Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-12-01

| or measure of value. Ninety per
cent of the business of the country is
done upon paper. without any money
whatever passing in the transaction.
When the crop moving period comes
1t takes an unusual amount Of cash
to pay picking, ginning, freights, etc.
II this could also be handled on pa
per 1t would not make much diner
ence, but at this particular time cash
is required. hence New York. where
we are all forced to go, begins to feel
the drain upon her reserves OF cash.
Immediately the call goes to the
country banks: Send us money. The
country banker rushes out and calls
the merchant, the merchant calls the
farmer, the poor farmer has no one
to call except God, and do not thirk
] God has much to do with the finan-
cial system of these United States.
The farmer is so afraid that the thing
credit" (about which they speak In
bated BREATH will be hurt. A few
days after the call starts from New
York we are all in the street with our
cotton, ready to take whatever we are
offered. Our money, doled out to US
to pick the crop, goes right back 20
New York. and Is locked up In the
vaults until the next crop moving pc
riod comes, and again we go the same
weary, heartbreaking round. A SIN
gular condition now confronts the
country The panic of 1907 created
great alarm for the money centers;
the country has grown too big for
such a close monopoly. There are not
enough United States bonds to go
round. 1t is now proposed that GER
tain classes of security, like United
States Steel bonds shall be used as a
basis for the issue of currency. /
say, why not use a cotton warehouse
certificate, validated by the state?
What Is a United States Steel bond?
1t represents so many pounds OF steel
rails, and its value also depends upon
the honesty and ability Of the officers
OF the corporation. What would
cotton certificate represent? So many
pounds of cotton that sells at ary
time the world over for gold. Stop
making cotton, and steel rails in the
south would be worthless junk.
The third proposition is merely
temporary looking to the remnant
Of the 1911 crop. 1t Is speculative In
its character, and every man must
judge for himself.
AS to the general proposition Of
state aid, 1 can only say: 1T Is a
condition and not theory that con-
fronts u.s." Is not a crop supporting
twenty-five million people and forcing
the balance Of the worlds trade In
favor Of the United States as worthy
Of governmental aid as trust protected
monopoly? The cry. Back to the
FARM" Is a delusion and a snare. un-
less the craftsmanship Of the nation
can preserve to production a fair
share Of the fruits of its own toll.
Under our money system all prop
erty gravitates towards the possessors
- n@l txAa nh
r-saving machinery passes under
the control of capital. Worker COM
petes with worker, and, under the iron
law Of economics the present ten
dency (unless checked) means here
what 1t Is now In Europe, that the
compensation for productive labor
will be just sufficient to do the work
and enable the laborer to reproduce
himself. The American farmer and
laborer will never submit to this. The
government cannot afford to risk the
ballot in the hands Of discontented
citizenship.
The people who live in the peaceful
country places, who have time to
think and commune with nature In
the temple of her untarnished skies,
are not only nation builders, but ma
ton savers. How can any government
maintain this mighty fortress In the
souls OF her people n II permits to be
destroyed the peace and comfort 81
dependent upon a fair reward for toll?
How long would New England tol-
crate such a condition Of affairs II
she owned the cotton fields OF the
south? I venture to say that the
world would be glad to get cotton at
20 cents q pound. Respectfully,
John L. McLaurin.
Rennettsville, s. c.