The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-11-06
.va.ay .-.. ,l.y.4As,laes.

Nobody wh, understands the facts can
doubt that farmers in this country deserve
the good will and help Of uien OF all other
sac Iounds'ion or all bus ness
enterprises are built on cur agriculture.
II is particularly so under the oper ,tiQrs OF
the pro. .ective tariff which prevents u bOa
eugsgiug exten,ise'y in forei1n commeree
or doing business ON the high seas. No
sou,i or sac structure can be built on rot.
ten f,undaii 'ns. If the farmers are poor or
oppressed or working q. loss It VIII OILY
he a matter Of time when there will be q
general crash. - ~
spsssslsh ssssrsa sfrrsesss. e .sis 80
occup l,ions aud po,i,i ms, whether the bu>i-
ness of farming is s, po ,r in pronise or re-
wards that IL c,nnot be c'n'inued prOftab'y.
and whether farmers will TO forced fro
their firms to seek some other mess tiv-
iag in such ,numbers as to dimiuieh the
agricultural product ions Of the country.
1t is mat er very hard to decide. Tho
farmer is told that his business is the m,st
poorly paid of all, that the oppression and
hardships of our whole commercial systs
is concentrated against him, that all other
occupations are more hopeful and g'nsrAl,5
better than bis, until he comes to believe it.
Thi, is one of the facts explaining the ste 'dy
drift OF population from the rural districts to
the cities.
The truth is, The aver,ge farmer think,
he is poorly OF because he takes compari
lively little account of the matters OF house
rent and foo for himself AMI family, which
with people in the cities -nre Of, first impor-
tauce. The farmer who makes ten bales OF
cottoa, for instance, sells them and finds
that their entire proc sed, are used in paying
what he owes for supplies and clothing,
thinks he has list a yeac's work. lie has
handled only about four huudret dollars
aud has seen it all 60, and he is d sposel to
envy the mechanic who earns two Ior-threc
dollars q day and to regard the clerk, book
keeper or lawyer who receives from tn ou,
sand to two thousand dollars year in o. ear
| cash as rich man. He does not stop n
reflect that each of the Sc people has ref
done only what he did-supportsd
| family aui inc out even or nearly even 1t
the en- | of the year. The rent ofa very
| modes. city house-the mere rJof to cover u
m IN aud his fimily from the weather.,
| nearly rs much rs the total living expenses
| Of the small farmer representing from three
to five bales ofchton. The food Of aa ord,-
nary city family com pelled to live from the
stores is as much more. Clothes cost moro
| because in town more Of them are needel !;
| fiel is large item in town while in tho
countryit is virtually nothing. servant
blre l AMI ooarIel Represents easily tnree
bales of cotton. When oil is figured out and
pail the city man, working sir days eoery
,eeek in the year and bound down to minutes
by The clock, at hundred djlars month
usually congcatulates himself if he comes
out free of debt after spending evs1H cent
he has made. Yet he doe, not regalS him
self rs having been oppressed, degraded or
spoiled. Nine-teuths of the men in towns
who can support their fimilic, in decency
and comfort aud carry life insurance enough
prevent want in case of death think the N
selves lucky. In cities as in the country,
those who nccu mulate some money and have
more of it than they actually need are the
| few.
We believe if the average farmer would
| es innate the value of the support Of himself
and his family as the average town resilient
does, he wnuid find himself not 80 badly off
after all-tha, if hs would count his time
and labor and the practical resu t. from
them, rs mechanics, clerks, merchants and
| professional men are forced to do, and
weigh advantages and disa lvantage', losses
and gains, he would be less dscontentei |
with his own lot than he is generally disposed
to -GreenviHe Ncps.