The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-01
CORPORATIONS and FARMERS

A Practical Argument for Lihera
Treatment of Capital.
By Hon. William A. MacCorkle, ex Cover
nor Of West Virginia.
In the development of every countr.
there comes parting of the way
when it must determine for itsel
whether it will cling to conditions
which no longer fit the time, and thu
stagnate, or whether it will vigorously
grasp the changed condition Of de
velopment and thus become rich anc
great. This condition today stares tht
South in the face. Broadly stated
this is the proposition. The South, a.
a purely agricultural country produc
ing certain staples, has permanently
overstocked the market, and she mus
divert her industries into other fields
Is this true statement, aud if 80 shal
she make the change, and in wha
direction?
The farmer is not in a good way il
the South. The totals of his labor
taken as whole, are enormous, bu
the farmer is not the gamer and tht
South does not profit by her enormou:
Yields as she should. She is another
example of the proposition that
country cannot become rich anc
strong through agriculture alone. The
loom, the reaper and the anvil mus
90 together. Severed, they but fur
nish the raw material for other anC
more favored communities. Trans
portation, the mandatory and the
farm, under wise and liberal laws, car
make the South an industrial empire
and the Southern farmer a mighty
power in the worlds affairs.
NO COUNTY CAN BECOME GREAT
THROUGH AGRICULTURE ALONE.
When Dewitt Clinton advocated
the building of the Erie canal some
one asked, "From whence will come
the water to fill the great ditch ="
cab" exclaimed one of the people
"there will be no trouble about the
water. The tears of the people will
fill it,"
I'VE would as lieve be shot from s
Concreve rocket as trust ourselves te
the mercy of such q contrivance," was
the reply of an august official of the
London Board of Trade to Steven
sons pleading for the use Of the loco
motive. In the former place the grea
canal has made New York the EN-
pire State of diversified industry, anC
in the latter the railroad has been al
most as potent as the sails of the ships
in settling England's industrial su
premacy. / repeat it most earnestly
that no country can become great anc
happy through agriculture alone
Mere production of raw material doe:
not pay.
WHERE OUR COTTON is WOVEN.
Our cotton is woven into the rict
fabrics of use under the far-of skies o.
England and New England; our iror
Is made into all the forms of industry
far away from the sunny skies of The
South our timber goes to the grea
lakes and comes back to US enhanced
in value. In the first place, we have
the cottoh-pickers' wages and tht
mortgage on the farm in the seconC
place, we have the rude pay of the
Sl.25 q day for the digging of.the irol
out of our. mountains, and in the thirC
place, we are rewarded with The
magnificent recompense of the wood
choppers wages. 1 repeat it again
we cannot live under such conditions
In other words, the Southern produces
must change the mere raising of tht
staples and seek other products for hi
farm. He cannot do this as things
stand with him today. However
with long haul and no close home
market, he cannot do otherwise thar
raise the staples of heavy farming.
OTHER AVENUES FOR LABOR MUST
BE OPENED.
Looking at this question from q
higher plane than mere Improvement
of physical condition and change ir
existing circumstances, the demand
arises from another standpoint. The
introduction Of machinery in agricul
tural products is steadily reducing the
demand for purely agricultural labor
Unless some other avenue is open the
agricultural labor drifts to the city ant
accepts any class of labor. From 1885,
to 1890 the city population increased
over 60 per cent, whilst the country
population increased only IA per cent
We can, with a small increase of farm
ing, double the amount of agriculture
production, but there would be NJ
paying sale for the product. AS 6
matter of fact, purely farming product:
will decrease in value. Therefore
something must be done to prevent
the comparatively rapid decrease o
those on the farm.
WE MUST NOT LIE AT THE FEET OF
KING COTTON.
when every farmer in the South
shall eat bread from his own fields
and meat from his own pastures, anC
disturbed by no creditor and enslavec
by no debt, shall sit amidst his TEEN
ing gardens and orchards and vine
yards and dairy and barnyards. pitch
ing his crops in his own wisdom, anC
growing them in independence, making
cotton his clean surplus, and selling il
in bis own time and in his chosen
market, and not at q masters bidding
getting his pay in cash, and not in 6
receipted mortgage that discharges biz
debts but does not restore his freedom
then shall be the breaking of the full
ness of our day. Great is King Cotton
But to lie at his feet, while the usurel
and raiser bind us in subsection
is to invite the contempt of man anG
the reproach of God. But to stand uE
before him amid the crops and smoke
houses, wrest from him the magma
charta of our independence, and tt
establish in his name an ample anc
diversified agriculture that shall honor
him while it enriches US, this is tt
carry US as far in the way of happiness