The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-12-02
FARMERS IN SOUTH ARE WORST
OFF.
Mr.. Read Says Nowhere Else in Amer.
lea Is 1t SO Difficult TO Get Help
From Banking Institutions.

I greatly appreciate the fact that
The Progressive Farmer does not SUP
press the facts even though they may
not color things as brilliantly as
some would like to have them, but |
cannot help making protest on the
editorial comment upon the letter of
p. d. Howe of Daphne, Alabama, in
your issue of October II. a part Of
your comments Is all right, but you
are gravely mistaken If you believe
as you say that farmers experience the
same difficulties in getting credit in
other parts of the country; also when
you say that the conditions mention
ed are owing to the war conditions,
for the same thing has been true ev-
cry year for the past fifteen years.
l have been resident Of south
Alabama for nearly fifteen years, hav-
ing come South early in 1900, from
Winconsin, and l know whereof l
speak when l say that at no time since
then could a farmer borrow money in
south Alabama on any security except
ing cotton, timber and turpentine
Those are the three things which have
been considered worth cash, and cot
ton instead Of being king in the South
is the curse Of the South, and mat
fnv,c hoy. 1oI 90,
til the present stress has shown the
farmer that If he wishes to exist he
must forsake cotton and grow that
which he can eat.
There is no Northern state in which
an industrious farmer cannot secure
a needed loan to make and harvest his
crop. Rather the loan to the farm
er is preferred by nearly all bank
ers in preference to loan to the
small business man in town or city.
But the conditions are reversed here
in the South.
This is a topic which every paper in
the land should discuss in every issue,
until the agriculturist shall be recog-
nized as made Of the same clay as the
dweller in the city and worthy OF
the same consideration financially.
The time Of serfdom is passing away,
and the serfs Of the South who live
on and till the farms Of the South,
should demand their freedom.
Your paper being the leading agri-
cultural paper of the South should
take the lead in demanding that your
patrons be recognized as the equals
Of the farmers Of any other section
80 tie c0uatry, and be given the same
consideration and support by our
inaGCr.l institutions.
II ., an old saying that the farmer
ll"oS the world. This is very true.
He always has done it, and un-
dOubtedly always will, but the time IS
at hand when he is going to demand
his just rights and dues and fair re-
turn for the labor and Knowledge he
uses in SO doing. The merchant, the
banker, the manufacturer, the multi
tudc Of midlemcn, to say nothing Of
all those who toll not neither do they
spin," but at the same time wear fine
clothes and live off the sweat Of tho
farmer instead Of their own, have
been fed 10y the tiller OF the soil, and
after they have had their fill, the
farmer has taken what was left. Bat
he is awakening to Il realization of the
fact that he is not getting his just
dues and ere long present conditions
must be changed SO that the wealth!
producers shall have Il fair share of
what they producc.--L. ii. Read, III
Progressive Farmer.