The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-03-17
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life, and do not undertake to look
solely to a cotton crop, as heretofore,
for their subsistence. If the people
learn that they must live at home and
make the necessities of life there,
and that the farms must furnish the
things which have in past years been
bought in the stores, then there is
no reason why the people should
suffer. They should ven prosper just
as they have done in other sections.
The Press and Banner sought to
make that clear in its former ledito-
rial. It was suggested that some far
mers in this section would not be in
convenienced by the change in farm
ing methods, because they would
learn quickly the lessons which are
to be learned in order to farm profit
ably. Indeed we have progressive far
mers in this county, a few of them
we will say, who will not be greatly
inconvenienced by the new methods
of farming. The methods to be adopt
ed, 50 far as they are concerned, are
not really new. There is no reason
why these farmers should not con-
tinue to prosper on the farms as
they have done in the past But as
stated there are only a.few of these
farmers.
In Abbeyille County there will be
others who Will not hesitate to
change from one method of farming
to another, and while they may ex-
perience some losses from the
change, IN time they will become
the more prosperous for having
made the change.
Unfortunately, however, we have
a few white men who have not yet
learned 10 rely on themselves rather
than ON the stores for the supplies
with which to make a crop. They
have always been willing 10 argue
that it paid better to plant all cot
ton and buy cor than to produce
the necessary corn for the farm and
then produce cotton for a money
crop. These have a severe lesson to
learn. But for all these we expressed
hope.
: 1t is really the renting Of lands
to negro tenants which presents a
problem. And we think We did not
overstate the case when we warned
them that many of them faced star
vation. IHdeed, it has come to, our
attention in the last few days that a
great many Of these negroes who
have remained on the farms and
who have been expecting the land
lord OF the merchant to make ad-
vances IS heretofore are finding
themselves disappointed. They are
moving from one place to another;
some of them are able to make new
arrangements and some are not. In
the past these negroes have bought
corn and rations from the supply
stores throughout the year, and
have even been able to borrow a lit
tie money at Christmas time which
enabled them to spend their time in
idleness until about March 18th
when the rations started to roll out
from the supply stores. They plant
ed all cotton, and with it paid the
rent TO the landlord who whitfield
sticks in town all year, paid the
supply merchant his account, and if
there was anything left, it was
spent in riotous living. The old
mules ou the farm were half fed for
a season and driven all over the
country, while the farms suffered for
attention and preparation for the
next years crop.
1t is for these negroes and their
landlords that We have been speak
ing. No man may look to rents from
a farm for his livelihood in the fu-
ture, unless he Is willing to get out
on the farm and see that it is plant.
ed and farned according to approx