Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1893-01-26
3WE|GHTY WORDS OF WISDOM
President Edwards's Quarterly Address
before the York County Alliance.
Yorkville Enquirer, January 10.

lYorkville Enquirer, January 49,
The York County Alliance held its
quarterly session in the old Baptist
church in Yorkville last Friday. The
weather was extremely cold and but
few members were present. AS the
result but little business Of import
ance was transacted. The feature OF
the occasion was an address by Capt.
w. H. Edwards, President of the
County Alliance. This address, at
this time, we consider one OF the
ablest Alliance deliveries that has
vet come to our knowledge, and
although already crowded for room,
we take pleasure in commencing 1t
to the careful perusal OF all our read
ers, Alliance as we'll as non-Alllance.
1t is as follows:
DEAR BRETHREN: AS your pre-
siding officer it becomes my duty,
and affords me great pleasure, 10
meet with and address you at tbs,
your first meeting in 1898. 1t should
be matter of devout thankfulness
/ to US all that the condition OF the
members of our order in material
things is much better than year
ago. We have been blessed with
GOOD crons and Notwithstanding the
low price of cotton in the early part
of the fall, the great majority OF our
people have been able to meet their
liabilities and have grain and forage
sufficient for their needs for this year 4;
and many of them have raised boun-
tiful supplies of meat and syrup.
Another fact upon which our peo-
pie should be congratulated is that
they have conducted their farm ope-
rations with less expense than ever
before. While this, to some extent,
was the work OF necessity, it was
largely due to the determination OF
our farmers to make an earnest effort
to become less dependent in the
future. This effort bids !air to be
successful and will lead to grand
results if we will only continue to
work upon this line. The salvation
OF the Southern farmer depends upon
him raising his own home supplies
and making cotton surplus crop.
The truth and practical effect of this
theory has been thoroughly demon
strated this year. We can now hear
it prophesied on every side tha. the
rise in the price of cotton will have
the effect OF causing our farmers to
fall back in the same old ruts of all
cotton and depend upon buying
Western corn and bacon. We will
surely not pursue this suicidal policy
when we are in a condition to become
Independent of the price OF cotton.
Why should the Southern farmers
be so foolish as to raise nine million
of bales of cotton when we car get
as much money for half that amount,
and can raise it for half the cost:
Some will say: "Oh, yes, we know
this is true, but then there are SO
many farmers that will plant big
crops OF cotton no matter what he
members of the Alliance determine
to do" Well, my brethren, let these
GO ahead and pursue their own course.
The question that concerns us Is,
sHave these men succeeded in the
past?:" Is it not lamentable fact
that the planting and raising OF cot
ton, to the neglect Of the food crops:
has reduced to poverty thousands OF
men, women and children in this
beautiful and productive Southland
OF ours:
Your duty and mine is to make a
living for those whom God has com
mittcd to our care, and the past his
tory of the farmers OF this country
has demonstrated the fact that we
cannot do it by planting cotton to
the neglect of food and forage crops.
Let us continue in the course adopted
last year, no matter what the price
of cotton may be. Ii. cotton was
bringing twenty cents a pound 1t
would still be unwise to plant 1t to
the neglect of other crops. Cotton
is often high when We plant and low
when we come to sell. Let us this
year do as we did last, plant small
crops of cotton and large crops OF
grain, try to raise our meat, take
special care of our cattle and raise as
many OF them as we can feed well,
make all the manure we can at home
and buy as little guano as possible,
and at the end OF the year we and
our families will be contented and
happy, there being no necessity to
put mortgage upon the home or a
lien upon the future crop. When
we consider our climate, the natural
fertility Of our soil, our short mild
winters, and then reflect that IN the
past more than half OF the farmers Of
this country have been buying at
credit prices the necessaries OF !!te,
and these the very things that their
farms would produce in abundance,
we are amazed at the short-signted-
ness and are ready to exclaim, "W hat
fools we mortals bem The truth of
the matter is about this: Owing to
the course pursued by the farmers Of
the South, and under the operation
of the lien laws of this country, the
majority of our farmers have been in
fact, though not in name, tenants,
working not for themselves and taml-
lies, but to pay interest to those who
absolutely owned the crops before
they were made. Many men have
lost their character for integrity. and
their own self-respect by undertaking
to do what was i'm. ,ssible for them
to accomplish. 1t !, hoped that the
eyes of our farmers are thoroughly
opened upon this question, and that
they will never return to the meth
DDS of the past. l would emphasize
the sad fact that thousands of happy