The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-05-09

\ WA &VkS We <RV<&8
! All wealth i but the produet of lsber.v-s
AN npisy = but ~ product ef isw. ~
us take : little view Of tAs sitlasien of ne
Southern farmer Cotton 81 thS Ssuth Il The
chief v(61fb cf 1hs south. Ff51s NE 56fofts I
Of hsndlIn6 9 @ q IA sftifoi y 1u113 s.
supported. H66dfS1} q rslIl y 81 and
steamboats and coal and iron mines sre de-
pendent upon its production, and many
hundreds Of thousands Of laborers are em-
ployed to handle this cotton after Il is pro-
duced. All OF these get their living from
the margins, and thousands accumulate vast
fortunes therefrom. Thus, you see that after
cotton is produced, there are millions en-
gagei in its manufasture and in handling
the manufactured articles. The single item
Of cotton, cuts considerable figure ia the
wealth of the world. Let us look little
further and see the effects Of making cotton
the chief source Of the wealth Of the South
A few mon in Liverpool or New York can
meet, and in ten minutes dictate to ninety
| out Of every hundred farmers throughout
the South whether they shall. have any Of
the luxuries OF life on their tables next
Spring or not, and whether their ch;iaassss:. g.
shall have snffinisnt clothing to protect them
from the cold Of winter.
Aud why 10 thisf Because the producers,
as a rule, depend upon their cotton to fur
nish living for themselves and. families
and, OF necessity, must part with tho ma
jority Of the wealth they create before its
| creation.
They deal directly In ''fu,urss." They
promise to pay out Of their crops for goods
| or money before those crops are grown
The merchants to whom the cotton farmsSa
pledge or mortgage their cotton have nj
suficieucy Of capital themselves and borrow
Of commission merchants, bankers, etc., and
Ia turn deliver the control Of the cotton TO
them; and probably these are under obliga-
tions to others, and 8, on, till the majority
Of the crop is under the control Of class
Of men whose whole interest and aim IL {,
keep the cotton farmer poor and appropriate
to their own use oil the wealth he creates.
Now, wh.t is the soldtion Of the diff.
calty Let the farmer diversity his crops,
(or wealthy SO as to retain oontrsl Of his
own products. Let all tho farmers Of the
South organize, and they can get control Of
their cotton aud reap reasonable share Of
the margin Of profits.
1t is your duty, my Alliance brother, to
be true to the aims Of our order. or course
wealth. is not happiness, but a oertsin amount
Of it is necessary before We can do our duty.
We cannot expect to he happy end ooutentci
while we neglect our du'ies to our families.
Our patient and sympathetic wives and chill.
dren justly claim that we use every honor
able and legitimate means to retain for eur
own use the wealth We produce. We cannot
expect our children to be happy and free. II
We bring thom up in ignorance and leave
them 10 prospective serfdom and the man
who perceives our present situation and 10
not using his oaergies to remedy our condi-
ton is unworthy the respect Of hi, fellow
men. We must ehspge ibe esnditiaas iaai
now surround US, or we can never nope Tor
prosperity, and the principal mesns of relief
for us is to assume the control Of tho pro-
ducts Of our labor.