Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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;?\", -s THE WEEKLY CIS DII0I TIKES, Duootqd to ^jritultari}, jjortieultor^, floinqstit (Btonomg, polite literature, fjolities, and the Current $eair> of the |jau. VOL. XVII.?New Series. ONION C. II., SOUTII CAROLINA, MAY, 7, 1880. NUMBER IS. * From the Albany Argus. COINCIDENCES. TllE STORY OF AN EVERY DAY LIFE. At the time that Fichte Ransom, Professor of Seientifio Philosophy, forty years old, and a bachelor, brought home -to the Collego town a bride of eighteen Boston summers, all of the good folks said that he must have made some mistake. The young thing was pretty, shy, demure and delicate; and all ngree that as hummingbirds are not fit to be in eagles' eyries, she was not worthy to be the mistress of the great scholar's home. Tho President said it, the minister said it, and Mary Smith said it. Mary had hoped to become Mrs Ransom ; but a week ,K. K-.i ? J ? *? " - Dug uuu pivuuuuctu Ull IIIO ITOICSSOrS blunder, abc bud married Joe Blake, the engineer. This waa another mistake, people said, for Mary was a plump, matronly girl, and Jorf was too much in lore with his bottle to have a ery deep affection for a wife. But the modern gossip is removed some ways from a prophet, aud all in duo time Mrs. Professor Ransom proved herself worthy of her position, and Joe lllake demonstrated the fact that ho could be a good husband. Of course the Professor s wife never did make light bread, and Joe spent no small part of his timo at the. ale-house, but, taken all in all, the Ransoms and Blakcs got cn very nicely. The last shadow of the gossip was removed when Mrs. Ransom stopped her carriage on the street to ask Joe what he had named the baby, and some months later when Professor Ransom called at Mrs. Blake's and compared the wee thing in llio engineer's arms with his own little one. After this tho Professor bought the little cottage across the way from his own fine house, and sold it to Joe ; und Mrs. Blake did sewing for Mrs. Ransom ; and Hattie Blake and Tommle Ransom were playmates together. Seven summers had been purified by seven winters, and in the eighth there came a chill and dreary day. The day had a freexing night, and out of its sky a silvery moon looked upon the cold, white face of the Professor's wife, dead, ana a tiny intent but a week old by her side Mary Blake went through the snow to robe the lady for burial, and sat by the body through the night. Then the morning came, and with it came an eleotric pulsation of the thrill of sorrow. There had been an accident out on the Central, and the engineer had met a frightful death. Joseph Blake, aged forty-two?and Prof, Hansom sent the widow a message of condolence. Mrs. Blake went forth to the coming years a wise woman. She had the mortgage, and she strength. 0?er the way the Professor's Vermont sister was installed, aud the master was far away in foreign lands. The babe was Aunt Phoebe's chargo, and Tom was growing a boy who had a heart for mischief, and a ltend for youthful will. Grave and refined like his father, aud with his mother's features and sunny hair, he was a child, and yet had not a childhood. lie had played with Hattie Blake but before he had passed into his teens the two studied together, and the boy led the girl through the mazes of sohool-day life. The widow's daughter did not love her books, but learned easily, and the boy had to recognize her at the head of the seminary class. A fairy girl^ she ; a quiet lad, he. The widow had planned Hatties future as teaching. The Professor had marked out the law for bis son. And tho two children were in accord with both of these plans. Tom was fifteen when his father came homo from his foreign wanderings, and took up his former work at the College. "There are two things to come," the Professor said to bis sister, methodically. "Tom must leave school, and be fitted for College by my own hand, and 1 must marry again." The two things came. Tom was disappointed because of his private tutelage, but he had nothing to say. He wnnted to become the men his father wished to see him, and he had no idea of any way of objection. And the matter of marriage was as well up to the fino fact. Mrs. Worthington St. Clair was a lady of Paris, of fashion, and of wealth ; a lady quite well fitted to be the scholar's second wife. No one said that the Professor had blundered this time. The minister called