The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-08-29
A Bad State of An airr.

Inore are many peopie Huo Ioino
that the present state OF unrest poiiti.
ca]ly over the United States Is the
work of office seeking demagogues. but
graYer mistake was never made. II
these people will only stop and think
| little they will soon come to different
conclusion. The trouble arises from
the fact that the masses of the people
are On the verge of bankruptcy, and
are ready to try anything with the nope
of getting relief. Let US look at the
figures. The census reports of 1880
show that there are on record In the
Uoited States 100000 mortgages,
which average $3.50 each, making a
total of about S5,OOO000,O00. The re-
rorts also show that the average value
of each farm in the United State has
deprecated $3.50; the per acre Of de-
Dreciation since 1884 has been S28.
That in 1870 the farmers owned ~ per
cent. of the wealth Of the country and
that they owned less than Il per cent.
In 1890. These are startling figures,
and with them staring US In the taos
should we be surprised that there Is
unrest among the farmers? They are
in desperate Gx, and we do not blame
the m for trying to find remedy for
their troubles. From 1880 to 1890 the
producers increased the wealth of the
country so per cent. They increased 1t
from S44OOO,OO0,O0O to $3.50 6,OO0,O 00,O0O
Who got the increase? In 1890, OF the
500 OOO 100000 of wealth in the United
States, 10000 leading capitalists pos
sessed S38 26O,OOO,000 leaving S27,740..
100000 for the remaining 81. 100000 In.
habitants. It will be seen from these
figures that although our farmers, ar
tinsas and other toilers produced the
increase of S22.OO0,OO0,OOO, few capt.
alists absorbed the most OF 1t. Tne
wealth of the Vanderbilt family Is esti-
mated to be $500, 100000; annual in
come at 7 per cent. is S2l 100000. The
average annual income OF our farmers
is $500. Topay the income OF tue
Vanderbilts requires all that 10000
| farmers can produce. II this thing Is
| to 20 on for few years q thousand
capitalists Will own the country. What
| do you think ofthess figures? Are they
not also startling?l
a dollar will pay no more tax or debt
nov than 1t would in 1865. Ooe bnshel
of wheat will buy only fifty cents-Win
| only pay one-fourth as much on your
! tax or debts. Let US Illustrate. At
the prices current in 1866 it would have
taken 1,000,000,00O bushels of wheat to
pay the entire public, debt of the Unlt-
ed States. After all the billion d ,liaIs
that have been paid, at the current
Chicago price Of wheat, 1t would take
I'LL, $50 .OO bushels to pay the public
debt of July 81, 1892. This Is ths way
the farmer is getting out of debt
| While you have to raise four times as
much grain now to pay s dollar on
YOUR taxes or debts, the money power
piles no the dollars four times as fast.
| The above figures will apply to c)tton
| as well as wheat, and shows that all OF
our farmers are in the same boat.
Commissioner Porter tells US in this
eleventh census that the little State OF
| Massachusetts,, from 1880 to 1890. IN.
creased its assessed wealth $569, ,377,-
824. which was Sl0OO0,O00 more than
the niue great States Of Indiana, Lii
nois, Iowa, Nebraska. Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, Alabama and North and South
Carolina. Aud yet these nine States
are more than SO times as large as
Massachusetts,. And have seven times
as many people and twice the assessed
value. If we add Florida, kentucky
and Kansas to the list, making twelve,
the State of Pennsylvania gained more
than the twelve. If we add the two
VIrginias and Tennessee, making ff-
teen. New York increased its wealth
more tnan the fifteen: The West and
South produce most of our wealth;
New York, Pennsylvania, Massachu-
setts and other Eassern States get It.
How long can the farmers struggle
against such immense odds.
The uhestioGs arise what is the cause
Of the farmer occupying the position
that he does? Why is 1t that he can
no longer make money on his farm?
Why Is it that all the wealth he creates
is taken from him and put 10 the pock-
cts of the Eastern manufacturers and
speculators? Tbe two principal causes
of the farmers failure to get remunera-
tive prices for MS crops is the demone.
tiZation of silver and the theiVing tar
il. Restore silver to its rights as mon
ey and wipe out the tariff and prosper
ity would smile on the Wessern and
Southern farmers. Thes two facts are
so evident to our mind that we cannot
understand why they are not seen and
appreciated by all! Under ohe present
system it will only be question of
time when the money changers Of the
East will absorb everything in this sec.
t1on. Not only the products OF the farm
but of the workshop and factory as
well. Cities like Charleston aad Co.
lumbia can stick to their geld bug the.
cries if they want to, but they are
doomed along with the farmsr. Toe
farmers are feeling the pressure first,
because they are fusucially weak, but
all of US ip the SJuth and West will
share their fate unless relief comes.
The sn.caElad rich man of these Sec
t;0Hs CrH hold II Il 4. longer, bus
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