Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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6A A. C. JONES, Pub. and Proprietor. Litera , JIllay, NewsDv,oricture, MlarkreWts, &Sc. RS$'f XOHS VOL. XXII. NEWBERRY, S. C., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1886. NEWBERRY HERALD & NEWS PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AT Newberr v. S. C. TERMs.-One year, $2; six months $I; three months, 50 cents; two months, 35 cents; one month, 20 cents; single copy, 5 cents, payable in advance. Expirations.-Look at the printed label on the paper: the (late thereon shows when the subscription expires. Forward the money for renewal at least one week in advance. Subscribers desiring the address of their paper changed must give both the old and the new address. TERMS OF ADVERTISING.-$1.00 per square the first insertion, and 50 ets. per square for each subsequent insertion Ai' A square is the space of nine lines of solid brevier type. Notices in local column 121c. per line for each insertion for one month, longer at inch rates, w:th 25 per cent added. A reasonable reduction made for ad vertisements by the three, six, or twelve months. The Farmers' Convention. OPINIONS OF THE STATE PRESS. Send Conservative Men. One thing is plain. The farmers of South Carolina are to have a "Farmers' Convention." The call has been issued; it is published on the firse page of this week's Index. To our mind another thing is equally clear. This convention will be large ly attended. The causes which have led to this convention are not so clear. On the part of Mr. Tillman, through whose instrumentality this convention has been called, the cause for it is the mismanagement of the affairs of State and, as he charges, the oppression of the farming inter ests of the State. That there may have been mismanagement in the State's governmental affairs, may not be successfully denied, but that there has been any legislation which has had for its object the oppression of the -agricultural interests of the State, is a downright slander upon the good people of the whole State. It is a slander upon the farmers, because they -have composed a majority of the, Legislature since the Democracy came into power, and upoi the bal ance of the citizens of the State, be cause agriculture is the backbone of all other business in this State. There may be wisdom in calling the convention, and much good may re sult from it. There are many eco nomical and industrial reforms which this convention may suggest and take steps to carry out, and on this account we favor~ it. But the Tillman idea of cutting up root and branch the pres ent order of things, of coming out and being separate from all other classes of the citizens of the State, is the rankest folly, and if attempted will set the white people of the State by the ears. Nor could this conven tion do all these things even if it so desired. It can never get anything like a majority of the farmers to Co. operate in any such madness. , If it did, such a course would cause a clash between the white people that - would give the State back into alien hands. No, the trouble is, the bad crop years for three years past and the low price of cotton, has produced rather a stagnation in farming inter ests, and, like a man suffering from some dreadful malady, they are look ing about for a remedy, a panacea for their troubles and are ready to be taken in by any patent medicine quack that may pass by. Dr. Moses Tillman has passed by and many of them are ready to invest their last dollar in his medicine. Let them be ware that they do not follow his lead blindly. As the convention is to be ~5 held we would advise the farmers to hold meetings and send their most conservative men to it. Don't send cranks, who think that right now the agricultural millenium is about to burst upon them, for it is not. Send thinking men, that may think and act for themselves. In our opinion the convention called is a serious matter and from its action important results may fiow.