The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-20
"C1UNI RYMAN' WANTS BONDS
Urges Advantages of Bond Issue for
Building Newberry County's
Roads.
.Iitor Herald and News:

iHuIIeteHl. III many respects. /! !"iI!
those ofother eruccupations. Y hat Would
be for the best interest Of some. may
BE Of disadvantage to others. There
are no organizations or bosses among
the farmers. as there are IN trades
unions, OF business mems leagues s.
in the matter Of the bond issue. peO-
pie will have to vote largely as their
~ummon sense dictates, and should
not be led astray by calamity howlers,
Gemagogues, political aspirantS or
newspaper editors, who pander to
popular favor. even against their own
Judgment and reason. Many people
will make great sacrifice Of principle
Just to be on what they conceive to be
the popular side.
There is one thing, however, upon
which all seem to agree-the necessi-
tv of good roads-the only difference
among the people being as to the best
and most practical way TO secure
them. Good men may differ widely,
and still be honest in their convic-
tons. In a general way, the South
ern farmers are somewhat selfish, 60
lucky people, and act upon the prin-
ciple, every man for himself and
the devil take tie hindmost." Nine
tenths Of our farmers will advocate
in public the policy Of planting less
cotton and raising plenty Of bread
s;uffs and forage. How many act
on this principle? Possibly the one
tenth. The others will 60 straight
away and plant every acre that IS
available in cotton. with the hope
that all his friends and neighbors will
plant less cotton. prices 90 up and
he be ''in the Swin' Then when he
fails, in his selfshneSs. he will blame
some else, curse taxes. the lien
law, and the State legislature. Ever
know such people?
Again, many farmers are averSe TO
radical changes. 'What, was good
enough for our fathers is good enough
for Us. Let well enough alone. .
These are called. old fogies. Twenty
years ago a telephone exchange was
established in this town, but the old
fogies actually ran it wouldn't
patronize any such foolishness. So
the company had to pull up stakes
and "git.'' But young, progressive
men came on in time, and changed
matters. The telephone came back and
it is here to stay. Until recently, the
system Of farming that has been in
vogue for more than one hundred
years, had been kept up.
But this is a progressive age. Old
systems must give way. Agricultural
colleges sprang up, and so did gov
ernment experiment stations. Applied
science and business methods took the
place Of the slipshod ways OF ola.
:Ncs New lie young generation can pr0=
duce two bales of cotton where one
was made before, and three bushels OF
CORN are produced on the Identical
land where only one grew i'll the days
Of our grandsires. Lands that sold
for ten dollars per acre twenty-five
years ago, are considered now cheap
at twenty or twenty-five.
So the farmers are progressing fast
and once they thoroughly understand
what is really meant by ''bond is
sue,' they will vote it cheerfully. If
it were not for this delusive and mis-
representing talk of these calamity
prophets, and bigoted newspapers, the
farmers would vote it now.
Remember Lincoln's saying, "You
can fool some Of the people all the
time, and all the people some Of the
time. but YOU can't fool all the peo-
ole all the time It is no use, how
ever, talking to the farmers about
what money can be saved by good
IOdQS lulOuSu Llie "eol "Aio wa
which would be done away with, how
much longer mules will last, with big
ger loads hauled, and that automo-
biles are here to stay. All such stuff
they wouldn t give snap of the fin
ger for. People of the South are
noted for being "ehildren Of today. "
Who cares for tomorrow? Not we.
You can argue with them till dooms-
day about taking care Of their farm
No. implements, the improvements Of their
hutbuildings, tell them how little
Pai.lt on wagon. plow or weeder will
preserve, and advise them to put them
pin the day during the winter, asa sort
Of economy. They know and admit all
this. mt there are enough old wagons,