The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-02-12
FARMERS CONVENTION.
4 REMINDER THAT IT CANNOT
BE "A POLITICAL BODY.

| a Letter From a Prominent Farmer, Re
calling Resolution Of the Farmers AS
sociatlou-A Protest Against Glas:
| RuIo.
To the Editor of The News and Cou'
risr: 1 respectfully ask the use ot
your columns to call the attention Of
| the farmers and citizens of the State
to the following resolution, passed
| without a dissenting voice at the last
regular Convention Of the Farmers
Association on December l, 1887:
Resolved, That it is not the pur-
pose Of the farmers of the State to
make their organization a political
body, hostile to other classes, nor is
it their intention to attack the integ-
rity OF our State officers, ner their
policy to arraign or dictate to the
Legislature"
It would seem clear that the Far.
N ers' Association Goes not authoriz.
such an extravagant arraignment OF
the State Government as is contain cd
il tire recent manifesto" of their exc
cutive committee. Capt. Shell himself
was member of the committee which
reported it tavorably, and voted for
the resolution. In the face of this
determined policy of the farmers, the
executive committee Of the Associa-
ton calls . separate political Nomi-
mating Convention, and must think
it not only unnecessary but totally
unauthorized. The strongest organi-
zation of farmers now in the State is
the Alliance. That body does not
seem to think it proper to call a politi-
cal convention and ignore all other
classes of citizens in the State. The
bylaws of that powerful organization
utterly eschew politics, and tie
strength of the Order is devoted to the
material help of its members.
As member of the Association, and
as farmer ] am compelled to think
the calling OF said convention an un-
wise move. The farmers have OBJ
tainod what they asked for, a separate
agricultural college, and being about
so per cent Of the voting population
of the State, they surely can modify
the laws of the State by other meth
DDS, without making bitter class con-
test. Such course cannot accomplish
any good purpose, and, in my judg-
ment, will detract from the conseryaf
tive influence which is now being ex-
erted by the agricultural classes.
Besides, this Convention Of farmers,
called by the executive con2uittee:
ignores not only the professional and
r ercantile classes, but strikes at the
rights of that important, influential
and worthy class of citizens embraced
under the general name of artisans,
mechanics and laborers, whose impor-
tance in the development of the re-
sources Of this State ought not to be
under er-estimated.
The Democratic party is strong
enough aud good enough. That rep.
resents every class of citizens, and all
can have voice in the framing aud
administering of the laws under Which
we live. Let US abide by the decis-
ions of the Democratic con Lentions, 1
obtained through methods adopted by
representatives Of all classes of peo-
pie. This is the only safe way, in my
humble judgment, to avoid the polit-
ical difficulties of some of our sister
States and to maintain for ourselves
the good government we have enjoyed
since 1876.
IREDELL JOKES.
Rock Hill, January 81.