The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1923-03-09

within few years. Great cities would
rise like magic from the waste, bring
ing new blood, skilled hands and
thoughtful minds,
Just the other day a man who still
carried a spark of bitterness in his
soul referred to our feeble attempt at
diversified farming as feeding the
id Yankees Gentlemen of the
Georgia Press Association, 1t is with
in your power, and 1t is your duty, to
instill into the minds of the people
who are constantly purchasing away
from home, and to the infestors of
the state, that they are doing more
to accomplish that result by lack of
development Of our mineral resources
and manufacture than in any other
way. While there is a gradually in
creasing interest in investments of
that kind the process of evolution is
painfully slow. 1t is coming, and with
your help, Georgia can soon be made
to enter her greatest period of de-
velopment. With the starting of fur
mace and mill, new ambitions will
clutch at our hearts and fresh ira.
ditions will mark the way to the goal
of greater state.
Agricultural Possibilities
''In the agricultural phase of our
development we find equally chaotic
conditions. For years our whole finan-
cial system has been based upon the
raising of one crop-cotton. Every
resource has been placed at the COM
mand of that one commodity and as
result the South has been bending
under the weight of mortgage for
the past half century. When the land
poor planter attempted to resume eco
nomic existence after the War Be-
tween the States he had to borrow
money to live on until he could pro-
duce something. The first remote
source of credit was the banks in the
North, which loaned to the Southern
bank only upon the assurance that
the money would be used for the grow
ing cotton and nothing else, and that
the security could be the next crop.
The Southern banker loaned to the
local merchant on the same stipula-
ton, and the merchant cape credit
to the farmer only upon promise
to raise cotton. In this way the farm
err owed the merchant the entire value
of the crop even before it was plant
ed 1t had to be sold as soon as
picked in order to satisfy the mer-
chant, who had to pay his loan to the
Southern banker, who in turn had
to pay the Northern banker-with in
terest charges all along the line.
When this vicious circle was complet-
ed it was time to begin all over again,
and SO on ad nauseum.
'In this way an Ubiquitous system
has been built up. The farmer was not
only forced into rut but the credit
system has eaten like a cancer at
the heart of all the South.
with these things blocking the
way the farmer was forced to follow
that one line Of agricultural effort to
the exclusion Of all others, not even
raising food for his own family or
forage for his stock. The continual
raising of one crop without any rota-
ton has caused a deterioration in the
quality of the soil, and with the tluc-
tuation of value brought about by spec
ulative marketing the farmer has been
steadily going backward.
"Within the past few years two
things have arisen that have brought
about great changes. The war taught
the value of food products and the
advent of the boil weevil has necessi-
tated the turning from a one crop sys-
tenn to a diversified agriculture. AS
the sunlight of smiles shines through
the tear drops Of grief, out of these
two great calamities, with the help
that the newspapers can give through
firm editorial policy, there will rise
a greater state, a better system Of
finance and happier and more pros
porous people.
when we come before you plead
ing the cause of our state, / want to
say that the most ardent supporter of
diversified farming does not advocate
the abandonment of cotton, but he
does insist that it no longer remain a
monopoly and that it be given no
greater acreage than can be properly
taken care of under boil weevil con-
ditions. There must be in addition to
cotton food stuffs for home consump-
ton and for market and the develop
ment of better grade Of stock, leav-
ing cotton as a clean surplus, and
bringing in money in mid-season at
time when it is needed. In this way
it will be made possible to finance the
years effort without borrowing and
without resorting to an expensive and
suicidal credit plan.
"As q basis for our campaign Of
education we must start with the pro
Queer himself. So far the raising of
food products for market has not been
altogether satisfactory, and the reason
for this condition is mainly with the
farmer himself. He has steadfastly
refused to recognize the rights of the
consumer and submit to proper grad
| ing of his products. AS result the
Georgia commodities lave been pen