-Pee Dee ifdex. * Should Have Organized Long Ago. Elsewhere we publish a call for a convention of farmers to be held at this place on saleday in April. It is signed by a number of our best citi zens who believe that the farmers shiould organize, not for political pur poses, but for the advancement of their interests and the promotion of their welfare as tillers of the soil. In all sections of the State a similar movement is taking place. So2h an organization should have been made years ago. The Grange was, perhaps, rather too complicated and had the objection of secrecy to many persoLs. It has been allowed to go down and some concert must be badl among the farmers. If the proposed plan meets :with favor and is attended with suc ~rcess, every other calling in life must be benefitted. We trust there will beI a full attendance and that a solid and permanent organization may be ef fected.-Abbecille Medium. Cannot Oppose It. There was in the outset considera ble opposition to such a gathering of the clans-the ins probt.bly snuffed blood on the tainted breeze; but such opposition has practically disappear ed, at least so far as appears on the surface of things, for no man and no newspaper coidd oppose the assem bling of the farmers of the State for the purpose of discussing their inter ests and instituting means and adopting measures to redress their wrongs, if there be any such, and that there are wrongs to be righted, there can be no question, if the clai or we hear from every county and from almost every precinct in the State, be any indication of it. Edgefield Aucertiser. Farmers' Convention. On the first page of this week's paper we print the call for a farmers' convention to assemble in Columbia on the 29th of April. We hope Lan caster-will send a full delegation, and that it will be composed of her most intelligent and progressive farmers. -Lancaster Ledger. A New Constitution Wanted. The only relief for the whole of South Carolina is a convention to make a new Constitution and abolish about one-half of the public offices, and cut down the salaries of the re mainder.-Lancaster Ledger. Nobody Objects. Let all the farmers organize and send delegates to the convention, and have their wrongs redressed.-Edye fleld Uo-Qnicle. Farmers in the Legislature. In the address recently issued '-To the Farmers of South Carolina," call ing for a Convention to be held at Columbia on the 29th of April next, he following statement was made: "We constitute the State and yet we lo not govern it; nor are the laws administered in our interests, and ew are passed for our benefit. We pay taxes, but there is no further use ror us." This address was signed by ninety wo persons- a majority of whom are ract.ical farmers.' The declaration vhich we have quoted above is a re teration of a complaint which has >een heard from time to time during he past eight or ten years. In fact, here has not been a time in the his ory of this State for the last fifty ears when a similar claim has not een made on behalf of the farmers. We simply wish now to call the at ention of the farmers themselves, mnd of all others who may be inter ~sted in the movement for a "new leal," to some facts which should be nown to every person in the State, mnd to say again, as we have said he fore, that, "having 76 per cent. of the 'population of the State, and at least alf of the remainder being directly lerdent upon the farmers for the neans of livelihood," the farmers hemselves have it within their power o correct all the evils from which ~bey now suffer. There has not been ~legislature in South Carolina since 876 which was not elected by the farmers. There has not been a Gov ~rnor, or Congressman, or State offi ~ial elected in South Carolina since 876 who has not been elected by the farmers. That is to say, without the otes of the farmers no public official ~ould have been elected in this State xcept in the County of Charleston. Let us see what representation the farmers have had in the executive ffices of the State Government. In 876, when the Democrats were re ~tored to power, there were three farmers on the State ticket. Hlamp on, the Governor, Sims, the Secre ary of State, and Hlagood, the Comp roller General, were farmers. In 1878, the comptroller general ~nd secretary of State were farmers. In 1880, the Governor. the secre ary of State, the comptroller gene cal, the treasurer and the adjutanvt ~eneral were farmers. In 1882, the secretary of State, the ~reasurer, the comptroller general and he adjutant general were farmers. In 1884, the secretary of State, the ~omptroller general and the adjutant ~eneral were farmers. The commnis ~ioner of agriculture, since the es ablhment of that department, has een a farmer. It will be seen that the farmers ave had a fair representation in this lepartment of the State government. The farmers have also had two ble representatives in Congress ;ince 1876-Col. D. Wyatt Aik-en rom the Third District, and Col. 1eorge D. Tillmnan from the Second )istrict. The House of Representatives is ~omposed of one hundred and twenty 'our members, and we give below a ;tatement showing the number of nembers from each counzty and the mber of farmers who have been amber from the voer 1880 down to the present time. This information, which we give in tabular form, will be of considerable interest at the present time, and will dispel, we hope, the claim that the farmers of the State have iot had a fair and just representation in the lower House: Counties. Xembers. 