at an early day; the President commended the Professor's choice ; and Mary Blnko lent the cook the receipts for ^ her best gold-and-silvcr cake. All went on [ smoothly. Tom liked the ladv frnm ?K? fi??i ??.i -? - J - - ? ? "? MIOl) uuu one liked him. If he was a model step-son, sho was a model step-mother, and there was not the least friction between them. He had respect for her ways, her manners, and her friends, -with one exception. And she liked the lad, and all that was his and of him, with but one exception. She made some plans of her own fctfore she had been Mrs, Hansom a twelve month, la her opinion Hatlie Blake was not a fit person for Tom to bo intimate ' with, and in Tom's opinion, Marion Flint hie step-mother's niece, was not worth a thought. But Mrs Ransom had foreordained thai Tom should marry Marion?and Marion was an heiiess. The Professor landed his son in the Sophomore class, and had the pleasure of seeing him do brave and noble work in his course. Mrs. Ransom had induced Aunt Phoebe to take Mrs. 11UI.. ?n,l -iik I .- i n ?uu uvi unu^uivi mm uvr hi nor vjrreeil Mountain home. And Mrs. Ransom was properly provoked when Tom thought best to spend his vacations at Applefteld, with his aunt, in preference to going to Saratoga, where Miss Fliot was the belle of two gay seasons. Five years gave the siith. Mrs. Ransom, on ber return from the White Mountains, tarried at the homestead at Applefitld, to say to Aunt Phobe that Tom and Marion were to marry ss soon as tho young man had entered upon the praotico of the law. Hattie had nought to say. She had hoped? but girls hope too often. Of course it was true, for Tom had written of tho gay summer, and had not had time to come to Vermont, of late. Marion was pretty and rich, and IIattio was a widow's daughter, and a school-teacher. She said a plaintive, ''Mover mind ! " and went to her school with a faint henrt. Perhaps she had come too near to loving her old schoolmate. At the time when the maples redden with bloom, tho persistent and ambitious student was admitted to the bar. On his way to Albany, whero ho was to locate with his mother's brother, he had a Tew hours to spend in Applefield. But Ilattio was away among the mountains' "Troubled with n little cough," Aunt Phoebe said. He felt his love for her. At the time when the maple redden with the blush of Autumn's carnation, they sent her lovo to him? her farewell love. She that he loved was dying. lie went, and found her kissed by consumption's cold lips. Ho heard her mother calmly say that when the leaves fell she would go. " No !" he said ; she should go with him to the fair Bermuda, and leave the foe behind. Would she go?as his wife? The inspiration of long-deferred love was all too potent medicine, and sho consented, l'ko man of God came, and once more the sun shono into the maiden's life. The maple branches came bare too soon. She did not suffer much or long. Sho spent nothing on the future. The pale fair check caught contrast in a drear night-time with a scarlet thread that camo from the thin lips. The young husband and wife were alone together. The chill of her death touched him, nud they found her 8cn-selcss hand holding his insensible. * * Tho February winds Leaped the maple leaves over the newly-made grate. The coming of the snow mantle found the young man hard at his work. Thus it is that true heroes are made. Work done in sorrow is work of heroism. Thomas Hansom was rising lawyer, an ardent worker, a man of notable will. All that he did was done with success, and all that he looked upon prospered. Each new month made him a little moro eminent, and it was told that fortune's cup was always at his hand. Ouo day he brought anemones and violets to his office window, and to a July sun. Hattie had loved the frail anemones, and Viola was the second name of Marion Eliut. But the lawyer had not thought of this when he paid his nickel to tho flower-girl for the bouquet.' At mid-afternoon he thought of it, woe as withered as the wiadflower. Could it be that Marion would?? Again the heart nerve thyilled. But the flowers were dead. It did not need to be. The brillian Marion Flint had no idea to dio of love, nor yet to live too well for love. Hut she made no remonstrance, felt more. Prof, and Mrs. Hansom were satisfied ; but there was no love in the matter. Marion wan tod a husband, and Tom a wife?and that wag all. The wedding was named for the Wednesday of Easter week and it was to bo