The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-04-30
THE SJB.TRBASURY HUMBUG
CONGRESSMAN CoTHRAN KNOCKS A HOLE
THROUGH THE BILL.

THEUUGH IE6 BILL.
Il il Unnecessary. Undesirable. I'm
practicab!e aud Unconstitutional
~ Warming TO The Farmers of
the South not 10 he Caught with
ChaH
-Ne,rS and Courier.
WASIIINGTON, April 27.-.Judgc Cothran
Representative from the 3rd South Carolina
district. has received so many letters OF in
aury from lis cons stitucntS In regard to the
Sub.trcasury bill, that he furnishes the follow.
ing copy of an answer to one Of them. with
the hope that through the NeDS and Courier II
may reach all his constituents:
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES, u. s..
WASHINGToN, April %. 1880.
Mr.. 4. NJ. Guyton. l'iercetown, S. C-My
Dear Sir: ioor letter OF the l4th instant has
been received. In it, writing in behalf Of
tell us (youl what the bill (known rs the sub
treasury bil) proposes TO do; also your tmy)
views concerning said bill"
Acknowledging at the outset and to the full
est extent the right OF every one OF my con-
Stitucnts to demand OF me, as their Represen-
tative at all times, information upon public
questions promptly and chcerfully comply
with your request.
Upon tho subject referred TO by you, two
bills have been introduced in the present
Congress one In the Senate and one in the
House. Senu 10 you u copy Vi cacn OF Ine
bills. Upon each of them you will observe
the words "by request" in legislative ethics,
this simply means that the Senator Mr..
Vance and the Representative Mr. Pick ler]
who introduced them are not thereby neccs-
sarily committed TO their support.
The bills provide for the storage In ware
houses of all kinds of Eirm products which
are sutnb BILE for storage and shipment and not
of an Immediately perlShable nature. These
ware houses are 10 be built all over the cOun-
try, at an estimated expense, TO be borne by
the Government of something like $50 0O0, ,00O
Upon the products so stored certificates shall
be issued ny the Government, and to the
amount Of so per cent OF the value of the ar
iiclcs so stored the Government shall lend to
the holders Of these certificates or receipts,
money ut the rate OF per cent per annum.
REASON FOR THE BILL.
The Obvious reason OF the demand for this
extraordinary legislation Is the present de-
csts all over the United States, and especially
In The Western and Northwestern States.
The burning of corn for fuel in the State of
Kansas is the most completcnnd summarized
statement of the cause. This SO far from
being applicable TO the farmers OF South Car
oina and of the other Southern States that II
may be well TO reflect very seriously before
we give TO the proposed measure our sup
port.
AS am row serving ais your Representa-
tive in Congress my last term, 1t seems to me
that am in position to deal with you in a
freed from any possible charge of demagogy
in saying, that regard the farming interests
OF the country as embracing Its very bone
Government ITSELF These Interests are suffer.
Ing from over-production, and for the want Of
adequate means TO transport the tremendous
surplus of products to markets beyond our
own borders.
THE WEST HAS GROWN TOO FAST.
On account of cheap and fertile lands In tho
West and Northwest, the vast tide Of immi.
grafton that has steadily flowed thither for
the last twenty-five years, the bulky nature
Of their products and their remotcness from
the markets o. the East and Of the world. the
prices realized have not been rcnunerativc.
Besides, the cost OF living and of production
has been greatly increased by an unjust. un-
necessary and oppressive system of tariff tax
alton, resulting in a widespread and almost
universal net work of filrin mortgages, given
TO secure money advanced by Eastern capital
isis. The census OF the present year. II cor
rcctly taken, will be, In this regard, an ap-
palling disclosure to the whole country. II
required bnt single good provision crop in
the Sonth, with which we were blessed last
along with ii this demand for relief TO them
quot To us) which has found expression In the
proposed sub-treasury bill.
] do not believe that this picture Is over.
drawn or exaggerated. You may ask, how Is
1t with ourselves? Many would doubtless
answer, bad enough. In my travels over the
nlSiIiCl WHICH LOOK once INC
your own excellent neighborhood. 1 did not
lind Il single farmer who attended to his bus
mess half as well as he could have done that
WAS not prospering. could name Il number
Of them. whom you know as well or better
tlian do.
NO USE FOR TIE PROPOSED WAREHOUSES;
TO come directly to the point: Suppose
Government warehouse should be erected at
Picrcet0wn, what would YOU or Your neigh
les n "a we'll q
only considerable surplus products of your
farms. NObGdy eats colt ton; IL is too bulky
to steal Without almost certain and speedy
detection OF the thief; and fyOu have no con-
vcnicnt place for storing 1t during the time
IT. is held before marketing a few poles laid
upon the ground and a temporary shed OF
loose panks Will suffice for protecting IL
from the weather. II Is not SO with the Wes-
trrn farmers products. which must be care
fully housed and kept under lock aad key.
Besides. What Is the effect Of Withholding
these d nercnt crops from the market? From
lSGl to 1860 the world, by Solne means or other,
managed To get Oh without our cotton crops.
In such years us we had from 1883 to 1889, If
the corn, bacon and Hour that we required
had bccH in Government Ware houses, cor
ncred 10y law, as this bill ropoSeS to do, ours
instead of theirs would have been the land OF
mortgages; the contest, as you must see, Is
an cQua. one, and The odds are all against us
You c::n -et on, for 4 time at least, with worn
and patched clothing, but Il lean and empty
lardcr who can long withstand?
TIE SOUTH rs BETTER OFF THAN THE WEST.
AS bad as some may deem our condition, IL
ought TO afford them some relief 10 contrast
it with that of Others. Take the State OF
Iowa, for instance. | have already alluded,
incidentally, to corn burning Kansas. 1t ap.
pears from the agricultural statistics of Iowa
for last year that the average yield of corn,
which Is their main crop, was 80 bushels per
acre, and the price al the crib 20 cents per
buslIel-gross yield In money by the acre Sc.
You can by proper care and attention bring
up any acre upon your farm, and that means
every acre upon ii, to produce yale of cot.
lon-l ,2O pounds in the seed, which yields 30
bushels OF cotton seed, the market price OF
which during the past season was % cents per
bushels the exact equivalent in value OF the
Iowa farmers 80 bushels of corn. Besides
you have 400 pounds u, lint worth 10 oents per
pound, against which to charge up the OK.
pcnScS OF production, and If ii should take SO
for that purpose, (Which you know is not the
ractO you would at least have Sc. the proceeds
OF the sale of seed, as clear profit.
Daring my travels over the district last
summer had the pleasure Of attending sew
cral OF the Farmers Alliance meetings. felt
Il deep interest In them, heartily approving
every effort OF the country to better their con-
dition. Like all the rest of mankind they,
too, make mistakes. rGntured IN q modest
way To point out some of these. The burden
of their efforts seemed to be how and where
TO buy ihe cheapest. That told them was
very well, but it Is not the main thing, There
Is never much trouble to buy. If one has the
money with which to buy. 1t Is vastly more
important to have something to sell.
DO NOT BORROW MONEY.
And SO il Is with one OF the features Of this
sub-lreusury scheme which SO wcll calcula-