1 84. 1SS2. 1880. Abbeville...... 5 2 3 2 Aiken......... 4 3 2 1 Anderson...... 4 3 2 2 Barnwell....... 5 2 1 3 Beaufort...... 3 1 2 1 Berkeley ... . 5 4 5 0 Charleston. .12 2 2 5 Chester........ 3 3 3 2 Chesterfield .... 2 1 2 2 Clarendon..... 2 1 2 1 Colleton....... 5 5 4 4 Darlington. 4 3 3 Edgeffeld...... 5 4 5 4 Fairfield....... 3 2 1 2 Georgetown.... 2 1 0 1 Greenville ..... 4 2 3 3 Hampton. ....3 1 1 0 Horry.. . 2 2 2 2 Kershaw....... 3 3 3 1 Lancaster...... 2 2 1 1 Laurens........3 2 2 2 Lexington...... 2 2 2 2 Marlboro'......2 2 1 1 Marion........ 4 3 3 3 Newberry...... 3 2 2 2 Oconee. ...... 2 1 1 0 Orangeburg..... 5 4 3 4 Pickens.. 2 1 1 2 Richland....... 5 2 3 2 Spartanburg.... 4 2 1 3 Sumter........ 4 3 2 3 Union......... 3 2 1 2 Williamsburg.. 3 3 2 2 York......... 4 2 2 3 Total ...... 124 78 73 71 This statement, which is approxi. mately correct, shows that in 1880-81 there were in the 1-louse of Repre sentatives 71 farmers; in 1882-83, 73 farmers; in 1883-84, 78 farmers. It, will be seen that there has not been since 1880 a single session of the Legislature in which the farmers have not had a safe working majority in the lower branch of the Legisla ture. In the Senate, in 1880, there were 17 Senators who were farmers. In 1882 there were 17 farmers, and in 1884 there were 16 farmers in the Senate. It will be seen that in this branch of the General Assembly the frmers sifice 1880 have had an equal representation. And now a word about the work of the Legislature. In 1881, 340 Acts were passed, of which 46 directly af fected the agricultural interests. In 1882 the total number of Acts passed was 179, of which 16 were upon sub jects appertaining to agricultural in terests. In 1883, 283 Acts were passed, of which 37 were passed for the benefit of farmers. In 1884, 181 Acts were passed, of which 18 were passed for the benedit of farmers. In 1885, 257 Acts were passed, of which 35 were for the benefit of farmers. For the five years ending in Decem ber last, 152 acts have been passed by the General Assembly for the benefit of the farmers, an average of more than 30 Acts a year. All of these Acts, in fact, were passed di rectly upon the petition of farmers, r upon representations made to the members of the General Assembly that the agricultural interests de manded the legislation provided in these Acts. Having a clear majority in the General Assembly, and being able to secure whatever legislation they demanded, it is evident that if the farmers had desired more or any other legislation they could have se ured it. It should also be remem bered that a majority of all the Acts passed by the Legislature have been Acts for the incorporation of rail roads, and manufacturing and other industrial enterprises in which the farmers have been as much interested as any other class of citizens. It is assumed that the farmers who have been sent to Columbia were the best reprerentatives that could be found in their various sections. They were elected as farmers, were elected by the votes of farmers, and if they- have failed in any way to do their duty to the farmers, it necessa rily follows that the farmers them slves are to blame for any lack of such legislati, n as they needed or required. IIaving, as we have already shown, and as the leaders of the farmers' movement claim, a clear majority of all the voters in the State, it is evi dent that, working within the lines ot the Democratic party, and con trolling the election machinery in all of the counties, the farmers have the remedy for their wrongs safely with in their own hands. The Lancaster Review has made an investigation as to the occupa tions of those who have filled the of fices of Senators and Representatives from that county since the year 1832. During that time Lancaster County has had ten Senators, nine of whom were farmers and one of whom was a lawyer by profession. D)uring the same period Lancaster County has h ad twenty-seven Representatives, of which number twenty-one were farmers and six were lawyers. It would be interesting to know just how the record stands in the other counties. These facts are given in order that the people may have a clear concep tion of the relative strength of the farmers in the General Assembly, and also in order that they may judge for themselves as to the merits of the movement which is now in progress. -rAw and cfourier. HAMBURG EDGINGS FOR SECRETARY OF STATE LIPS COMB'S CLOTHES. MR. TILLMAN HIlTS BACK .