eIIci,'
tiOn and so with the experiment stations
The Hatch fund Is given 10 the Clemson Col.
lcge, but the stations are left ut Columbia and
Spartanburg, under the control OF The South
Carolina COLLEGE.
Is il not plain that these people intcad to
Weld obedience to the law uI:iy when lhry are
made to it? The Farmers Association de-
mandS that the land scrip and Hatch funds
and the fertilizer tax shall be consolidated and
used for the building and maintenance Of Il
first class industrial ScnoOl, with experiment
stations attached. for farmers ANA mechanics.
We hold that the experimental work. the ed
ucational work and the Inspection and anaiy,
sis of fertilizers can ali be more efficiently
and economically carried on urdcr onc board
mostly at one place. and much OF IL by the
| same corps of men who teach
We have never and do not now want any IN
crease OF taxes ,oacconiplish these ends. But
our opponents having seized the opportunity
afforded by our agitation TO double the incom'
o; the South Carolina College and call it 81
| university, and in addition obtained the
Hatch fund Of $1,000, donated for experiment
stations, cry out: ";ralie YOUR Clemson Col
lege! We will give you $3S,OU0 or SlJSO00. II
you want it raised by taxation, but you don't
| touch existing institutions" They have built
with our bricks but say we must not take
| Them, but that We can build il we make 9th
els. Was there ever such imruucnce?