The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-12-02

business, mas not OeeD satisfactorily "
Reformers, even of the most conserva
tive type We are naturally good ma
tured, if you will excuse personal
reference, aud it is unpleasant to re-
mind mao of fact which is not CON-
plimentary. It is in view of your
declartiou that you are still az Alliance
mao that We cay this to you. AS a
gentle corrective of aoy tendency to de-
clare that the official orgau Of the organ
ization of which you are a member IS
"persecu'ing" you. We will remind you
that you brought the matter to our at
teutiou, requested our opinion. that you
alone are responsible for this agitation.
and that both the justice of the reduc
tiou which you are fighting. aud the
unanimous endorsement of the highest
body of the Alliance in this State,
prompts us to lay the facts before the
people.
Remember, too. Mr.. Thomas that
We are dealing iu facts. and have avoid
ed expression of any opinion as to your
motives 10 making this fight in behalf
of the railroads
1t is pleasing to us to note that this
last article Of yours is lacking 10 it's
frantic defense of the railroads. with
which your former efforts have abound
ed. 1t is encouraging to see that we
have led you to bring, the beinous
charge of ..gobbling" against your
friend, the Southern railroad. Maybe.
yet, the light will break before your
clouded vision aud you will some day
again realize that the men who pur-
chase fertilizers have some rights as
we'll as the corporations which haul
them, that there are "superinteudents"
Of thousands of farms io South Carolina
who consider themselves fortunate if
they can keep the wof'from the door,
and who would regard fhe salary of
Superintendent Trip, which you quote,
as priDcely income
Now, Mr. Thomas, as TO your argo-
meuts: You introduce two ''imagiDa
ry" bills for fertilizers 10 this latest ar
ticle, from which you attempt to show
that the Colum bia fertilizer dealers
have. since the reduction in the freight
tariff went into effect. increased the
price of their goods just the amount of
the reduction Of freight, and consequent
Iy they. and not the farmer, profits by
the reduction. We must remind you
that all: your arguments are based
upon imaginary facts, and that better
evidence than what you term an I'M
AGINARY" account is necessary to
established the fact you set up Con-
sequently, we must dispute your asser-
tioD, and insist upon having evidence.
We know that farmers all over upper
Carolina protted by the reduction made
last year. aud We believe that they will
profit again this ADD each succeeding
season. No one has yet asserted. tina,
we have heard of, that too of 'ertiIi-
ger could not be purchased in Colum-
bia for the same price, taking the
markets ioto consideration, as before
the reduction. and consequently the
purchaser. as any one can readily see.
saves just the amount Of the freight to
the point to which he wishes to send it.
and mt one cent 1e>a
While you are SO busily engaged 'ry-
ing over the downsrodden railroads.
aud begging for more dividends for
their operators. it is strange that you
should lose sight Of the fact shas your
pleas have mostly-iu fact entirely
been directed towards increasing the
freight NORTH OF COLUMBIA.
where the hauling is mostly done by
the Southern railroad. while the South
Carolioa aud Coas, L;ne. whi,h bring
the fertilizers from Charleston to Co
Iumbia. would suffer. You want little
difference made 10 the charges for haul
iog from Charleston through Columbia,
10 points in the Piedmont section, fr"m
shipments made from Columbia. There
is no justice or argument 10 contendlng
that Charleston should be enabled to
deliver fertilizers to Lexington county
10 competition with Columbia, and get
as much for their product at the factory
doors as the market which is much
uearer the purchaser, especially when
the Columbia manufacturer is conpell-
ed to haul the raw rock, etc., from
Charleston to the mill. paying one
freight charge before be can make up
a pound of fertilizer.
While We would not do anything to
prejudice the Charleston fertilizer bust
oess. it must and will be forced to
stand on its OVID bottom, without being
given an unjust aud unnatural advan-
tage over other points 10 freight charges.
Mr.. Thomas to the contrary uotwlth-
standing