The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-09-24
WHY The FARNERS ARB POOR,
THE VERY PRACTICAL VIEWS OF 4
PRACTICAL MAN.

PRACTICAL MAN.
Some Interesting Facts and Figures The
Sub-Treasury Pian-NothinG to be
Said for or Against It.
To the Editor of the News and Cou-
rier: 4 great many people follow new
ideas as they follow the fashions
blind!y and without reason. Its hard
to get men to think. 1t is constantly
repeated, 1.-THE people are beginning to
. think" We have all heard that for
years and years-and it always comes
from the men who are leading the
people for the time being.
Whoever has watched the move
.ments of the people for any length OF
time must have been impressed with
the fact that they are Otter led away
by caprice and prejudice, more than by
reason. Notwithstanding this fact,
the mass of the people are honest in
their opinions and in the END. they
come out right.
The people of this State are couserva-
tive-especially the farming class.
The history Of the past eighteen months
and the present conditiou of unrest
and agitation would seem to contra
dict this, but there are causes that
fully explain these seeming contra3ic-
tions.
We have been Gold time and again
by such publications as the Manufac-
turer's Record that the South is emf
nently prosperous. I do not believe it,
and I am not pessimist either. There
are prosperous sections in the Sou.
wherever mining or manufacturing
has been developed. And there is some
prosperity, more apparent than real:
however, in towns and cities-caused
not so much by business successes as
by the addition of so many citizens Of
the country, who moved to towns .
get better schools and church advan-
tages for their children. This increase
in population creates an increased de-
mand for lots and residences and sends
up the price of real estate. And since
many of those moving from country to
town are men who have prospered at
farming, their change reduces the pro-
portion of prosperous farmers-never
very large-and contributes to the
opinion that farming does not pay.
Then there is opportunity for co-opera-
ton i, towns. The citizens can unite
together in establishing manufacturing
enterprises and other industries, which
add to the prosperity of the community
at large, although they may not prove
profitable to those who put their money
in them.
These things are stated to offset the
impression that individual citizens Of
the town are more prosperous than in
dividual farmers; for such is not the
case.
Appearances are often deceitful.
There is very little money in merchan-
dising or in other business. Large
dealers who have ample capital can
make money at merchandising, by
close attention to business; so can a
large planter at planting. But the
small farmer and the small merchant
have about an equally hard time to get
along; and, capital for capital, the latter
would often be very willing to exchange
places and get into business where
there is much less worry and much
more independence.
Times are hard with all classes. All
classes feel it. More complaint is heard
from the farmers, not because they are
the worst off, but because on account
OF their numbers they can make them
selves heard and felt. Who cares if a
few small merchants or town doctors or
mechanics complain of hard times?
There is not enough of them taken
altogether to organize a corporaPs
guard at primary. So no one beeds
the cry. But let the farmers complain,
and at once hosts of friends" spring
I'D on every hand, who are ready to
get the farmers out of trouble if the
farmers will only put them into office.
The farmers, feeling that something
is wrong but not knowing what it is,
are not disposed to question too closely
their self-appointed champions, not to
scrutinize too carefully their motives.
1t is natural to feel kindly towards one
who offers relief, though we may be
perfectly aware he cannot extend it,
and it is ungracious to reject sympathy,
no matter from what source it comes.
And it is mean to be suspicious. Hence
the farmers, in their vague sense of
wrong and their perplexity about the
cause and the remedy, become all easy
prey to the oily-tongued demagogue
and plausible politicians.
In what I say do not charge those
who side with the farmers in their
grievances-real or imaginary-with
being politicians or demagogues; but I
have no hesitation in saying that men
who make political capital for them
selves by trying to prejudice the farm
ers against other classes Of citizens are
looking after their own selfish purposes,
and will prove it in the end by asking
for the loaves and the fishes. No true
patriot wants to set the citizens of one
class against those Of another, espe-
ciaIly in State menaced as this is with
an ever present danger to civilization
and progress. But it is the duty of
every man who loves his State to dis
cover as far as he can the causes of the
depression among the farmers and to