the towns event of the aeasou. The friends of the contracting parties came out on Tuesday. The groom was not expected until the morning. Early evening brought the professor a note from his sister, a few lines telling of the death of Mrs. Mary Blake, and asking that the professor see the sexton about the grave. The moon was iu the earliest days of its first quarter, and the old man went alono to the village buryingground. The Blake lot was to the west, and a little way out from the walk. Joe's piain stone had a very modest appearance beside the shaft of marble that stood at the head of his daughter's grave. There was space for the other, and Jenkins would see it, the professor thought, but he went not near in the twilight, and the scholars eyes were dim There was a form on the newer grave, but he did not ace it, and he retraced his steps. Thomas Ransom, keeping vigil night long at his wife's grave had much to forget. In the morning lie was at the altar, and at night he had gone to Albany with his bride. The home yonder on Stale street was a home of all that was of social life's joy and brightness. Who did not know it? The lime of roses and the time of the Hudson's brightning currents, and a rose bloomed there? 'Bloomed in a burst of midnight pain, And plumed its life in fair expanse Beneath love's nursing sun and shine. Rssc Ransom, a blush rose, a damask, a child fair, and fine and sweet. Thomas Rnndsom felt a touch as of terror when they brought him bis new-born duugh tcr, and he saw she had every feature of his first-love. As Hetlie Blake bad looked, so looked that -1.111 -.-J *1 - 1 uniiu, auu ?? me nays anu years cuinc forward, So cams that strange resemblance of featuresPerhaps Marion Ransom had dwelt too long orer the face that she had been wont to see in a daguerreotype on her husband's desk. Perhaps, but then it was well. The pious Catholic lady hangs a picture of the Virgin in her boudoir, that the face of her babe may be madonna-like, and tho dead wife's face had worked similar worth. Psychological science may essay explanation, if such a thing can be explained. Eighteen years. A day in April, and nt St. Peter's an Easter wedding. The hour was two in the afternoon. The spacious church was crowded with invited guests when tho wedding party entered. The only daughter of Judge Ranaon was the bride, and a fairer face ormoro graceful flguro was never at the alter in this city. The groom was a young manufacturer, handsorre, wealthy, and popular. They took iiueir piacea at tuo altar, and the Judge gave away his Hose. The sun that rooming had risen upon a cloudless sky, at noon, clouds had piled in dark and henry banks on the western horizon; and as the officiating minister pronounced the pair man and wife, one deafening crash of thunder broko over the city, and the rain fell in torrents. The reception at the home of the bride's father was a very elaborate affair, and among the wadding gifts was a house on one of our fashionable avenues, where, after the bridal tour, the young couple began housekeeping. If appearances indicated the truth, they were ns nearly happy as any one could well be; and il wo were to write the name it would be said that there was no reason why its possessors should not have been happy. * a * * % * The ninth day of January of this year of grace. A day of drifting heavy snow, and a strong cutting wind of frostiest fierceness. Two physicians walked down Madison avenue from the penitentiary, whero they Lad had a day's dealing with tho plague. The city clocks I struck one as thov turned into a well-known cross-way, and crossed Hamilton'strcct. A shabby cross street, narrow, dirty, wretched. At the corner n saloon, where the Tilcst of drinks arc sold to the vilest of men and women. A den, a foul place, a place past which the physicians were hurrying as if they had n dread of the coming forth of something worse than tho plaugue. In the snow an object crouched?a woman closely veiled, and trembling iu the cold. The two men stopped. She was gazing into the window through the blind, and they could seo what she saw. A man, well dressed, and with blood on his face, was with a dozen companions, at the bar. Both men knew him. and the woman, looking up knew the men. They went in, and led him out. The woman was gone. They took him home, and she?his wife?was there to welcome hiin, her bestial, drunken husband. It was that man to whom on that Kastcr-tiine that Hose had been given. And