Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-04
Economic Prudence.

Following the ClVll WAT VI 2oVi-
1865, the wisest directors Of correct
economic thought In this country ad-
yised the farmers Of the south to
adopt and pursue policy Of raising
for themselves everything that could
possibly be raised on their own farms
and their cotton as surplus.
The advice was based on state OF
facts like this. The south was not
only naked and hungry, but financially
bankrupt 1t must needs eat and have
the wherewith to be clothed, and 80
long as 1t devoted itself to the pro-
duction of a crop it could not use to
the exclusion of crops 1t could use, the
people who took the crop 1t could use
would do 1t at price barely sufficient
to provide food and clothes. And 1t
worked out that way.
During many years following the
war the cotton crop Of the south was
financed through old England and New
England, with credit that would be ex-
tended through New York during the
winter and spring and withdrawn In
the fall and winter to such an extent
as not to leave a single exclusive
raiser of cotton single dollar that he
could honestly call his own.
So far as South Carolina 10 concern
ed. we are satisfied that we do not ex-
aggerate at all when we say that OF
all the farmers who tried to make
headway raising cotton without rails
ling practically all needed supplies
and that includes rs per cent Of them'
not as many as five per cent were able
to continue in the possession OF their
lands and homes for as long as fifteen
years.
As a rule the farmers who made
this terrible economic mistake were
those who had owned and directed the
agriculture Of the country previous to
the Civil war.
In spite of it all, the south came
through it in a way; but it was not in
the way of the original start.
Along with the big fellow who
scorned the idea Of STOPPING to the
bidding business Of raising cornbread
and bacon, and selling butter. chickens
and eggs, there were many little fel-
lows who could not see any other way
out and eventually the little fellows OF
the corn, butter, chickens and eggs
bought the lands Of the big fellows,
while the big fellows either went broke
or drifted into other lines more suited
to their talents and abilities.
It is true that in the course OF time
conditions developed to point where
good managers were able to produce
a larger percentage Of cotton at a
profit than formerly; but If there Is
now a single farmer in York county
who Is making success at raising cot
ton without at the same time raising
practically all the feed necessary for
his stock along with more or less
meat, we do not know who he Is.
We have more than once pointed
out how international finance Is Or
ganized against the farmers Of the
south so as to make it impossible Tor
them to devote themselves entirely to
the raising Of cotton without subject
| ing themselves to financial slavery,
and we are not able to see any more
hope along this line in the future than
there has been in the past
The solution Of the farmers prob
lem in the south is The same as 1t was
fifty years ago. He must bring himself
to intelligent appreciation Of the fact
that while cotton is money the same
as gold dug out of the ground is mon
ey, Just as it costs 50 in good money
to get every gold dollar that comes
out of the ground, If it does not cost
as much it costs almost as much to
make every dollar that Is realized on
cotton.
1t is possible for farmer to live
and make headway on basis of pro-
ducing his own supplies with cotton
as a surplus; but he will never make
headway or even live on basis Of
raising cotton with which to buy the
supplies needed in the raising.