The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-02
The Peoples Journal.
PlCkENS 8. O.
TIMELY TALK WITH FARMERS.
c>,o.u Jordan in Atlanta journal.

10 nave Oh hlo PheeN'
well enough to consider the causes
which led up to tho requirement. OF
mortgages on personal property hrst
and Iater on crops. We can all re-
member when the merchants carried Ill
stock no heavy supplies, such as corn,
meat, flour and guano, to sell the
farmer. The three first named arti-
cles were, Of course, sold to their Gus
toners, who were engaged i'll other
lines Of business, but were bought BY
the merchants from tho farms at home
exclusively.
While the farmers Of the South were
making their farms self-sustalning and
selling surplus of provisions, COM
mercial paper was q rare thing IN the
transactions between the merchant
and his customers. Open accounts
were the only evidence Of indebted
ness. A fsrmer's word was rs good as
gold, and to have asked All old farmer
Tor q mortgage, in those days, would
have been an insult which no merchant
would have had the temcrty to offer.
Sharp, shrewd, business men of the
world soon saw that there were tor.
tunes to be made out of the cotton
crop if tle farmer could be induced 10
produce it in large quantities. The
Western people saw an opportunity for
building granaries and packing houses
to supply the South with something t"
eat if they could be induced to
turn their entire attention to cotton
growing. The big railroad magnates
saw grand opportunity TO increase
dividends, multiply their rolling stock,
and otherwise fattcu on the freiShts to
be obtained by transporting heavy and
costly supplies from the West for the
Southern cotton grower during the
spring and summer. In the fa.l mil
hons of cotton bales would l'e turned
over 10 them for carriage to the sea-
ports or Northern markets, and sec.
ond wl,ack would be had at the great
Southern industry.
From all Iarts OF the world, trans
Atlantic steamers rushed to our
whArves with big advertisements of
how mnch cotton the old country
needed for clothing, and Of how they
stood ready 10 help in the enterprise
with an exceedingly low rate Of water
freight, dividends being first consiN-
cred. The stock rai>cr< OF Kentucky
and Tennessee were "tick.vd 10 death"
al the bright prospect OF supplying for
The future. that beautiful Southland,
where al that was needed 10 make a
man rich was a piece Of land planted
il cotton with negro and a Kentucky
mule 10 p.ow Il. GuuMo manufacturers
saw al once that plant foods would
have 10 be used in enormous quantities
70 keep up the fertility OF he cleanly
cultivated cotton fields. ana that this
investment would be good one. The
odor Of complete fertilizers filled the
air during The pleasant days Of spring
tine. The stronger The udor the bet
ter. some farmers would Lot buy cX-
cepl by smc.. ; any other analysis was
trick and "a swiudlc.
From lhe big concerns a multitude
Of little ones sprang up. All sorts of
inventions were placed upon the mar
kel and the farmer induced to purchase,
that a larger crop Of cotton might be
produced. Cotton planters. guauo dis
uNoutols, su.ky ploAs, light harrows.
cu.tlva,ocs and numbvrlcSs patented |
articles which, when put to practical
use, were found to be almost worth |
less, and thousands Of which can now
be found rottlng about the farm va,d, |
grim skeletons Of our over ycuthusiastic |
folly.
Cotton e1pOsitions were held all over !
the countr!y, and the white staple was
crowned king. Ii was the "cock Of
The wax. Ihe millionaire. made a |
Tegu.a! business Of gambling omit. 1t
has taken twenty years !, whip the !
night, but the iut"nsc greed Of the |
wo!.d has done the work. and TODAY !
the Cd king Hes half dead in the ditch /
while broken and disco,so.atc mourn
ers gaze upon The .oug trai! OF a lis
appointed past. While the farmer has
!ost IN tie struggle, the country a,
large Las developed and Increased lis
wealth steadily eaci! year.
The farmer Is not alone responsible
10! Ming CQ,IOu's long existence, and
tor The unfortunate condition in which
lie today finds himself. Every induce.
MeDs was offered on the part Of the
buslne1s world 70 increase the ac,cagc
and double The supply. Increased
acreage vas soon demanded, when the
farmer found that he mus, buy the
supplies needed 70 run him IN maxine
q large cotton crop. Then the mcr-
chant began 70 demand security. and
The personal property came, then the
present crop lien. The man who saws
Inc iarmer Is alone responsible for the
conoitlon IN which he finds himself
dos' lot know what he Is talking about,
ana cannot prove the assertion. Now
lhal We know the causes which led to
Inc lgnomlnious downfall of King Cot
"h, ihe evils in the continuance of the
c!eolt system, AMI the farming opera
Ilohs which tend TO make Us noorcr wear
by year, II behooves US to reflect upon
our future. It's conceded upon all sides
that the all-cotton system is a failure and
must be numbered among the things Of
the past. AS the cotton acreage il cut
down, the credit system will fall in like
proportion, and the twin sister evils
VIII become gradually records of his
al. st.,x