The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-09-22
of the country2 Here are some rea-

l. The annual pensions 20 Federal
survivors of the late war amount $780,
100000. All of this. practically speak
ing, goes into Northern States, while
every Southern State has to pay its pro-
portion. The average of each State is
nearly three millions. South Carolina
pays at least two millions more than
she gets back.
2. Then comes the import tariff, of
which $230,OO0,OOO a year goes to the
Government, and about S6OO,00O,OOO to
protected industries, and of which
South Carolina pays its share, estimated
at eight millions, and gets back only a
small portion, the greater portion going
to manufacturing States in the North.
South Carolina pays out for tariff duties
seven millions more than she gets back.
This is moderate and safe estimate.
The usual estimate is from eight to
ten millions; but l prefer to put the
figures too low rather than risk putting
them too high.
8. Again, our railroads are all owned
by Northern capitalists. Whatever the
roads earn over actual running eX-
penses goes North to pay the interest
ON their bonds. The gross earnings of
the railroads in South Carolina for the
month of July last was $4,000. July
is one of the poorest months. But sup
pose that to be the average for the
year, there would be gross annual earn
ings of SG,S40OO0 Sixty per cent of
this amount goes to running expenses
and remains in South Carolina; the
other forty per cent or two and three
quarter millions goes North to pay in
terest on the bonds.
The first item is a burden imposed
upon us as the conquered section by
the National Government. 1t is the
penalty of defeat, and we will have to
endure 1T with whatever patience ant
fortltude we have. 1t cannot be
avoided.
The second item is burden conse-
quent upon our being an agricultural
people. There is good ground for hope
of relief from much of that burden by
reform of the tariff, which is the
heaviest burden of all. This reform
can only come through the triumph of
the National Democratic party, for that
is the only party in the country pledged
to that reform and working for its ac-
complishment, and it the party remains
united this hope will soon be realized.
Our railroads after the war were worn
out and run down and we did not have
money enough to reorganiZe them
hence they fell into the hands of North
ern capitalists, and those since built
haye been built by Northern capital.
many of them with our aid, that aid
consisting in gifts of county and town
ship bonds, the interest on which, as
well as the net earnings of the roads,
going to the Northern bondholders.
see no hope OF relief from this railroad
burden. All we can expect is that these
giant monopolies shall not oppress us
by cxorbitant charges for freight or
travel. and that is provided against in
our National and State railroad COM
missions.
Those are fearful drains upon our re-
sources and take immense sums of
money out of circulation in this section
of the country. But they are not all.
4. We send somewhere about two
millions every year into Tennessee and
Kentucky and other States for mules.
Newberry County alone-one of the
smallest counties in the State-sends
about $4,000; the State about $780,
GOO.
5. Immense quantities of corn are
shipped to South Carolina from the
Northwest. can only approximate
the amount. One merchant at Newber-
ry has received and sold since the first
OF January seventeen QO carloads
$500 bushels. Not less than 10000
bushels are sold annually in Newberry,
and about 10000 at other points in the
county, at an average price of about 80
cents. making $4,000 for corn. That
would make the amount for the State,
at moderate calculation, 81 100000.
u. Our Western meat costs more than
our Western corn. Large numbers of
live hogs are shipped into the State and
sold and bntchered here but I take no
account of these and speak of the bacon
only. One merchant here-the same
have already mentioned-sells $4,000
pounds of bacon annually. lie thinks
he sells about one-fourth of what is sold
in this county. The total then would
he 1000 pounds, which at 715 cents
would be $4,000. On the same basis
of calculation there would be about
So 100000 sent out of the State for ba.
con.
TO recapiUulate:
Sent out of the State for
pensions. ..................S 2,UOOOOO
Sent out OF the State for tariff. 100000
Sent out of the Stat for railroad
DOnuS.. .................... GIOOUUO
Sent out of the State for mules. 100000
Sent out Of thestate for corn. 1,25O,OOO
Sent out OF the State for bacon. 5000 600
Total. ,.....: .....: :.... .$l7 100000
Nearly all our llour hay and agricul-
tural implements come from other
States.
And what do we produce that we can
sell and get money to pay for all these
things? Cotton nothing but cotton.
Seven hundred thousand bales at $40
per bale, brings in only $27,0OO,OOO,
which is nearly all taken out again for
purposes mentioned, and for other pur-
poses too numerous to mention, leaving
very little to pay debts or to lay up "for
u rainy day" No wonder we are poor.
What is the remedy?
Some say the "sub-treasury plan"
"A great deal is said on the huslings
and in the newspapers about this "plan."
1t was conceived and worked out by Dr.
&. w. Mccune,'and presented to the Ma
tional Farmers Alliance Convention at
st Louis in 1889. 1t twas adopted, among
other planks in their platform, by that
convention; was sent down to the Sub
Alliances for their endorsement, and
was reailirmed at Ocala, Fla, in Decem-
Der, 1880. have seen no real argument
in its favor. Senator Stokes and Sen a.
tor Butler debated" 1T at Prosperity,
the 10Th of July. They said Il great
deal about q great many things, but
scarcely anything about the subject un.
der debate. The only apparent result
Of the debate WAS that Senator Stokes,
several days afterwards, charged Sena-
tor Butler with grossly insulting $40 600
Alliance men," and the latter retorted
by calling his accuser IL "sneak and a