The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-05-13
Some Random Thoughts.

Our two clippings. The One horse
Farmer" and "Our Lesson from the
Orient" deserves a careful reading
from both the one-horse farmer and
the rich land owner with his thous-
ands of acres. The former that he
may double up his force and more
than double his efficiency by double
horse power, and the latter that he
may study how to increase the ef-
hciency of every tenant on his broad
acres. 1t is refreshing once in a
while to run across a landlord who
is showing his tenants how to farm
better and Is enabling them to farm
with system that increases the eff
flciency of every laborer they have,
increases the productivity of every
acre, and makes each little farm, be
1t one-horse or more, an independ-
ent little princlpality in the realm
Of King Cotton. Owing to the fact
of so many land owners, who from
inability to plan, or laziness, or a
don't care "the land will last out
my time" policy, leaving the tenant,
he he ever so ignorant, absolutely
his own master, the problem for the
public spirited landowner is made
ten times harder. But there seems
nf Ill
farms are being run with wages
hands or carefully supervised share
troopers than there were a few years
ago. and we hope the time is not far
distant when every farm will be run
by either its owner or his efficient
overseer on the spot to direct into
profitable channels the labor that is
now going TO waste by being dissipat-
ed over half prepared, half fertiliz-
ed, poorly cultivated acres. There is
profit in 1t for all concerned, for the
laborer who makes a scant living by
reason of his crude haphazard work,
for the efficient overseer or super
intendant who has not the means to
farm himself as his intelligence
would warrant, and for the land
owners who to get three of four dol
lars an acre rent now. sees his
hirth-right stripped of ~ rs beauty.
and once beautiful virgin forests
now scanty growth Of mongrsl
scrub trees or fertile fields washed
ana quilted crown up IN patches OF
briars and bushes. and the very sea-
sons of his county changed by the
unnatural condition brought about by
the unrestricted liberty of vandels,
misnamed tenants. Now don't
anybody get mad at the picture drawn
by the language used above. If you
are good tenant who is improving
the farm you are on you are making
money and have a good work to be
proud of. second only to the pride you
will have when you own your own
little or big farm. And you will CO.
operate with your landlord for still
better results. If you are a progress
sive landlord you should be encour-
aged to go forward in the good work
care" landlord or a thriftless ten
ant you should be ashamed of get
ting mad at seeing so good a picture
Of your mean little self, you should
turn over new leaf and resolve to
get into the line of progress and help
to develop the undreamed Of re-
sources 70 your native land. This
is what the Farmers Union stands
for-Every man an efficient factor
in his country's progress-And as
Mr.. Aldrich said at Gains mill, every
farmer owes a moral duty to do his
part by loyal cooperation and mem
bershp i'm this organization which is
working for his country's highest in
terest. And every patriotic citizen in
whatever calling he may be (and
those who fatten on the misfOrtunes
Of his fellow man are not patriotic,
nor can they be called good citizens
10y any stretch of imaEination)
should see that what Mr.. Poe says is
"mincntly true; your prosperity is
measured by the prosperity of the
average man. r.. w. ID.
ONE-UORSE FARMERS MD ONE