\ND TELL ABOUT TIlE-FARIIERS' 3D)VEMENT. To the Editor oJthe Nes (td Cou nier: Since the publication of my recen "open letter to the farmers of th State," I have been the recipient o' many courtesies from the newspaper. and their correspondents. I am lik< King Lear. "The little dogs and al! Tray, Blanche and Sweetheart. See they bark at me." I have been ae cused of nearly every sin mentione' in the decalogue, and many other5 besides, and I doubt if ever a columr of plain and lucid English has heer so variously construed or had sc many different interpretations pul upon it. There has certainly been f "ring" firing at me, whether there bE a political "ring" in South Caroline or not-and I seem to have pinched many people's toes of whom I was not even thinking. Such a broad. side from politicians and pap-suckerr has not been heard in the State in many a long day. We farmers can now locate the enemy and govern ourselves accordingly. But I feel under lasting obligations to the gen tlemen of the press for so liberally advertising "a farmer's convention" gratis. "The agitation of thought is the beginning of wisdom." Farmers need only to think, to wake up, and all will be well. They are doing this I hope and believe, and I am there. fore more than satisfied with the sit ation. The firing has almost died away and things are growing quiet. But hush, hark ! what deep booming sound is it that breaks the stillness at this late hour of the bombardment? Hamburg Moses," "Moses Tillman," slanderer," "crank," "dreamer" and "demagogue," who somehow feels neasy at being the innocent causr, of all this turmoil, and who is trving to make out why a simple suggestion to the farmers to organize and de mand a redress of grievances should create such a commotion. "Moses" picks himself up, shakes, feels for his head, and finding he is not hurt looks around to see by whom this "air gun" was fired. There was no bullet in it, or certainly Edgefield would have a funeral on her hands. A burly form as fat as a porker on >fficial pap, and as red with impotent age as a turkey gobler, stands ready o claim that he killed "Cock Robin." -Moses" has been begging with tears n his eyes for some "Richmond" from the agricultural bureau to aswer his arguments and disprove is facts; but our belated warrior who t this late day appears upon the scene and fires the gun it has taken im three months to load, ignores ar umer t, pays no attention to facts, ishes out abusive epithets like a fish vie, claims to be thc only original ad possible "Agricultural Moses,'' ad winds up with a pitiful appeal to he farmers and people not to punish im because he refuses to accept Moses TIillman as a leader." Oh how, hese men who are sucking the pub. ic teat begin to squeal when they eel or fear they are about to lose heir hold ! It is heart-rending. Col. ipscomb has been nursing his wrath o keep it warm and it is certainly ery hot, but it does not burn "Moses" ecause he has only told the truth, ad Col. Lipscomb must disprove he charges of incompetence, extrav gance and inattention to duty made gainst the board of agriculture be. ore he can injure "Moses" by fling. ng mud. I shall not descend in4o he gutter and fight this doughty ranger with his chosen weapon. A ero can beat us both on that line. [ prefer decency and courtesy, al hough I am accused of "outraging' oth. Col. Lipscomb must prove hese charges ere they will harm me. have been severe but parliamen ary, 'and have always attacked the oficial acts of men and not the men hemselves; and although my words were thus interpreted by many. I ave never said anything about the State officers except the agricultural ureau and their administration o1 their trusts. They are not the ' ring' o which I alluded, but mnay and oubtless do form a part of it, and Col. Lipscomb's ready anger at the mere suggestion