The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-06-24
LAURENs, $. c., June "a, 1903.
The Seed Abnsc.

W. iAi ~ " fAt'
land in the Herald last week for veto
ing a bill passed by congress appro-
priating money for Texas farmers
whose lands had been desolated is not
well founded. If one unfortunate de-
serves congressional charity, SO does
another and so do all. Should congress
have passed bills giving a few millions
TO the Galveston flood sufferers, the
Jacksonville fire sufferers and all the
other victims Of all the other disasters?
And If so, why should not congress
pass II bill for the relief Of Tom, Dick
or Harry, whether he be a farmer or q
fiddler, when he loses his horse, his
COW or his shantY by death Oraccident?
The agricultural department keeps u
few seeds for experimental plrpose',
ard the custom has grown up OF dis
tributing these through congressman,
the object being hat farmers plant the
seed and report to the Department the
results. The system has long sjEce come
to be farcical, SO far rs I S object is
concerned. Meanwhile, seed dis.
tribution has grown to be an important
duty Of copgrcSsman-and an imp0r-
tant scheme OF congressman to stay in
Office. The scheme is unfair and
absurd. What becomes of the seed APP
portiOncd to the Is congressman from
New York City? And OF all the other
city cOnTressmen who have no farming
or gardening constituents! Why they
are bartcred by these congressman to
associates from agricultural districts.
The whole business is Il miserable
abuse.
The Laurens farmer is paying taxes
for an apportionmcut of seed to an
East Side congressional district in New
York which contains not Il square foot
OF ground that is not covered with
brick and mortar. Then tho country
congressman "swap3" his apportion-
ment of books or other congressional
graft for the seed. OF course, the con
gresham who distributes seed under
this system is not to be blamed, The
system is already established and he is
T. W bSlu W us pDCTdllDI
while ii lasts. Moreover, the average
congressman, knowing o be uudem-
ocratic and unfair, has not the courage
to suggest its abolition.
When the disaster occurred at Cliff.
ton an allotment of ~rations was sent by
the war department. 1t was ridiculous.
1t was 7roDg. Ii has been empty
shown that the people are able to take
care OF their poor Certainly, this
feeding by the federal government
even for a few days Of flood victims
gives excuse to all unfortunate men Ia
look to the government for aid. IL is
the federal governments business ia
govern-and that as little as possible,
but even the democrats of the South
are encouraging its ~degoneracy into
paternalism. One reason is, and we are
referring to no individual, that numer'
Gus members of congress attach more
Importance to departmental and dis.
trlct duties, which ought to be second
AIRY, than = the serious business OF
legislation IL, the United States
Ninety per cent OF the members of the
house of representatives have ceased to
aspire to any higher object than OBJ
tanning something for nothing for their
constituents and incidentally votes for
reelection. After q long agitation, the
state OF South Carolina was recently
redistricted. 1t would have been bet
ter if the district liues had been OBJ.
liberated. For q time the election Of
all u congressman cat large" would
result in the cloice Of larger minded
men. Under the existing system, even
u broad and able man is forced to frit-
ter away his time on those petty mat
ters-in order to stand in with his CON
stituents. Otherwise he will be beaten
by some plgmy with an aptitude for
me%ndicancy.
& When great disasters occur, the war
department sends assistance Oh the
theory that, having certain articles
like tents that nobody else has, it can
be OF great immediate service. Never
theless, each we'll meant interference
beyond tho departments W business
ends in q multitude of abuses.
SO far as the farmers are concerned,
they deserve no better and no worse
than other people. The beneficiaries
of tho republican tariff laws, federal
pensioners and o few others excepted,
the farmers arc treated as well by the
government rs anybody. In this state
they have, from the advantage OF their
calling, a bettor chance than most
others 1T Is showing no real friend
ship to farmers to tell them that as
compared to lawyers, doctors, cotton
mill operatives and officers and bank
ers, they are G down-trodden cl lsS.
*S
Ex-Governor Daniel II. Chamberlain
la a very able letter has set forth to
the North that reconstruction was .
failure. The rs argument of Hampton
and his Red Shirts was convincing.
Nevertheless, Mr.. Chamberlain's let
ters arc creditable to his heart and
head and valuable to the South.
III Mr.. Roosevelt in his affection for
the negroes should place a score of them
in charge OF the post Office department
in Washington he would at least not
lower Its present standards OF honesty
$3.50