The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1894-01-06
"DIMNABLE ITERATION"

ly from the pen Of an editor who is
familiar only with theories. 1t savors
somewhat OF presumption to preach
forever TO people who know the sub
ject better than the preacher himself.
OF all these facts the writer is modest
ly aware. Nevertheless, country
newspaper Is presumed to interest it,
self in what interests its peo-
pie. 1t should represent their opin-
ions; 1t should be mirror of
their social and industrial condition
ii should be keen to observe aud quick
to proclaim their advantages and
needs. The one subject of which the
TINES fears It's readers will grow
weary is the topic which Is OF para
mount interest to the people Of the
Delta; and as such 1t is the duty of a
paper which aims to voice its peoples
Ideas not to let the subject rest until
patent abuses sre reformed and un-
questioned benefits made manifest.
Therefore, even at the risk of "dam-
nable iteration,' The TIMES must be-
gin this new year by once more urg-
ing upon the people Of the Delta the
necessity for a change in their agri-
cultural methods. Quit Planting and
go to farming. 1t is fine thing to
be Planter, and a very ordinary mat
ter to be mere farmer. A Planter
writes his occupation down with
capital p. 1he farmer always uses a
little {. When the Planter condes-
cends to give US his kid gloves and
patent leather shoes he puts on suit
Of velvet corduroy and broad brim-
med sombrero, buckles a pair Of jing-
ling spurs on his $15 boots, has his
horse saddled and brought round, and
rides for half an hour about the place
to ask his manager about how much
cotton he will raise. This Is comic
opera farming; II is not work. If the
Planter could afford to amuse himself
thus II would be all right Noreason-
able man objects to elegance or ease.
They are conditions we are all deslr-
Gus of attaining. But the trouble is
that this gentleman Is over head and
ears in debt. Plantation mortgaged
for more than it Is worth, crops hy-
pothecated year ahead, and the very
mules and implements pledged for the
debt which makes the Planter farce
and Planting apitiful failure, There
is no necessity for the farmer to wear
chin whtskers and one suspender. or
to carry hayseed 10 his hair. We are
proud of our farmers-we like to call
them Planters, because they are sup
error to the "ornery" individual who
figures In the cartoonisl's hands as the
typical agriculturist. Ii would be alb
surd 10 suggest that such men us those
who compose the majority of our
Planter class should 60 into the fields
hoe IN hand 10 perform manual labor.
1t is imperative, however, that they
should realize that the Southern
Planter who has fgureds so charmIngly
in romance is unhappily out of date,
Gas far as far rs the eye
could reach the cotton fields
stretched away in level sea 0
bloom and summer snow" sounds very
well in novel, but when that cotton
is worth only seven cents pound and
every pound bears q debt prediGated
upon valuation of IA cents the re-
suit is ruin and the romance o hollow
mockery. What we mean by farming
is not exactly digging the ground In
the sweat of thy face, but the giving
up of the one cherished idea that II
consists in the exclusive raising of q
great crop Of an unsalesble commodity,
Once realize that a bad cotton year
may be good corn year, that meat
Is a paying Investment aud q necessity
of life which can't be bought on credit
any longer that even such small mat.
ters as poultry aud vegetables must
not be scorned, and above all, that
there is 10 eye like the masters. Learn
to be your own oyerseer. We are al
familiar with the injunction to "despi sc
not the day of small things" That
day is upon US. There is no probabil.
ity that cotton will ever again reach
the tempting figures of 1869. There
is no warrant for expecting to make Q
great fortune by agriculture. 1t never
was done, either on the rocky hillside;