of such a thing makes one suspect that his con scienc< accuses him. "The wicked lice wher o man pursueth, but the righteouw is bold as a lion." I voted for Col. Lipscomb for sec retary of State in the State convyen tion in 1882, and have never deniet that his motives are pure. But th4 ossession of office has strangel; emasculated and silenced the sturd' eadvct who was wont to make the welkin ring while lie (1epicted the wrong,s and abuses heaped on farm ers. IIe spoke for my resolutions at Bennettsville. but it was with bated breath and in gseneral terms. IIe was mild. very mnild; and- while I have written nothing since which was as severe as that speech, no farmer enjoyed it more or complimented it so highly as lie dlid. Let him deny this if he can. and explain why lie has since changed front. I said little there about the board of agricult,re and only sought to enlarge it and incrpase its usefulness. Tiat is what I propose now, and my efforLs are not bent towards "pulling down and destroving everytiiig and every- 1 body.** &c., but tow.ards Iuilding up, encouraging anld protecting our agri cultural interests. We want : real agricultural college. We want a large and renresentative hoard of ag riculture cinposed of live, progress ive farmers. We want farinrs' in- f stitutes to teach our people how to do better and increase the general prosperity. We want fewer laws andm! better ones; we want fewer officers and more efficient ones; we want a 1 government of the people by the t people and for the people; and as ' the people are, by a large majorit. ( farmers, farmers have a right and it r is their duty to govern the State, and c "if this be treason make the most of r it." Such a government does not by C any means imply that only farmers c ought to hold office or that other c classes are to be excludel altogether or imposed upon. Only a dreamer h or idiot would Imagine such a thinga and only a narrow-minded, selfish higot would want it. The assump tion that this movement has any sreh object is entirely gratuitous an( only t emanates from those who seek to bamboozle farmers and (-bscure the real issue. -Divide to conquer" has ever been the tactics of our enemies. s and the same old dodge is being tried t now. It may succeed but I hope for 1 better things. C,A. Lipscomb felt obliged to ac knowledge that a farmers' convention a is a right and proper thing and ad vocates it, but lie objects to it be cause he did not suggest it and cannot "boss it," and is silly enough to say it will be called, controlled, appointed and organized by Mr. B. R. Tillman. Z I s He does me too much honor. I have t called the convention in common 0 with those who endorsed the idea and sent mec their names. It will as semble and choose its own otlicers and will. I trust result in great good1 to the State and entire people. I will endeavor to get it to adlopt some measures which I deem highly im portant to our welfare as farmers; only this and nothing more. and the s idea that it will be comnposedl of pupi pets to be --bossed" by anybody will, I think, be only too clearly disprov en when it assembles. It will be no joint summer meeting of politicians to --make a slate.'t There will be no "free nasses." and lacking these two familiar features. perhaps C'ol. Lipscomb does well to turn his back on us. 'Tis a pity, but S I suppose we common people must perforce do without him. Let thie farmers of this State see that groodt and true men, not politicians or of fice seekers, are sent to this conven --tto and it will mark an epoch in the history of South Carolina. I' amny r county can find a better man who is not a farmer than it can among farrm ers, by all means let the farmers of that county send him. We want the I brains and patriotism and hionesty of the State to come together and take charire of it. B. RI. Triu3.x. Hamburg, S.- C.. M1arcl 6th. ISSG. The Augusta and Newberry aj Coming. Las,t MIonday the D)irectors of our narrow gauge i-ailroad met in Au- : gustam and it was (decided that a suir-4 vey should be made at once and twenty per cent of the amount sub scribed will be called in at an early (late. Col. George A dams of Augus ta was elected secretary and treas urer of the road. We may confi fidently look for tihe survey to lie2 madle next month and the grading will be comnmenced soon.