The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-09-09
FARMERS ORGANIZE!

FARMERS ORGANIZE!
The farmers are beginning to
realize the tue condition OF
affairs; they have known for a
long time that something was
keeping their profession back,
but circumstances were such
that to seek relief meant danger
of losing credit; things are diff
ferent now, competition in the
credit line has been quichened,
banks have been esta abllshed,
neylenders arein the field: and
no longer does the little 20 per
cent. money-Iender monopollze
credits, hence we say, the farm
ers are in condition to have done
unto them, those things which
are of them demanded, and al
though, many. are still fettered
with debt shackles, and are
straining, and praying earnestly
for the chains to be broken that
they too might breathe the life
of freemen as a just God IN
tended, there are many who have
by their bloody sweat unfettered
themselves, and can by their pre-
cept and example give encour-
oanant and aid TO their CO.
workers.
1t is a crying shame, in this
land of boasted freedom, under
a government by and for the
people, that law is manufactured
which pesmits the formation OF
combnsations to operate in d.
rses opposition, and in antago-
nism to the peoples interests.
The trusts are robbing them
they are convinced, and nothing
has been more convincing, than
the manipulations of the oil
trust; the fact of operating
against the local consumer IS
sufficient evidence to damn these
institutions in the sightof honest
men.
Organization is the on ly
method we can advise to check
the ravages Of the wolves oper-
ating the mills; keep your seed
at home, do not. sell them for
prices which permit extortion,
and require the mills to pay fair
value for the raw material. VIII
YOU do it? Yes. The men who
have their money locked up in
the plants will not permit their
machinery to get idle, they must
have the raw material, and just
as soon as they realize that the
farmers have come to their
senses, and the jingling Of a lit
tie silver is no longer decoy,
they will put out more silver, and
instruct the managers Of their
mills to raise the price of seed
to meet the just demands Of
those who hold the raw material.
The enormous profits that
have been made by the oil mills,
convinces US that the oil trust
has not been treating the farmers
iustly-they have paid less for
the raw material than its value;
they can pay at least 40 cents
per bushel for seed and then
make a larger profit than is
usually made in any other legit-
innate business. We believe that
40 cents per bushel for seed will
give them a clear profit of at
least 80 per cent on their invest
ment even if their stock is wat
cred. Why, if a merchant was
to undertake to sell his goods on
the basis of profit made by the
oil mills, his goods would re
main on his shelves, and be COW
cred with cobwebs on account of
a lack of purchasers; if bank
undertook to extort such profits,
the merchants and other busi-
ness men who do business
through banks would avoid it
like they would a pest house
they would not stand it, then why
should the farmer upon whose
hard toll all must depend, stand
such unmerciful extortion?
Organize, and do not let the
whimpering excuse of ''politi-
clans getting I'M retard you.
When your townships have been
organized, and you send delegates
to the county meeting to make
laws to govern your organization,
make it strictly farmers organ
ization by putting clausein your
laws, that will make ineligible
for membership, lawyers. doc
tors, preachers, editors and mer-
chants. When this is done. all
the professions and avocations
not holding stocks, will give
their encouragement. One of the
main reasons for difficulty to get
the farmers organizedis, because
politicians are usually gil b
takers; they are put in control,
and when they have secured the
goal of their ambition they leave
the farmers TO paddle for them
selves. The Alliance was an
object lesson, when we look back
to those who tramped over this
State organizing the Alliance,
we find the prominent leaders
landed in CONGRESS- They were