The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-08-03

So that during q period of 900 ycars-l67O to
lS90-CharcSt0n, vi pranGn ot.Ge uS ~ "
iumbia, dominated the politics OF this state
The history OF this state and. believe. tnc
history of the world as we'll, proves that lhe
education of few and the neglect ol inc
masses Is subversive OF liberty III any couh-
II is pain ful truth, bnt it Is true that ed
ucation itself does not creaie that Splrlt III
man which prompts him TO love ms neigil-
bor as himself Education before the ltle
var was nearly confined to the rich. Al
though South Carolina had reputation ior
scholarship, yet the people were noI euucal-
ed. Ito, ~, ,,a
hills of npper Carolina to inaugurate new
era. High schools and academies sprans up
iall over the up country. ana THESE oeso. ~,
legPs scattered all over the piedmont Scctipl,.
Wollord Furmnn, ErSkine and otherS-whlcn
have given us an educated class OF heH Ill
for the hardShpS of life.
The appetite OF the people for education
was sharpened. An educated rev cannon con, ION,
troI the educated many. win the iounhlnS
of the third great educational center IN oouli' %
Carolina came the IA OF ring rule. ana Glehi.
son commentaries the victory gnm,neH u!
struggle of two hundred years. Mnile Ihe
walls of Clemson stand Charleston Will never
again dominate the politics OF this Slate.
| The oppusit tion cannot understand why tne
campaign speeches do not turn me PeoPie
from Tillmai. The reason Is very PLAIN 10 an
ObScrvant person. IT. is because tney nave
not yet succeeded in turning Tlllman from
the people.
The farmers have Tillman under their tn-
tOrship, and his education is now SO iar az,
vanced that he Is able to say: I'll tne All.
ancc does not go with me Will go win lhs
| lliance." He is going with the FARMERS, ana
the assertion that they are lollowihG hai nIlnu,y
originates from either ignorance or falsehood
Tie opposition is waking up 10 the SITUATION,
and each anti is selecting Illlmanite 10
teach. But their mistakes in the past lnui-
|
vancrd in the knowledge Of political science
| to he able to run II political normal school.
They cnnnot yet teach the teachers.
| But with the farmers ray OF nope come INC
! threatening clouds of financial ruin. Inc
ruinouS decline in price of our farm nroducts
makes living hard and increases two fold the
| burden Of debt. When we complain we are
| ridiculed; We ask for bread we are given
n stone. Men IA ignorant OF practical iarm'
| ing as Il monkey is Of heaven assume the role
of teachers. sit in the town shade and call the
| farmers lazy.
Their advice fails in showers: You are too
| lazy, you are bad managers, you don WORK
but six months in the year. you make 100
much, there's over production, you are 700
eXtravagant. diversity your crops Ii u ilttie
OF the town laziness WAS diversified oy a
years work in our fields there would not he
such an over-productlon OF scientific FARMERS
, who farm In the shade.
"There is no new thing under the sun.
| But II Solomon had lived to the present time
the sight of miles OF agricultural advice COM
! ing from the mouth OF one lille Town man
would have been novel 10 him. The trouble,
however, is not u new one. our lorealnerS
experienced it and found remedy. That
remedy was bills OF credit which Is the SUB.
| treasury plan.
Some of our town friends who have never
read u history Of our State. because furious
when more money Is mentioned. and assume
to themselves n blissful mental superiority
over the uverage farmer; and 1t is Il pity to
mention the facts 10 them for when "ignoi'
ance is bliss lis folly to be WISE
Our fOreiathcrS came to this country With
out money. For few years they did not
need much. Their trading with the Indians,
| which was nearly all the trading they did for
But when they began to successfully TIL the
! soil and to build up commerce money was
| needed. There was very little Of the precious
metals In the colony, quantity at any rate
| entirely insufficient for the needs of the peo'
| pie. Then the fight began. Scarcity oi
money caused Il gradual decline In prices,
and the money lenders reaped a continual
harvest. but the farmers were goiug rapidly
| TO poverty. Finally desperation drove them
to overcome all opposition and the govern
ment issued bills Of credit and loaned them
| to the farmers on mortgage OF land. Then
the farmer had his day.
Prices went up continually and the farmers
were gaining back from the money lenders
what they had previously lost. But a taste OF
prosperity served to sharpen the appetite.
| More bills OF credit was Issued. Prices con-
lenders made desperate efforts to have the
| money called In. but all In vain.
AT the inStigation of the London merchants
| the Lords Pr0prietors undertook TO force the
| people to give up the money, but so strong
| was their determination to keep 1t that They
deiied the PrOprietOrS, depOsed their Cover
| nor and Chief Justice. and appealed to the
King. who decided for the people and the
money. and put an end to the proprietary
government.
so the first revolution In this State was
fought and won on the sub treasury issue.
The first relief which farmers obtained from
the ruinous effects of low prices was through
this money. But there can be too much OF a
good thing. There was at one time In circula-
tiOn OF bills OF credit about $50 per cnpita be.
sides other money in circulation. There was
| consequent depreciation and loss TO some per-
sons, but Thomas Jefferson favored the mon.
ey and declared that although II had ruined
individuals II had saved the republic.
The merchants were finally brought to their
senses and adopted conservative and friend
ly course; the farmers also became conservn.
tive, and the last issue OF this currency did
not deprcciatc and made n net revenue to the
State of more than SI00,O00. There Is q lesson
In this to be learned by both merchants and
farmers. Conservatism isa purifying stream
in politics, but when obstrucied by intOlerant
| opposition It's accumulated waters break over
all restraints and sweep the country with a
flood of radicalism.
But" some say, "capital can control In.
bOr." Yes, suppose that's what they said In
the good old days Of our foretathers, but the
people overturned the government, money
changers, merchants and all. Capital can not
con trol exasperated and organized labor.
The demonetiZing OF silver has, as well rs
the contraction OF the currency, had the effect
OF reducing prices, and It's restoration would
also produce a corresponding Increase, but
there Is not now time to discuss that.