The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-11-06
uvuuAy a.u Nl.,-Anuvmes.


Nobody VIII, understand. the facts can
donbt that farmers in this country deserve
the good will and help Of men Of all other
occupation.. The foundation Of all bus mes,
enterprises are built on our agriculture.
II is particularly so under the oper ,tiQns Of
the protective tariff which prevents uy ron
engaging exteusisey in foreign commerce
or doing business ON the high seas. M
SQUAD or sac structure can be built on rot.
ten f,undaii,ns. If the farmers are poor or
oppressed or working a. a loss II wll Only
he matter Of time when there viii be
gelerSf crash. =.
prsstass Ss Stsre 1 f5E ~
|occup,iions md posi,i ms, Whether the busi.
mess Of farming is s, po in pyomtss or re-
wards that Il clnnot be c,ntinued profitab'y,
md whether farmers will DO forced, IRON
ther ferns to seek some other mesu1 6f liv-
iag In such numbers as to diminish the
agricultural productions Of the country.
1t is q mater very hard to decide. The
former is told that his business is the most
poorly paid of all, that the oppression and
hardships Of our whole commercial systs II
is concentrated against him, that all other
occupations are more hopeful and generally
better than his, until he comes to believe it.
This is one of the facts explaining the ste ,dy
drift OF population from the rural districts to
the cities.
The truth is. The average farmer think,
| he is poorly of because he takes comparl'
| lively little account Of the matters OF house
rent aud fool for himself and 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 ussd in paying
what he owes for supplies and clothing,
| thinks he has list years work. lie has
handled only about four hundrei dollars
aud has seen it nll 60, and he is d sposel to
envy the mechanic who earns two or-three
dollars day and to regard the cierk, bool1
| keeper or lawyer who receives from O th ou-
sand to two thousand dollars year in o' ear
cash rs rich man. He docs not stop to
reflect that each Of thts people has re6>
done only what he did-supportsd
family nud c,me out even or nearly even 1T
the en- Of the year. The rent ofa very
modest city house-the mere roof to cover u
MN aud his fimily from the weather--is
nearly rs much ns the total living expcuses
Of the small farmer, representing from three
to five bales of c>tton. The food Of IA ordi-
nary city family com pelled to live from the
stores is as much more. Clothes cost moro
because in town more of them are needed !;
fIel is a large item in town while in tho
oountryit it is virtually nothing. A servant
hire AMI boarded repre.euts easily three
bnes of c,tton. When oil Is figured out and
pail the city man, working sir days eoery
,ceek in the year and bound down to minutes
by The clock, at hundred d,!lars month
usually congratuates himself if he comes
out freq Of debt after spending eveSy cent
he has made. Yet he does not regslX him
self as having been oppressed, degraded or
spoiled Nine-teuths of the men in towns
who can support their f,milie, in decency
and comfort aud carry life insurance enough
t,prevent want in case of death think the M
selves lucky. In cities ns in the country,
those who accumulate some money and have
more of IL 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 rs the average town resilient
does, he would find himself not so badly off
after all-that if hs would count his time
aud labor and the practical resu t. from
them, as mechanics, clerks, merchants and
professional men are forced to do, and
weigh advantages and disadvantage, losse.
and gains, he would be less discon.ente
with his own lot than he is generally disposed
to be.-Greenviiie Ne1s.