The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-03-18
A PEN PICTURE.
The wonderful Condition of An.irs in


The Southern Alliance Farmer
writes up the condition of affairs in
Georgia SO graphically that it is here
partly reproduced as indicating the
financial pressure in one of the most
prosperous Southern states:
From one end of Georgia to the
other comes wall of distress. 1t is
not confined to any one class. but
farmers and merchants alike seem
tottering on the verge OF bankruptcy.
Every week we hear of strong firms
going to the wall. while the sheriffs
in the various counties are kept busy
making levies and selling live stock,
farm produce and implements under
distress warrants. The stock yards
of towns and cities are filed with
horses and mules taken from farmers
corded where animals that cost $3.50
last spring sell upon the block for 500
Only last Tuesday stood on the pub
lie square in Watkinsville and saw
farmers corn sell at so to 81 cents per
bushel. his fodder at 81 cents. and
other goods in proportion. and the
most startling part of the sacrifice was
that the poor mans last piece of
bread was sold by the agent of we'll
known minister of the gospel, and to
pay an interest of Is per cent on his
Investment besides an ideal farm be-
ing greatly improved. OF course the
agent simply did his duty. and it may
be argued that his ministerial client
now located in Georgia city not far
distant from Atlanta. did not know
the true state of affairs. But the
preacher was certainly aware of a
failure-and it seems to me that while
he is preaching love, forbearance and
charity from the pulpit, he should
have taken the trouble to investigate
the condition of the poor tenant
before resOrting to such extreme
measures He might have been con-
tented himself with the legal rate of
interest and thus divided with the un-
fortunate renter the results Of the un-
favorable season. instead like Shylock
of old, demanding the pound of flesh.
The victim of this distress warrant
was an honest, sober, hard working
man. who cleared fields and brought
into cultivation land sodded with ber-
muda. Had this farmer been blessed
with ordinary seasons he would have
been able to pay even the extortionate
rent demanded. But his crop was a
failure and. with a large and depend
ent family to support he stood by and
hic loo of
tire fruits of a years hard work sold
under the hammer to pay a preacher.
and former presiding elder. Is per
cent interest on his investment. Now,
if ministers of the gospel in this day
grow so selfish and grasping: what can
we expect OF the outside world?
What will be the outcome of the
financial depression now upon the
country know not If some relief
is not given the people. I would not
be surprised to see one-half the mer-
chants IN Georgia go to the wall and
thousands of acres of our best farming
lands grow up in weeds. The planter
cannot pay his debts with z cent COT
ton. and the merchant cannot run him
another year unless he is paid for the
goods sold him last season. Wall
street is closing down on the banks,
the banks in turn are closing down on
the cotton dealers, the cotton dealers
are pressing the merchants. and the
merchants are trying to collect from
the farmers. The latter has sold his
cotton. and it has not near paid him
out. His lands, his stock. and the
implements with which he works are
now being seized, and they sell for a
mere song. When the gold kings on
Wall street are threatened with fnan-
cial embarrassment the government
unlocks the Golfers and comes to their
relief But here we find hundreds Of
thousands of farmers lettering Oh the
brink of ruin, and not a hand is raised
to help them. When they ask for that
relief extended to other classes
through their subtreasury plan, they
are met by jeers and ridicule; and 1
here state that many of the same men
who have been ridiculing that demand
in our Ocala platform will be yelling
for even truck PATCH currency be-
fore next spring rolls round They
are now beginning to realize
the fact that their adversely or
prosperity are linked with the
farmer and when they pull him
| down they must fall too. Now. had
we our sub treasury bill in operation
this financial panic would not be
known. Plenty of money. based on
the imperishable crops on lands oil
our great land would be in circula-
ton. and we would now have an un.
exampled era of prosperity. But in.
stead of this we find the currency OIL
our country locked up in the Golfers
Of the New York gold kings, who
have it in their power to bring on a
financial panic whenever it suits their
ends. and force the farmers of the
whole country to sacrifice their lands
and crops for any price the creditors
choose to pay.
The only thing that can avert al
most universal bankruptcy in Georgia
as well as all other agriculture
states is charity and confidence
Nothing can be gained by taking from
the farmer the implements necessar,
to make a crop. 1t will be simpl,
killing the goose that lays the colder
egg Let the creditor class. boil