-EDpijebi1 Chronicle, March l1i. Better reach the Saluda, tnen Suggest. Suppose when the A. E. & N. R. R . reaches the Saluda River, New berry (declines to aid in carrvinr it: on to Newberry v-illage ? It ha i been suggested that a town be built on this side of the river, a bridgec - built across and the good people of < - Newberry County- invited across toi the new town. Of course this is on ly in case the money aire-s out at the Saluda and( our frie:ds on th:e otheri side do rnot help us on.-1K/yv/iU : Arin>rtiser. What a Farmer has to say as to the Farmers' Con vention. Wilo IS LUNATIC ENOIH TO BELIE.VE THAT A F.\ii.EI CONVENTION CAN i11:,VENT A sU-CESSION OF BAD E*A SONS. IT UP THE IPICE OF (oTTON. ol IELIEVE THE wI)E--SPREAID DEPRE4 sIk;N OF TR.\)E ? F.\C'TS.M R. G IA I) R (INID, FACTS: The -News and Courier published the 1.t1h instant a call for a far !wrs' convention with some hun Ired names appended. 'te adress tates that. though the farmrs com1 rise seventy six per cent. of the )opulation. and largely support the emainder, they "do not govern the tate, nor are the laws administered n our interests. and -fe: are passe(l or our benefit." Since we came into power in 1876 ve Gove'rnors have held office, three f whom. Hampton. IIagood and eter were planters or farmers; Gov rnor Simpson was a lawyer and land wner, and possibly farmed some; overnor Thompson was selected by he farmers themselves, at least we iust suppose so. in preference to reneral Bratton, a Simon-pure far ier ! There are now four State fflicers, Lipsconih, Richardson, Sto ey and 'Manigault. who are land wners and farmers. So much for tate officers. Scores of county flicers are farmers also. The House of Representatives, aving about seventy-six farmers gainst thirty lawyers. (who have the iisfortune of being accused of every pecies of trickery, &c., by our polit :al economists.) and very nearly a xo-thirds majority of the whole odv, they surely ought in all rea on. to be something of a power in ?gislation. Do not these seventy ix men annually come fresh from eir respective counties, where they ave had opportunites of gaining forination on various points on hich legislation may be asked, s well as to imbibe some rtion of the wisdom apparently ionopolized by those who have not ad the privilege of iiring their tal nts in the public service ? If these en are incompetent, how is it that o many of them have sat here con nuously since 1876, and many thers for two and three sessions, nd who sends them ? Do seventy ix farmers in every one hundred oters just sit still and have no voice 1 such a matter ? I have never itnessed such a case, and am sure nulh a thing would be impossible in nv community. We are bound to dmnit, then. that the farmers them elves selected and elected these en who have been very indiscrim . tely charged with *misrule," robbery" and "corruption," their ssailants, however, taking good care > ignore special charges against a inle individual. In the se'cond paragraph of this call" it is said -thousands are over eing their ou'a plantations for their Ictuals and clothes." As I am no enius, I would like a little light on is to ime. rather enigmnatical sen ?nce. Does it mean that these thousands" have been so incompe 2nt, idle or improvident that they iiled, and other thousands have ented their pliaces. and feed and lothe them, like prodigal sons, to do or others what they were incap)able f doing for themselves ? OJr does :mean that they have sold what was heirs, and are now simply working or other thousands, who, we must uppose, for want of proper laws. :c., must inevitakv follow the same own ward course ? 3ut how did they 'et the money to buy the land ? The third paragraph commences ry candidly. if not very flattering . by asserting that *-an insane sy. :a of f rming largely prevails, and ur lands arc growing poorer year by 'ar * * while the landowners. 'iving no thought to themselves and ildren, stand idly by. or assist and irect this skinning of a State, * hieih might be made a veritable arden of Eden." Continuing, it ays: "lBut nothing is done by our ~egislature or its creatures (!) to stop , or to try to teach the people a etter and wiser- system." Would hee gentlemeu, if elected to the aegislature, take any steps to stop) he hotelkeepers and storekeepers rom sup)plying them gratis with nything they called for? Th'ley night call thiem "insane," but they ould not consider them keepers of m asylum. nor would they -or their ~reatures" he loath to profit by other copjle's fol!y. "I--rty~thousand dol tr$ :re spo? ainnuaolly in the State. brefouthsof