The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-04-10
PLAIN TALK.
L. F. LIVINGSTON TAKES THE STUMP IN
GEORGIA.

S"b-Treasmy Plan-WhisEey Men Have Il,
Favor OF fGovernmcnt-Why Not Farmers
the Alliance I'M Politics.
Alta recent mass-mceting of farm
ors at Lawrencevillc, Ga, Hon. l.. I
Livingston, President of the Georgi
State Alliance, delivered speech il
which he indulged in some very plail
talk. The following report of his re
marks is going the rounds of tn,
papers,:
He said there are still in the mind,
OF many grave doubts as to the orig
inal design and ultimate result of tn,
Alliance organization. The two Years
i'll which it had been in existence
should have been sufficient time fol
all to have inquired into these things
and | armed for themselves. But he
regretted to say that they had not
done SO. L am constrained to con
clude that this is due to two causes
first, fear or apprehension that the
organization will bring to the pro
ducmg classes benefits at their loss
Second, an entire misconceptions OF
the intent and operation of the
Alliance.
Thepurposes of the order are still
misunderstood and dmisconstrued.
No greater innovation in political
economy had been made since the
day of Adam Smith, than have been
introduced by the Farmers Alliance.
1t has wrought Il revolution in that
science. Necessity has been called
the mother of invention, and these
new ideas in political economy had
grown out of the necessities of the
times.
This is not political organization.
1t has been said that it WAS conceived
III the political ring and brought forth
nmiu political councils, and it's de-
Sign Is to capture all the political
offices. 1t has even been snid that
we are banded together against law
ycrs and merchants. This is all un-
true. He could show, if any doubted,
that the order has nobler aims.
The necessity for the Alliance is to
be found in the
IMPOVERISHED CONDITION OF FARMERS.
Not III Georgia only, but in the entire
country. If you take q dozon farmers
Ill any county of Georgia and com
pare their condition with that of q
dozen farmers in Ohio or Illinois, you
will find that it is about the same.
The dozen Georgia farmers will be no
worse of, perhaps not SO bad off, as
the Northern or Western farmers.
Georgia farms arc not mortgaged as
heavily rs the farms in Ohio or Hi
nOls. Everywhere the farmers arc i'm
poverlshcd. 1t is not local trouble,
though the press has for twenty
years made the mistake of supposing
SO.
IL can not be SO much the fault of
II protective tariff, or the revenue sys-
ten OF our government as just those
industries receiving the largest
amount OF protection. Thus the far
mers are more deeply in debt and
less enable to protect themselves
from mortgages and their fore
closure.
We have hecn told that the farmers
of the South were too lazy to succeed.
And now we are told that we need
diversified farming.
Ohio harvcsts twenty seven crops
and is no better off than we.
If you arc to lose money by farm
ing, as you have done, the fewer crops
the better. Better lose only on one
than on twentysevcn. Laughter.
FARMERS "MAKE" NO PRICES.
The farmer makes no prices There
isn't q farmer in this house that in
fifteen years has ever brought butter,
eggs or cotton to Lawrenceville and
got the price he asked. He must say
to the merchant, chow much will you
give me for my butter?" and then,
chow much will you take for your
callcO?' The merchant buys ut the
price of another and sells at his own
price Applause.
NO merchant or lawyer would
carry on business as you farmers
have been obliged to carry it on. The
traders aud spectators have allowed
us to keep body and soul together,
and that $ all, butwe should be thank
full that they have not treated us
worse, rs they had the power to do.
Applause.
CAUSE OF THIS POVERTY.
What has caused this poverty?
Not SO much the want of industry
on the part of our people The very
large increase in the products from
the soil, annually, with q decrease in
tho number Tin the South) engaged
in agriculture, set, this charge to one
side.
Not 80 much the want of diversi-
fled agriculture, Us the statistics show,
for just where diversity most obtains,
there our people are more seriously
md extensively involved.
Not so much the want of economy,