The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-07-13
Living at Home.

OUT Isl tss Country farmer, when no
feels prcspef0 snd independent, some
times makes use oz the phrase: "I'live
at home and board at tSy same place."
There is q world of mesning in this
boast, and very few men can ts4shfufly
make it. But when man really li1ss at
home he has solved allof the vexatioaa
economic problems which give our peo-
pie so much trouble.
At the present time the farmers of the
West and South are clamoring for inan.
cial relief, and they unquestionably need
it under banking system which virtu'
ally outfaws them and gives Wall street
the control Of the currency. Still, we
have farmers who 10 not complain of
hard times-farmers whose pockets are
lined with money all the year round.
We should make an object lesson of
this fortunate class of farmers and study
their methods. As rule they are men
who diversity their crops and raise plenty
to eat, whether they produce cotton or
not. The trucksters, for instance, from
Virginia to Florida, are getting along
very we'll. No cry of distress comes from
them, and they do not take as much in
rterest as they should in the proposed
financial legislation, simply because they
do not feel that they need any. Then.
We Fave another class-the cautious, in
dustricag farmers who make it q point to
live within sHeir mesns, even if they have
to live more plainly for a few years than
their neighbors. This policy in the
course of time makes them Independent.
They always have cash on band, aad do
not have to go in debt for anything.
Diversified farming, with industry,
strict economy and judgment, will make
small farmers moderately prosperous,
whether they live in Maine or Texas,
Carolina or California.
It will be said that thousands of our
agriculturists have tried to follow this
course, and have failed tn succeed. This
is true, but among 65,OO0,0Q0 people in
any country there will always be many
who, on account, of ill health, unexpected
misfortunes and mistaken Judgment, got
behind in their affairs, For these uu-
lucky ones there is no remedy.
We have steadfastly maintained that
the country needs financial reform, but
We cannot ignore the fact that our people
must change their mode of living and
working. tJntil we pay ourselves out of
debt, and livs within our means, aban-
don the folly ofrisking everything on one
crop, no inancisE legislation will give us
permanent relief. The farmer yho now
buys northern fansly and plantation
supplies will increase his expenditures
with an ampler supply Of currency and
will be no better off than be was before.
If the yankees are to get all our money
the per capita amount of circulation
makes very little difference.
We are approaching very critical
point in our affairs in this section. If
ne go on much longer with the all.cotton
folly, it will be impossible to retrace our
steps,. and the country districts will be
turned over to the negro tenant farmers,
while the whites will drift to the towns
and cities OF 60 West. Diversified crops,
enabling our farmers to live at home,
will hold them there, and in time the
natural increase Of population, aided by
immigration, will givs 40 plenty of home
markets and home consumers.
Some will say we canuos make this
change; that our debt-ridder farmers
are forced to make cotton there maiD crop.
Well, We must make the change OF be
ruined, and it is time to face the facts of
the case. 1t may be very hard to quit
buying the luxuries and comforts of life
when ne see our neighbors buying them,
but it is better to make the sacrifice for
few years than to jog along in the old
way until We reach absolute bankruptcy.
Now, these views are perfectly consist.
ent with our demand for the expansion
of the currency through free silver coin
age and State banks, or remodeled sys-
tenn of national banks. We need more
currency to move the crops and facilitate
the exchange of products, and we need
local currency that will not rapidly drift
to Wall Street, but all of these reforms
will not materially aid us until by forced
economy and judicious industry We mas
ter the great art of living at home-liv'
ing within our means and paying as ne
go.-7snnessee Farmer.