ho was was now a drunkard. It was that woman who had been given, the Rose who had stood in the storm of a wintry night and looked 011 her fallen husband. On last Sunday morning a child was born in this city, and in the hour of its birth it was motherless. The fnthcr was not there. lie is named a drunkard. He has forgotten his marriage vows. He is a life of death. The lady who died was the lovely bride of a faded Raster, the happy wife of a pleasant home, the pale, trembling woman who shivered in the storm. The life had been a change to death. A strange 'story, and strangely lold. The story of a broken life, (alecping to waking wli pre there is no'death, sleeping when the Sabbath sun arose in goldc beauty upon this world of ours. A true story ; a story of several coincidences; an cvery-day story ; a story of our city. 1 saw Judgo Ransom to-day. He told mc this story. His name?well, it isn't Ransom. Ue said in conclusion : On the vary day on which my daughter became of the same ago as my first wife was when she died, she also pased away!' IIonsES and Their Feet.?What makes the horse wear out in one-third of | his natural life? What makes him have contracted hoels?' What makes his feet full of corus? What causes the uavicular trouble? What brings on a bone spavin? Why do splints come on horses legs? Why do horses have string-halt? What is the cause of a seedy toe that may horses have? What makes them have thrush, cancer of the foot, laininitis and weak heels? The shoe makes and causes all the many troubles here mentioned. Still, owners of horsos insist on having their horses shod the old way, with a heel-and-toe shoe ; with corks big enough for jack-screws. How to prevent all the pbove trouble that our pool horses have to suffer : Do not allow a smith to uso a knife on the foot of your horse at all, simply rasp tho foot off, just enough tc got even beariug, then apply a tip, or a thin flat shoo. Should you uso the tip never rasp tho heel down at nil ; should you have youi horso's feet shod with plain, flat shoes, keep the heels down low cuoagh to get a frog pressure; three nails on each side arc enough to hold it in place on any driving horso until the shoe is worn out. Novo allow the smith to rasp tho outside of the foot at all. If you will follow these instiuc tions you will save many a horse from goim; lame. Tho roads in Chicago are not too hard for any horse's feet, if you will givt the feet any show whatever. If you lo me sumo cut me soio and trog to suit hi! will and pleasure, then fill it full of nails, rasp it off until it is thin as paper, you must expect lame horses, and you will havi them. Only think of tho horse in his ns tural state. Ho will travel over a:iy roat day in and day out, barofoot ; still, ns %)oi (M ho is brought to the city ho is sent to th< smith ; then troublo commences. Anj hor^e that is shod with a big, heavy shoe neve v should be allowed to go out of a walk A dri ving horso for road plcasuro has o< more uce for a calk than the writer has fo thirteen toes. Any man who tolls you tha a foot wltich is strong and hcnlthy require a shoe to orotect the frog and heels, tell you what i p not so, and he oao not prove i by showing, results. ARE THE TAXE3 OF OOR STATE SO BUR- C DENSOME! Editor Cotton 1 hint.?During (he past few months there have becu many state- ^ uiouts in letters and articles, as well as at various meetings, that the taxes iu this Stato arc constantly increasing, and in some & cases it is broadly nihruicd that they are ^ actually higher than under the Chamberlain regime". In order to test the truth J ' cr falsity of these political economists I have takeu the seven years from 1869-70 to 187*1-75 and find the State levy ranged from 5 mills to 12, amounting in all to G2 ^ 1-2 mills, or 9 mills per annum ; while tho a , seven years from 1870--7 to 1881-2, T ranged from 2 3-4 to 9 1-2 mills, s amounting to 36 1-4 mills, or a 1 triflo over 5 mills against 9 for tho a that of the State being 80,522,188, and tho u County 80,052.348, or S130,1G0 in excess 0 of the former. a No doubt the Couuty levy and debts ^ have both been largely augmented, but by n whom ? Have not these Counties couie ^ year after year, asking powers to saddle themselves with these debts by issuing * bonds for building railr ads ? They no ^ doubt supposed some benefits would accrue ^ fiom this somewhat hazardous methods of 1 building railroads, but I. am afraid the most 1 they have so far discovered is that the in* ' tcrcst is not a.ways^wrtbcdftiinfrJ'Tthil that" ^ pay-d~y com?