The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-03-30
CONGRESSMAN AIKEN.
Makes His First Speech which was
an Eloquent and Convincing Pre-
sentation of Worthy Cause.

an Eloquent and Convincing Pre-
sentation of a Worthy Cause.
Mr. Speaker Early in the session I
introduced bill providing for the pay
ment of salaries of 5000 per annum to
rural mail carriers. The postmaster
general in his report recommends that
they be paid $3.50. which amount I
think entirely inadequate.
In discussing this question it is well
to bear in mind the fact that there are
other considerations than that of the
mere money involved; considerations
which should claim the attention OF
every member of this body, for they
touch not the carriers only but some
25,OOO 900 farmers who have the right
to expect fair treatment at our hands.
The rapid decline in the number OF
the more prosperous residents In the
country and the consequent increase
of population in our towns and cities
indicates a most unhealthy condition
in our industrial policy, a condition
which, if not altered, must lead to
grave consequences.
The intelligent citizen of this day,
whether on the farm, in the store, in
the factory, or whatever may be his
-avocation, wants to be ever 10 touch
with the public pulse and wants to en-
Joy ct least portion of the comforts
and conveniences of life. In too many
instances, rather than lead life OF
isolation and have his family and him
self deprived of so many of the conve-
niences and even necessities of these
days, the rural citizen will leave his
home, place his lands in the hands of
improvident and irresponsible tenants,
and move to the towns and cities where
better advantages are offered.
This is no exageration ; it is but the
plain truth. have seen some of the
most intelligent and thrifty rural COM
munities of my own State broken mp,
and have seen the congestion OF our
towns and cities, small as they are, and
the cause is usually traceable to dispo-
sition to get away from the loneliness
and the lack of educational facilities OF
the country and to seek the convent
ences which the towns afford.
It is principle so well understood
that I need scarcely repeat it, that
our prosperity may be measured large
by the productions of our SOIL" This,
in the last analysis, is the foundation
of wealth, and anything that contri
butes to contented and prosperous
rural population contributes to the
wealth of the nation.
That man will be fortunate and a
benefactor indeed who can devise any
measure of public policy that will con-
tribute to the contentment and pros
perity of that portion Of our people
who till the soil and whose labors con-
tribute so largely to the wealth OF our
country. The agriculturists of the
United States constitute practically
one-half of our entire population, and
if this government can afford to send
armies and navies to right the wrongs
of the Cubans and the far-away Filipi
nos it can certainly afford to make q
reasonable annual allowance to carry
the mails to our own people. Gap
plause.)
Personally I am in favor of spending
the money at home, amongst the peo-
pie who pay the taxes, support the
government, aud fight the battles Of
the country, and whom we are sent
here to represent. (Applause.) Only
a few generations have passed'since our
Southern States were dottod all over
with attractive and hospitbble homes,
surrounded by all that could possibly
add to the comfort and pleasure as well
as the education and refinement OF
their owners.
That was population representing
the highest degree of everything desir-
able in citizenship. These were the
homes of virtue, intelligence and pa
trioism, and from them came young
men whose wisdom, courage and devo-
tion to duty made them worthy and
eminent citizens of the republic. But
with the rapid advancement in the
modes of travel, the facilities for the
spread of information through the
towns and cities, life in the country
became, in comparison, slow and lrk-
some.
People on the farm felt that they
were not keeping step with the progress
of the age in which they were living.
The result is that.many of these splen-
did country homes have beendeserted,
and we are losing the benefit of ia good
part of that honest, virtuous and strong
population that a wholesome and at
tractive country life always furnishes.
(App1ause.)
All the surplus wealth of the country
is to-day concentrated in the cities and
large towns. We should offer every in
ducement for the educated man to en-
gage in the honorable and happy pur-
suit af agriculture. We want him to
have every convenience of the town
that it is possible for him to have and
all the encouragement the postoffice
and agricultural departments can pos
sibly give him to put farming on as
sound scientific and financial basis as
are the other vocations. (Applause.)
LIDO not advocate paternalism on the
part of the government, but | do say
that the government should lose no
opportunity of granting the demand OF
rural districts, when those demands
are based on justice and are simply in
line with such as have been granted to
more populous sections. In South Car
olina, realizing the necessity for max
ing country life more attractive, the
legislature at it's last session passed an
act providing free rural public school
libraries.
Another act along the same line
gives one or more scholarships annual
Iy in Clemson College, one of the best
institutions of it's kind in this country,
to each county of the State, exclu-
siyely for students desiring to take
the agricultural course.
In national legislation the rural free
delivery is great step in the right
direction, but it is yet in it's infancy.
1t needs much encouragement and in
telligent study to perfect its methods.
IL I~0