it paid by the far n rs. to ednetet men for profes !0ons and otlher p)ursuits; the fermers et nlotheina, and are left to grope their way in ignorance and poverty. --Even the pittance donated to edu cate farmers by the United States rovernnent is taken from us and ap propriated to sustain the institution at which our future masters are be ing trained." Is this statement true ? I Now, these are some rather start ling statements. and if true, certain ly n ren;e(y should be applied at once b,oth for the admitted "insan ity" and the misapplication of the funds. So far as the "insane sys n m aoes. this is .:u< to be a free sountrv and every man can do as he lkes wAith his own. You may put a Sunatic iaIn asilm but you cant warrant a cure, neither can any legis lat"i CnrC a vicious or insane system, or more correctly, the want of any system of farming. It is charged that the farmers pay 830,000 annu ally for college, &c., and that "-they .jt vsthiny." Is this a mere flight of rhetoric, or is it intended as a state ment of facts capable of proof? Will these farmers. or the compo sers of the "call," he blind enough to tell their fellow farmers if there is, or ever has been, any discrimination practiced against the sons of farmers when entering the College or Citadel ? Do not ther stand on the same plane as the sons of other citizens who are to become "our future mas ters ?" Don't the farmers in every county in the State know of farmers' sons receiving as good education as any one else, and making as good re cords ? In making this charge. they surely must have forgotten that there are now in the South Carolina College solme eighty frmer- sons. pure and simple. and some ten to twenty more whose fathers combine some other business with that of ag riculture ' And there being no limit to any class, there is no reason why the farmers should not send a hun dred more, the only cause to pre vent it. I am afraid, being the lack of means. At the Citadel there are thirtv-two beneficiaries, the sons of farmers, representing twenty-two counties, three of them being from Edgefield. "Again, we pay ;25,000 annually by specific tax, which comes out of the farmer alone, to sustain a De partment of Agriculture." Is this a fair and true statement ? My idea is that this tax of twenty-five cents per ton is.paid by the manufacturers of fertilizer-s, for which sum each one of them receives a number of tags, one of which is required to be affixed to ev-ery hag sold, as a guarantee that the article is really what the ai:alysis rep)resented it to be; and in ease fraud should be detected iti any samples the manufacturer would be liable, not only for hieavy pensities, but also to loss of business. WVe| might possibly, get our fertilizers twenty-five cents per ton cheaper were there no tax tag, and njo security aginast frandl, but even that is very doubtful; and as it cant be proved that we pay the 525,000, why let us keep what protection we have. Now. fellow-farmers, do you find the '-words of truth and soberness'' in this "call?" Can you conscien tiously endure the deductions, state ments and language in which this matter has now been carried on for some time? Do you believe that -'four bad crops out of five" are the results of bad legislation, dishonest oficials. &c? D)o you, as a mass, plead guilty to p)ursuing '"an insane system of far-ming. as you stand charged in this call? If vou have been oblivi ouS of that fact until now, are you in a condition to be helped by fellow lunatics: because, if we are come to this pass. where are we to find any body sane enough to take care of himself, much less of his fellow-suf ferers? Can a convention do any good? It may do harm by antagonizing different classes- Can it raise the price of cotton, or create a demand for manufactured goods? Can it start the wheels of trade and com merce throughout the world, in every quarter of which stagnation and low prices are the rule? Can a conven tion convince a people of the neces sty of --living under their own vine and fig tree," and eating their own home-raised food, and can it provcide mone?y to pa!y th'ir back dlebts and --run" themn for a year pe-e of charge, so as to give them a fair start? Even if it nroved. to an absolute certainty, that it is not only cheaper to raise than buy our own horses, food, &c.. but imp)eratively necessary, in order to save the State from bank ruptcy, why, it could devise no m ethod nor supply any means for at tainin'g