* round with unpleasant 1 rapidity. Spartanburg's'little bill'amounts 1 tn fin fin nil a I nnvtnnnl; nP wimn HHrt Pn** tho County, exclusive of the town debt of $55,000! There nre but three Counties, ' Abbeville, Lexington and Williamsburg, ? free from debt. Wo constantly And in tho < papors reports of meetings at which new 1 roads arc projected and further liabilities ' proposed ; and it would seem that thero < will soon bo moro railroads that traffic, and 2 that the County expenses will exceed that < I of tho State. t In the -call' for the farmers' convention ( it is staled as a fact that farmers pay three- ' fourths of the taxes and 'get nothingl' It ' is almost impossible to prove how much 1 they do pay, but it is very easy to prove 1 they do not pay 75 per cent., for Charles-'^ i ton pays 1G per cent, and the phosphate 1 1 royalty yields 10 per cent., so this state- * * rnenf is not all gospel truth. Let us take a few items, and see if onc-httlf is not nearer i tho ujark. The Comptroller General's Re- ^ port for lSSl-'85,"gives the following ; 1 Railroad property $15 263 348 ( Merchandise 7 384 801 . i Appertaining* to Manufactures.... 843 372 ' Manufactured Articles 5 272 834 1 Credits 3 781 008 , Stocks, except National Ranks 1 220 411 t Bonds, not exempt 2 113 404 Other Personal property, $0, 048-1 ' 128, deduct \ for towns4 say j 3 010 042 i Real estate and Buildings in town 29 199 935 I Money, batik, bills, kc 1 229 411 ) . ) $69 333 056 . This amount, deductsTfrom the grand total of. $134 710 017 ' Leaves for towns 00 333 656 I Leaves for Country $ 65 376 361 i 01 couric, farmers .have some interest in | banks, stores, Ac., but havo, I am afraid, i ) but few bonds aud liulo cash ; on the other . hand I have given tltein credit for all hor ses, mules, carriagos, pianos and watches, i so that probably tho ostiumto may he ap> nrr>Tiiii!itolv norrant TP it. ha than Par? j f- j ?-" " "v) '"v" t merS. instc:iJ of paying three-fourths of tho ) taxes, arc Jour millions short of even nominally owning one^hulf tho property, muoh i being mortgaged. j For the sake of comparison I have taken . form tho census report of 1880 tho amount 1 of tax pnid per capita, and givo tho followi ing figures, showing that our toxe9 arc not j hit/her than other States : South Carolina. f 81.83; Georgia; ; Mississippi, 82.10; 1( Virginia, 8300 ; Ketitiicky, 83.15 ; Louisiana, 84.07 , Indiana, 85.50 ; Illinois, 80.00 0 Pennsylvania, 8G.93; New Jersey, $7.90; r Ohio, 88.00; Now York.811.00; Massachut setts, 813; for oi ch man, woman and child. s Wo are constantly boing reminded of tbo 8 ever-increasing taxes and multiplication of t offices, &o., and attention is called to the Reports, # . * Radical period, or very little moro than onc-Juitf what the levy used to be, instoad tl of being higher, as so recklessly asserted, e To this 5 mills must, of course, be added, o the Constitutional2-uiill school tax, bringing c the State levy up ta 7 mills, but still 2 o mills under the radical figures, and that. It too, with a much lower assessment by scv- tl cral millions than theirs. This 2-mill tax tl realized in 1S8-L3,8299,916. but ag the tl people themselves imposed it by a Coustitu- tl lioual vote, the Legislature is uot rcspousi- tl bio for its existence. li Total State taxes ISSl-'o Cotnp- S trolor General's Report, p. $841 oL'O .11 Total County Taxes for 1881-'o.... 077 1 18 81 ^ From the above it will bo sccu that tho County taxes are last approaching tho State levy; and at page 73, Comptroller's report, the total State and County bouded aud ri flfiatinf* rlohfc is ?tntorl tn On ft 15 1*7.1 it )n referring to Treasurer's ltc- 1 port for 1849-'50 find the to- j' tal expenditure exclusive of 1 interest was J ?390 695 'he Comptroller GcnsraVs rali- \ malt of supplies for 1885-'G ex- / elusive of interest and schools \ is / ?403 080 lalarics in 1850, ?57 458, in 1885-'G .. ? 54 810 <unatic Asylum 1850, paupers ?5*25; in 1885-'f. ? 