The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-10-14
". A. BIS. Third Letter.

Editor The Times
Dear Sir:-There are number of Or
ganizations that are unduly opposing
the farmer. but they are giving the
country generally needed service
Can any one tell me what good service
these up-to-date real estate spectators
are giving any one, except to fill their
own tainted purses with the peoples
money? These fellows are cooperative
in so far only as may be needful TO con-
stitute the object most farreachins
and uniustiied foe that coDfronts the
southern farmer today, and with the
aid of this dreaded one year rent law,
| giving them full power to continue to
compel an over acreage OF cotton has
so rnduly depleted much of our farm
lands, until it has completely failed
under such treatment 10 produce a
profitable crop. Now. this means de-
| psorable condition OF servitude to the
renting and interest paying farmer,
and must continue as long as these
most unjust oppressors are given such
protection by law. # cotton should rise
to twenty-five cents per pound these
spectators and fertilizer people will
carefully see to it that the average
farmer only gets a mere eXistanee,
| they will raise their prices sufficiently
higher to cover the profits. We have
host of these bloodsuckers, and in their
feyerish scramble for safe and profit
able investment they have created a
competition among themselves that has
placed the commercial value of real
estate far above the average farmers
reach. Now, with the commercial
| value of real estate. going higher, and
| its intrinsic value or productive power
rapidly shrinking, it should not be hard
to see that in the near future the cost
living must be much higher unless the
farmers are given immediate relief by
the passage of some stringent laws.
Interest is also LOO high, one with a
little money can live upon the interest
OF it, better than the toilipg millions
can by hard labor. We should have a
lower rate of interest on real estate,
the bottom dog must come to terms,
and our credit system keeps the aver
age farmer at the bottom; we are car
ryipg on one of the lo0sest and most eX-
tensive and expensive credit systems
possible that any people ever attempted
to carry on: it is used largely under the
pretepse OF helping the farmers, when
in reality it is often nsed for the pur-
pose of keeping the farmers from ever
getting able to help himself. They
claim that large profits and interest
are necessity to cover losses. when IN
reality large profits ard interest often
causest failures. They themselves are
making the conditions that they COM
pei the farmer to pay for. Get right
old fellow, that old clock OF yours has
long become transparent, and the eyes
of the earth as well as heaven behold
you as you are.
1t has been my purpose to give as
near as possible in these few articles
the true conditions Of the average
southern farmer. and TOO, without re-
gard to whether it would meet with
popular opinion or not. Now, my sin
cere hope is that the business men and
of our country generally will get to-
gether in this time of great distress
and solve the present perplexing prob
lens il such a manner that the neas
future may bring prosperity to all.
W. y. B.