The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-07-21
The TRUE SOLUTION.

on the law OF 'lnterdependence, and
one of the ablest nen of cur state and the
president Of college, writing to us on
this subject, says: "The great problem
is a practical one-how can man be
brought to an intelligent perception of
and sympathy with the law of interde-
pendence and reciprocity? There is no
reason to doubt that society is all
wrong in the motives and methods that
govern production, distribution and ex-
CHANGE Again he says: cit is folly to
look to legislation for relief from pres
ent business depression. Practical eco
nomics and mutual recognition of the
right of man are the only way out from
present entanglements. % 1t will be
noticed that he says it is folly to lcok
to legislation for relief from present
business depression. It is we'll known
that we have contended for this for
years, and yet legislation is held up as
the only panacea. Now that the elec-
tion is over, we should investigate this
matter. If legislation cannot correct
this business depression, then we can
simplify politics by eliminating such
questions as do not legitimately belong
to it.
Il ;here is wrong in society-which
is the people-in the motives and meth
ods that govern production, distribution
and exchange, that wrong, or error,
must affect the nation, and even the
church, for it is a we'll settled fact that
truth cannot be dedueed from an error.
Error comes from assuming a premise
instead of proving it true. If we start
with a false premise, our conclusion
must be false, although our reasoning
may be logical and fawless. 1t has been
and is accepted as truth that agricul-
ture is the great industry upon which all
others rest and the base of all our pros
perity. While this is true in measure,
agriculture would be in @ very crude
state if there was nothing to aid it.
Back Of the farmer, to enable him to
till his acres and feed the world, are the
blacksmith, the mechanic, the furnace,
the sawmill, the timber cutter and the
miner. Without the aid Of these agricul-
ture could not progress. Stop the miner
in the mine and the timber man III the
forest and you stop all progress. Truth
fully speaking these two industries start
the wheels of progress and prosperity
revolving. They are the foundation from
which spring our mills, our factories,
our railroads, our steamboats,, our farm
machinery-in fact al. While they are
the foundation, their work and efforts
would be useless unless taken up aud
carried forward by others, each doing
his part until the whole is completed.
This shows the law Of interdependence,
and runs through all things, exists in
our government, governs in capital and
labor, our body Or physical system is
subject to it and it exists in nature.
T, wrong CT which the gentleman
speaks is our disregard Of this law, our
efforts to strengthen one part by the
weakening of another, looking to the
government to aid one and Cypress an
other, expecting the government to cor
rect wrongs over which society, or the
people, alone has control; to do work
that must be begun and carried forward
by the individual.
The government has provided by the
laws of corporation how the people can
control the business of our great nation.
The people failing to provide the neces-
sary capital, by each taking a small
amount, others were forced to take
large, and thus few men became the
owners Of what should have been own
ed by thousands. The capital all COM
ing from a given point, the profits all
centered there. No blame can attach to
legislation for the result, for the people
could have changed the result by chang
ing the conditions under which these
enterprises were owned.
The above being true, the question is
how to overcome this condition. The
first step is to formulate some plan to
obviate the necessity for drawing capital
from the great money centers or from
wealthy men in which they have no in
terest except as mere investment. In
all of these enterprises, especially rail
roads, all industries have interests and
are benefited by them aside from the
capital invested 1t would then be a
sound business policy fer them to own
tnem. The fact is that railroads now
own large coal mines because it is to
their interest to do so not merely as az
investment, but because it cheapens their
fuel. In large cities the heavy dealers
own bank AID railroad stocks because
they aid them in their Business, but the
farmer, to whcn every ind,:stiy-min-
ing, manufacturing, railroads, baEks,
etc.-is necessity iii I. twofold measure
fails to invest in any, with rare excep-
tons. The interests CT the farmers and
laboring men require them to pursue
the sane business methods adopted by
those in other lines-that is, to become
interested and aid those enterprises that
benefit them. To do this it Is necessary
that they form syndicates among them
selves. just as do the business men and