98 000 'cni'cntisry, in 1885-'G G GOO lupcrintcndvnt of Education, 1885-'G G 250 It will bo seen from the abovo that tbo 'cncral expcuscs of tbo Stato Government ro about the same now as in 1850, notVltJlSfnnflinrv 1 Kn rrrnnt ?,1 ,11? I uiu ^iv/itu auuuiuuai UAjJUUcs of tho Asylum and Penitentiary; and hat salaries arc actually less, although two dditional offices have boon added. It may be said that tho State was rich hen and very poor, now which I am compclld to admit. Put we hr.vo now a population f a million, all endowed with tho rights of itizenship, whilo then about three-fourths f this number seldom came under State iws, boiug controlled aud eared for by heir owners, but who now crowd the jails, ho Penitentiary and Asylum. Taking all hings into consideration it is surprising hat the general expenses exceed by so little hoso of 1850. Then the inlorcst on the pubc debt was paid out of the profits of tho tato Pauk ; now tho Phosphate royalty icld not quite half the amount of interest, he balance baviug to bo provided for by lxation. We must remember too that during tho idical roigu tho public debt was largely icrcascd; that the interest was often left npaid, that they managed to gobble up no year's taxes entirely, incurriug also in ddition to this, an enormous fleating ebt ia every County, most of which has ow been paid. That by tho persistent cfort of the law officers of tho State, she ias been at last relieved from tho Pluc lidge swindle, ar.d thus narrowly escaped loiner saddled with another load of SI ROO . 100; and that another suit has just been | gained against Corbiu Sc P'ono for $2-1,000, llegally held. In addition to this the Agricultural Department has succeeded, to suits for recovering royalty and property for th? State, auiouutiug to some three or four hundred thousand dollars. The State taxes being imposed by the Legislature, and tboso of the Counties mainly by the rcsidcuts therein, it may be is well to enquire how and by whom the enormous taxes necessary to support all the Railroads, with thousands of miles. runling from West to South, all the thousands )f employees, andthe profits of other thoulands of peoplo through whose hand come eur corn, meal, bacon, flour, horses, liny ind almost everything we eat, are lovid and eollccted. There has been no law passed .0 compel tho payment of theso expenses, >ut they certainly aro collected even more iioro rigorously than either State or county :axea. and fall with crushing weight on farmers, because they ought to raise tho rery thing* they buy and pay freight on for hundreds of miles. Tho 'Convention' called on April 29th. 8 ostensibly in the interests of fanners, bnt liko many others, 1 can't see how they can jo much benefitted by meeting for a day )r two ; .at the same lime would bo very ;lad to hope such may be the result and would respectfully offer a few suggestions and remarks. In the first place I would ask if the letters prccooding the call, and the -call' itsolf, cau bo admitted to possess that candor, fairness aud veracity that suoli a serions subject requires? Did not the earlier oues denounce everybody in the shape of officers. State nnd county, Legislators, is being -robbers,' oppressors,' <&o.? * While an tho 'call' it is admitted that an 'iusano jvstem of farming', is the cause of our poverty, which is, [ think, tho truest part in tho document. With otlon at 8-Jc, and from present indications there is little hopo of its being much higher, how can a farmer in this, or any State raise it, and pay taxes on a thousand miles of railroad, over which his corn bacou, meal, flour,&c., are hauled? Can he afford (o have his horses and mules raised for him, and pay for them ont of a /os.?? Can not each farmer conio to a sensible concluiion on these points, and carry out such to successful results? Can a convention convince farmers that it is better-to plant smaller areas of cotton, raise hogs, horses, flour,.0010r Ac., and five at homo, and can it enforce tho practice of such a course, even with hundreds of 'Resolutions?' If it can. then it would pay to havo one every week! . 1 Surely, formers know that a loss 2c pe b., means $10 n a 5001b bale, and that they got about that less than in 1884. In addition to the lower prfCo there hnvo been four years in which most people have made $ r ; > Jfc t? v <h> T> : but twotbirds or three- fourths cf a crop; consequently on a crop of 500,000 bales of 5001bs. There wouM be, at 2c less than 1881, a loss of $ 5 0C0 (HO Sav a shortage of only o0,000 bales at ?40 2 OOO <>00 One year's loss ?7 000 000 Ti,:. ? : :? ?.?