The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1891-05-29

The appeal AcdIanche recently inter
viewed the Hon. Josiah Patterson on
the sub-treasnry scheme. That gentle
man responded very promptly and
frankly to the questions put to him.
Believing the interview will interest
our readers we publish it in full:
''In view Of the discussion now going
on over the Sub-Treasury scheme have
yon any objection to giving the public
your views on the subject?'
mot in the least. 1 am one or the
servants of the people, and they have
the right to know my views on public
questions in which they feel an interest.
IL is well known that / am one of those
who believe that agriculture, the
greatest of all interests and the one on
which the prosperity of all others is
based, has previously suffered at the
hands of the general government. i
am in full sympathy with the farmers
in their efforts to secure redress of their
grievances, and stand ready TO CO.
operate with them In effecting such
legislation as will bring to them relief
and better their condition. / have at
all times congratulated them on the in
terest they are taking in public affairs,
and have frequently expressed the
opinion that the Alliance, properly di-
rected by Intelligent and patriotic men,
would accomplished great good for the
country. I am disposed in the discus
sion of any measure advanced by the
farmers TO treat IL hot only fairly, but
with a disposition to support it If / can
do so with a consciousness of doing my
duty to them and to others.
I'm what may say in answer to your
inquiry ] shall not attempt to confuse
the subject with an argument on the
constitutionality Of the law, or by any
resort to technical or legal reasoning.
shall deal with it from the standpoint
of the farmer himself, and shall de-
termine whether the general veal will
be promoted by the passage of such q
measure"
us the Vance bill not the one pre-
ferred by the friends of the measure?"
81 think not. The Picker bill is the
one with which the public is most
familiar. However, l have here a copy
of the Vance bill, and if you will COM
pare the two you will find that they are
in all respects the same, except that
under the Picker bill the people in the
respective counties in which the Sub
Treasures are established elect the
managers, whereas, under the Vance
bill they are appointed by the Secretary
OF the Treasury at Washington. The
Vance bill has recently become the
favorite because this feature of the
Pickler bin is thought to be unconstitu-
tiOnal.
''In the outset will say in general
terms that 1 cannot see my way to sup
port the measure. My reasons are
several, and / will give them in their
order.
81. see in it no practical good to the
farmers, or rather the class of farmers
il is intended to benefit. Let us look
at it from their standpoint. Tho meas
ure Is only intended for the relief of the
farmers engaged in the production of
five agricultural staples, to-wit: Cotton,
wheat, corn, oats and tobacco. No
county is to have a Sub-treaSury unless
it shall appear from evidence, supported
by the oath of tho county court clerk
and sheriff, showing that the average
gross amount per annum of cotton,
wheat, corn, oats and tobacco produced
and sold in that county for the last two
years exceeds the sum of $500, 600 at
current prices Now, it does seem to
mo that our farmers will know that
this, the vital and pivotal provision of
the bill, has no practical application to
them. 1t was evidently conceived in
the brain of men who have monOpOlized
the lands of the west and who are en-
gagged in the production of grain on q
talents and patriotism / have the high
est respect, is now engaged in the dis
cussiOn of this measure before the farm
ers of his State, and | will venture the
assertion, and refer to the statistics for
its verification, that there is scarcely
county in Mississippi having n ma
jority Of white population which, under
the act, would be entitled to a sub
treasury. The act would only apply to
the black counties engaged in the pro-
duction OF cotton, and it is we'll known
that the planters in these counties, in
nine cases out of ten, make their crops
on a credit and on shares. How the mer-
chant, who advances the money, the
planter who owns the land, and the crop
per who furnishes the labor, are to ad-
just their accounts so as to avail them
selves of the blessings of sub-treasury
/ will not undertake to solve. / have
studied this question as far as Tennessee
Is concerned and can speak with
more accuracy in respect to my own
State. As the census of 1890 has not been
published, l have taken my data from
the census of 1850. Those acquainted
with agriculture in Tennessee will con-
cur with me in saying that the products
of the farm in 1850 and 1890 are not ma
terially different fIom the statistical
point of view. There are 90 counties in
Tennessee. have made tho examina-
tion, and the census of 1880 shows that
the estimated value of all farm pro-
auctions sold, consumed, or on hand
in each of the following named counties
was less than $500. 900, to-wit:
anderson Ao6,aS G Gr%Inger. Monroe Monroe
BlcdSoe, Hamblln. Morgan