an end so desirable. It would be as near accomnpl.ishmnent as the mytnical --forty acres and a mule" of twenty years ago for thle negro ! nhere is no denying- that the con-1 dition of the bulk of farmers is criti cal in the extreme; and it is equally plain to find the cause-bad crops, low prices, enormous sums spent in guano, labor and food ! Can a con vention or legislation change the whole system? Not a tittle! What does a negro and family cost a planter per annum now, as com pared with ante bellum days, and what does he produce? He will now be paid, with a working family, some thing like $200, won't he! Formerly, when most of his food and clothing were made at home, he woulr not cost more than $25 to $30 per haps, and each plow would probably produce six bales, about the average now. It takes six good bales to bring .240 this year, so that the wages of one hand and family, with interest on rnule, would swallow up the whole proceeds, leaving nothing for rent, food, taxes, plow, ginning, &c. Is there any wonder that pov erty dogs our daily operations? Of course this is only the aggregate, many making much more. We are constantly urged to assert and maintain our "rights." What are they, and who has deprived us of any? I see some farmers' meetings trying to define what is a "farmer." Some will admit to membership a parson, but no doctor or lawyer need apply! The latter class seem to be the incarnation of evil, and "blue laws" may be looked for in order to suppress their diabolical practic. En fact, every class is represented as being in league against the unfortu nate farmer! Lawyers have usually been credited with more than ordi. nary sagacity and some ability to see through a wall, but it would seem they are failing in wisdom, or they would give the poor farmer a rest nurse him up, get a little flesh on his bones and some money in his pock ats, and there would then be more' pleasure in "squeezing" hirdT -T. [s neither pleasure nor profit now for merchant, doctor, lawyer or parson, ecause he is out of money, out of emper, and almost void of hope. With no wish to impugn the mo. ives of any man, I would ask the: armers to carefully study all the ut-. erances, both in the "call" ad pre ious letters and am satisfied that an mportant and coG1 examination of he mass of charges, assertions an retended facts will convince thei hat the farmer's welfare is quite a socondary matter, and that their so :alled convention, if held, will sun ply he a political caucus of some as pirants for offices for which theyjmay >r may not be qualified, and whi.d hey hope to reach by throwing dust n the eyes of a class whom they call nsane. It remains with the farmers o decide whether or not they . will ~ttend a convention called under such flattering terms and full of mis statements. Can they, without sacri icing all self-respect, join such a body - when its organizers have declared again and again that for ten years past a farmers' Legislature and ex ecutive officers, and the "minions' of both, "many of whom are farmers," ave been robbers, incompetent, cor rupt and oppressive? Are the ... charges true in any single case? If not proved, will the mass of honiest farmers tamely submit to such an in sult to themselves and to the men whom they have chosen from tm,to timer Will they actually join hands with their traducers and help to place them in office? These questions deserve our serious attention, .and no doubt have occurred to thousands2 before this will meet their eye. A. FARM3n Early Nominations. - The Marlboro Chronicle has~nomi nated Hon. Win. A. Courtena o~% Charleston-for Governor. The Summerville Herald proposes Hon. Jennings W. Perry, of Sum merville, for Lieutenant-Governor. "New Deal," in the same paper, announces~ Hon. M. P. Howell for Congress from the first district. The Columbia correspondent o' the News and Courier says: "The friends of Col. Richard Singleton, of this county, have determined to sup port him for the position of State Treasurer in case the present in cumbent, Col. John Peter Richar' son, is not a candidate for re.ec tion." It has been decided that a navsa. cadet who throws kisses at a girl ii guilty of ungentlem~anly conduct Quite right. He should carry them~ to her and place them gently on her lips. \: Beauty is not confined to one par ticular rank in life, nor yet is home- : liness, but we want somebody to tell~' us of a young lady with a million in her own right who hasn't a good