Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-08-21
"A thoughtful Article.
s---
prom tho Columbia Reyister,l

at the South and West, the National
Farmers League at the East, the
Patrons of Husba ndry and their Of
fliated associations, numbering, ac-
cording to the current estimates,
not less than three million members,
constitute the unknown quantity in
Federal politics at this time. They
have had their origin in the growing
consciousness that the farmers of all
tho States of tho Union have been
ignored in Federal Legislation, and
that while avs have been and arc
still being passed for tho benefit and
to tho profit OF others, they them
selves are becoming moro and more
impoverished. They r stri> ing to
find out, in a rough, tentative way,
the reason why. The extent Of this
uprising, and tho rapidity with which
the number Of these associations,
oranges and chapters has increased
leaves the future Of both tho great
political parties in doubt blythe in
PRODUCTION Of a factor the tendency
of which is to disorganizc all their
calculations. At present these al
liances form n shapelcss mass in pro-
cess of capitalization, some of it in
clining towards tho organization Of
a new party, but none, as yet, wholly
separated from their old Obligations.
In so far rs they have given utter
ance to their political views, they at
tribute the depressed condition of
the farming industry to unjust laws,
which they allcgc discriminate in ia
vor of class legislation, including
trusts and combines, special manu-
features, bankers, brokers, railroads,
spectators and others whose inter-
ests,' they declare, do not harmo-
nize with farming and they hope to
have all class Legislation repealed.
Such is the cry hat comes princi-
pally from the West. From the
South, endorsed by the West, their
demands have taken shape in the So
called Sub-Treasury bill, introduced
in the Senate by Mr.. Vance, n Demo-
crat, and to the House by Mr.. Pick
Ter, of South Dakota, a Republican.
BY this bill it is proposed to establish
a warchousing system in each
County, where farmers may lodge
their wheat, corn, cotton and tobac-
co, for which the government shall
advance eighty per cent. of the
value of the product in negotiable
certificates, and hold the property
until u rise in prices enables the
farmer to redeem it by payment of
the. amount received, together with
interest at M per cent. and insur-
ance charges. Nothing has been
done with the bill, nor is it likely
that anything will be done. Many
other demands have been made,
some of which are practical enough,
and others r experimental. But
the fact remains that the farmers
movement for redress of grievances
is taking shape, and it is steadily
gathering such"strength that it has
to be counted as n force in politics
that may before long hold the bal
ancc of power in Congress-, and may
prove of immense service to either
party to which it may ultimately in
cline"
1t must be confessed the farmers
of the country have long enough
carried the burdens whilst the mo-
nopollsts and moncycd classes have
absorbed the splendid growth of pro-
duction which comes from the hard
working farmers who only want
their W and nothing but their own.
They may be wrong just now on the
Sub-Trcasury bill, which, in our
humble Judgment, wont hold water.
But after all, it is not that the farm
ers want anything more from the
government than to prevent their
earnings from being eaten up by the
moncyed conspirators who have
bankruptcd the American farmers
with all their known frugality, honest
industry and lavish production. The
fact that the homes Of the farmers
arc covered with mortgages, not
withstanding all their II~crculean cf-
forts and unprecedented production
is q tremendous one which stands
out in our social history rs boldly as
the Rockies across the continent.
This fact will not down at any mans
bidding. And this condition Of
things is not the fault of the farmers,
although the Agricultural Depart
ment may undertake to prove that