- ? i alio i UUUtllUII I Li prit'U IJU.1 UtXll t'UiJUUnous for some years, and amounts to rn immense sum when to is added the loss in four years crops. Supposing tho above seven mi/lions had been made instead of lost, would the Government or Legislators have been credited with having achieved such a pleasant result? I dont think so. Then why should they be blamed for that for which they are in no wise responsible? We may just as well come down to hard facts at once. It is utterly useless to pretend to raise cotton under the totally changed conditions ol labor, which costs about four times as much as it did before the war, without bciug half as good or reliable, and tho staple bringing about the same price. Then the labors' iucrcasc was a conliuuu 1 sourco of wealth ; now but au incubus that will, under the present system, inevitably bankrupt tho i^tatc. As shown in your March number, we have nearly 200,000 agricultural laborers and some 90,000 planters and farmers who produced, iu 1SS0, the paltry amount of Sl-I-i per head ; or but very little more than tho wages and rations of an ordinary plough hand! Does not this rum up lite whole matter iu a few words ? We may try tobacco, Jerseys, and all other new ideas, but uutil we grow more grain, employ less labor, grow everything we need for ourselves aud all the stock we ....to.. ..... .-:n i i i.nou, trc >1111 i<;inuiu jijui, uiiu juuriy S1UK. lower, us all countries uievitably must do that depeud upon one croj), and that a losing ono. We may grow a little better cotton, perhaps, than other countries, but wo certainly don't either own or control it whga made much less possces any monopoly in it! From various sources it is whispered that certain delegates to this Convention have been already coached in the political programme, aud that a new-deal is in the main and ouly object of the meeting, and that tho farmers' grievances have been used us a blind. How far this may bo true, of course 1 can not say, but circumstances tend to confirm tho rumor. From tho composi' tions of the majority of the delegations I have seen named, there is every roason to believe that whatover measures may be proposed inimical to thn unity of the Democratic party, and consequently to tho State and people, will meet with prompt and effectual resistance ; and that if but little good and be accomplished, conservative and patriotic men, of sound, bard sense, will certainly prevent any evil results. I regret the manner in which the Cous ventioa has been called, as there was not tho least necessity for resorting to vulgar abuse, pervcrsiou of truth, and setting ouo olass against another. Are farmers so obtuse and so devoid of comuiou decency and manliness that they must have a highlyspiced 'Call' proved to be fnll of misstatements, addressed to them, before they will take the trouble to meet together and discuss the situation? Would not a calm, temperate statement of u few lines, every word being capable of proof, have had much groater force and dignity? Hut onr. const ruction could have been put on (be real meauing of such a paper, wheroas now the most charitably inclined can not shut their eyes to the obvious intentions of aouio of tho originators ; anil many of those why aro coming may be expected to act on the prin- . .^r ciplc that 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of euro.' and that their uiloils will be successful in defeating any meaaurcfl detrimental to farmers and tho State at Jar^e. A Farmer The Anderson Journal says: Congressman Aiken is still suffering a great deal of pain in his bip. and is confined to his bed the greater part of the time, but bis general health is good, nnd he has the assurance of his physician that he will improve rapidly as warm weather advances. lie h#a.s not been free from pain for over a year, but ho has stood it hetoieally, though confinement is a great trial to one of his active, energetic disposition. I.enoiiRns Odjrctino to Short Horns.?Sandusky, Ohio, April 20-?The publishers of lbs Hegirtrr attempted to put the eight-hour law in force this afternoon. The tnen immediately struck, refusing t* work on limited lime. The men averaged three dollars for about ten hours work. The manufacturers here arc worried over the eight-hour law. The Jlcgistrr's failure encourages them. Mechanics generally do no favor the eight hour law. i - ? Tho old sailors of.the Philadelphia naval aspltun have struck for lobsconso, plumduff and other nautical dishes in the pines of veal potpio, nnd left the dining haU dtunerloM on i Friday. Tho dead body of an unknown colored man ' *' was found on Friday in a piece of woods near Charlotte where negroes frequently gambit, i Thers was a largs btillet hols in tht skull.