The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-09-13

free schools are starved. Schools in
cities arc not affected, because they
add to the two mills, and run their
schools for nine months. But the
country only has the two mills and
that divided with the negroes. There
are 234, QUO taxpayers to support in
school $4,000 pupils, and IS per
cent. Of them negroes. This will
warrant every sacrifice.
The people by their representatives
have endorsed four educational insti-
tutions, not to mention tho negro
school at Orangeburg. We are
pledged to them. Now what have
we done? Five boys in one hundred
see the inside of a college. Now
what have you done for your boys
and girls?
Under this administration there
has been generally increased indus.
trial activity. This has been denied
in figures and newspapers, and it has
been stated that capital is stunning
tho State on account of tho reform
government. This is not true. T.
state here to refuto it that factories
arc doubling their capacity, charters
are being issued to new companies,
and onc-third of tho railroads built
in the United States in the last
twelve months, was built in South
Carolina, and Texas is largo enough
to make nine Of us. These arc some
of the doings. Now I revert. AS
farmers, not rs rcformcrs, VIC found
cotton going down, down. Wheat
and other PRODUCTS doing tho same.
Tho alliance came. The reform it
brought corrected and cured abuses,
but it did not answer tho great qucs
tlons. "What is tho matter" said
the South, and the Northwest an
swcrcd. We came together in st.
Louis. Is it thrifllcssncss? Those
who said it arc ashamed to say it any
more. Increased production denies
it. What is ii? I'll give you facts
and figures as 1 sec my friend is put
ting me down.
The people arc industrious. Crops
arc marvellous, hence We arc charged
with ovorproduction. This has been
charged i'll tho last few weeks.
sometimes charge tins myself We
arc certainly producing too much for
the present rate of consumption. If
If wo make 100000 bales of cotton
and only 100000 arc needed, there
is too much. But give us the means
and the country will consume lO,-
600 600 bales. You believe there is
nothing in overproducLion md you
arc right
When tho United States made al
most 10 bushels corn per capita in
1850, it was 95 cents per bushcl. In
1855 it was bushels per capita and
the price was IT cents. In 1890 it
WAS 6 bushels per capita and the
price was S3 cents. In 1893 it WAS
not quite 6 bushels per capita and
the price was SD cents. AS the crop
decreased the price decreased.
In 1880 tho cotton crop was Sc
pounds per capita ut 10 cents per
pound; in 1885 it was Sc pounds per
capita at LOG per pound; in 1889,
50 pounds at .O99 Per pound; in 1890
it was 70 pounds, at 10 cents; in 1893
it was 40 pounds at cents.
Those figures controvert ovcrpro-
duction. What thcn? Produce moro?
This WAS the question in 1889 in ST.
Louis, Col. Polk said: eve protest
with reverence that it is not Gods
fault, nor the fault of tho farmer:
1t is the financial system of ourgov-
crnmcnt" This is the conclusion
of tho alliance. The system is used
and worked in the interest of the
money classes. We have promulgat
cd principles to combat this usage of
it The principle of the subtrcasury
is to put all "n same footing. You
and [ should be ut no disadvantage
with men Of large fortunes. Alonicd
men buy bonds, deposit them in
Washington and get 90 per cent on
them to carry home to circulate at
such advantage to themselves as they
can squeeze out of us. They pay
ono per cent tax. Government gives
nine tenths to them rs capital. 1t is
not right to give them this advantage
over us because wo are not favored.