The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-09-12
The Farmers in Politics.

The Shoe and Leather Reporter, pub
lished In Boston, New York, Philadel-
phia and Chicago, one of the strongest
and most influential trade journals in the
country, in its issue of August l6, has the
following article on the political situation
in this country, especially as it affects the
farmers.
."For sixteen months the country has
been undergoing constant succession OF
disasters of one kind and another. The
discomfort caused by partial suspension
of labor had the effect of stirring up every
evil-minded person in the land into 2
condition of antagonism to constituted
authority. Governors of some OF the eX.
their sympathy with Anarchists. The
spirit OF lawlessnehs was displayed In
various forms, from the organization OF
expeditions of highwaymen to sack the
railway trains to tho enlistment of So
called "armies" tc march on the National
Capital, subs1sting on the way by forag.
ing upon every depository OF provisions
which came In their way. As If there
were not men enough out of employment
because they couldn't get work great
mum bers relinquished tho places in which
they were earning good wages and abetted
the maltreatment and murder OF men
who took the vacant places. 1t looked
several times, while these events were
transpirlng, as If there was nothing for 1t
but a direct conflict between the law
abiding and la*.defying people. There
was, indeed, something very much like it
in certain localities. Happily the popu-
lar sentiment was demonstrated to be 80
strongly on the side of order that the
vicious element was subdued before there
was very much of struggle.
"There have been certain features OF
Encouragement, independently of the
embarrassments growing out of the labor
situation. The extraordinarily low price
of wheat has been extremely dishearten-
ing to the farmers, and they are citizens
whose thrift is Of the deepest concern to
every inhabitant of the land. If they are
prosperous the country will prosper, and
unless they do flourish it is very doubt
full whether any other class can. Agrl-
culture is the basis of all industries. 1t
is rarely source of large profit to indi-
viduals. It furnishes stable and perma-
nent occupation, however, to men who
lead quiet, uneventful lives, who are not
troubled about panics or financial revul-
sions, who pay. as they go, have enough
to eat, to drink and to wear, lay by a
little and dwell nearer nature than the
average of mankind. Now, when these
men are obliged to sell their wheat for
half the former price it is very serious
matter-so serious, In fact, that it accounts
largely for the financial and commercial
difficulties with which the country has
long been beset.
"The farmers have given evidence OF
their dissatisfaction by the political af1il-
iations they have made. They have con-
tributed pretty much all the real strength
there is in it to the Third Party, which
carried several Of the States in the West
in 1892 with the help they got by fusing
with another organization. They must
BY this time be convinced that no advan-
tage accrued, or could accrue, to them
from that alliance. On the contrary it
has caused great injury, because the per.
sons elected to Office by the combination
of odds and ends have developed revolu-
tionary and Anarchical tendencies, and
thereby brought extreme discredit on the
States in which they hold official position;
so much 30 that it is not easy for individ-
ua]s or corporations in those States to
get trusted. That may be good thing
for them in the long run, as 1t is better
not to get in debt when it can be avoided,
but there are times when loan would be
convenience, and it is always mortih-
cation to anyone to discover that if he
wants to borrow money he cannot get
accommodated because he is not consider
ed good. Large numbers of the tlllers OF
the soil probably realize that their politi-
cal associations of late have been detrl-
mental to their interests, and that section.
al animositiea are in the last degree evil
in their spirit and in their influence.
Prosperity, when it does come, must be
national and shared in alike by the West,
the East, the South and the North, and
unless the farmer has an adequate portion
of it il will be more of shadow than
substance.
"One of the illusions which have heen
cherished as furnishing a possible method
of relief to the farmer is the dilution oi
the currency. Cheap money has been 8
fayorite cry, and it has been loudly voci-
ferated in the agricultural regions. a
year ago, when capitalists, in their alarm,
refused to lend their cash on any terms,
there was great deal Of talk of scarcity
Nothing could have been more absurd,
because the quantity of money in circula-
ton was known, and 1t was very mnch IN
excess of what was requisite for the easy
and convenient transaction Of business OF
every kind. After awhile, when the capi-
talists got tired of holding their treasure,
they endeavored to turn it to use, but the
supply was 80 vastly in excess Of the
demand that they are still carrying heaps
of it, and are glad of opportunities to lend
what they can at very low rates ofinterest.
But there is one thing about money OF
more consequence than the quantity, and
that is the quality. Any expansion which
would endanger the redemption of the
entire circulation, In the coin which is
recognized as the medium of the civilized
world, would bring loss upon the whole
country, and the farmers especially would
be sufferers, for their products are to
considerable extent exported. 1t is Tor
their advantage to have the best money
there is. It is true that precisely in the
proportion that you initiate the currency
The value of it diminishes, and yet 1t is
far preferable to honest men who get
their living by industry, instead of by
speculation, that there should be uni
form and Interchangeable currency that
can always be depended on.
The farmers are represented to be 10 q
large extent favorable to the free coinage
of silver. There is no explanation OF that
which does not reflect upon their consid-
Grafton for the national honor. If free
coinage had been persisted in we should
,,p1 p1oTbtad1u boua haaD Torca6 TO a Q6Dre-