About Union recorder. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1886-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1887)
POWDER Absolutely Pure. This powder never varies. A marvel of purity, strength and wholesomeness. More economical than the ordinary kinds, and cannot bo sold in competition with tlio multitude of low tests, short weight, alum or phosphate powders. Sold only in nans. Royal Bakixg Powder Co., 106 Wall St. New York. 10 ly. Aaricnltural uEparimEnt, Georgia’s Farmers. A Graphic Review of Their Condition A PROMINENT AGRICULTURIST GIVES HIS VIEWS AS TO THE NEEDS OK THE PEOPLE, ANDTHKJIURDKNS WHICH THEY. NOW HAVE TO HEAR—THE CREDIT SYSTEM -TDK NECESSI TY OK A CHANGE. ETC. From the Atlanta Constitution. Greensboro, Ha,, March 2D, 1887, —Hon. J. T. Henderson, ('oinniission- er of Agriculture, Atlanta, Ga.— Dear Sir: Yours of the 23rd instant receiv ed and harmfully considered. 1 fully agree with you as to the absolute ne cessity of devising some means to re lieve bur embarrassed agricultural in terest. No doubt an interstate con vention, composed of the States sug gested in your letter, would, in venti lating the causes of this embarrass ment. do something that might re sult in a remedy for this great evil. These States, so nearly allied in agri cultural products, and in like manner lepressed and oppressed, would feel the question of relief to be of vital luportance to the farmers, as upon this depend every oilier interest tend ing to the permanent welfare of the country. It cannot be denied that the substantial prosperity and happi ness of a country depends mainly upon the productions of the soil, un der a liberal encouragement and pro tection of tin* gn*ut mass of produ cers. It, is now a sad fact that uie large majority of our agriculturists are working hard and living harder, and enjoy but little of the fruits of their labor. We hear it said on every hand that farming, which has ever been the great source of trade and wealth and prosperity, does not pay; and a wide-spread discontent and de pression prevails among the farming classes. Many are giving up in de spair, and seeking a living in various other avocations, from a ludicrous scramble after public office, to the grooming of tome little scrub colt. They flock, to our cities and towns, and many finally make vagrants and tramps and criminals. 'This applies to whites and negroes. Our records are filled with liens and mortgages upon dilapidated farms and poverty strick en stock. Our children are growing up in illiteracy and ignorance. Our sturdy yeomanry, as we call them, go shivering in the cold blunts of winter, i nd writhing under the scorching jays of summer and foroed to live iu tumble down bouses and on a diet that would give bogs the dyspepsia. Debt, debt, inexorable debt, contract ed for bis scanty supplies, haunts him by duy and by night like a horrid nightmare, and a general sickening business mildew is settling down upon all his aims and hopes. A gjoomy picture, but too true, us can be proved by any man who will trav el through the country and note its general condition. ’Talk about a renewed south spring ing up. phumix like, from the ashes of the war, with renewed energies, renewed prosperit\ and increased mag ic like wealth. It is all gush so far as it relates to our general agricultural interest. Outside of a few moneyed centers and speculative schemes 'no such condition can be found. True, you ilnd now and tuen an exception, but 1 refer to the general condition of our farmers. What lias brought about this fearful stagnation in this all-importunt branch of our country's prosperity? Is there a remedy for the ivil? j answer there is a remedy, but we mav have to take the “bull by the horns.” The main oiuses which have produced this unhappy state of af fairs may be stated in a few words. Many will say the credit system is to blame for it all. While tfiis may be true in one sense, yet in a real business sense it is not. When our soldiers, who composed almost the whole of our adult white male population, returned from the war without money, without currency, without supplies, without almost anything to live on ihe credit system became an unavoidable neces sity—with most of them it was “live outs and one in." “Out at the heels, and out at the toes, Out or victuals, and out of clothes, In debt, and out of doors." Hence they were forced to adopt the credit system; and, while this was i the starting point, the initiating step, yet credit was not and is not the true * cause of the embarrassed condition of j our agricultural interest. You ask, j how can this seeming inqonsitency be reconciled? 1 answer, a man can I buy an article on credit and pay for I by his honest labor if the price' agreed on be just and reasonable; but if 1 take advantage of his necessity, us Jacob did of Esau, and extort more tliun the thing is worth, his paying fOr it when due will simply depend upon some fortuitous circumstances which may or may not happen; and should the lucky event fall he will have the debt to pay out of something else than his honest labor. You see the point. It was not the necessary credit but the exorbitant rate of in terest and the extortionate “time prices” for supplies which have caus ed, and is yet continuing, this unfor tunate state of affairs as to a large majority of our farming classes. 1 believe your investigations have shown that the farmers of Georgia pay for supplies oil time sixty-six per cent on the cash prices, and a high rate of interest on money has prevail ed all over the State as to individuals for the past twenty years; in many instances as much as live per cent per month has been charged, and ten to twenty percent has been about the ruling rate. No sane man would dare claim that the agricultural interest of any country could by any possibility prosper under such a terrible incubus as this. The great astonishment is that our farmers have borne up under such a burden as this as well as they have, but yet thousands have fallen tinder the weight, and are now home less upon the face of the earth. To say nothing of our pauper houses, and prisoners, and tramps, and va grants and loafers, no wonder our lu natic asylums, now overflowing with pitable inmates, cannot be enlarged fast enough to meet the public re quirements. Our genial climate and generous soil is all that has saved the producing classes from universal bankruptcy anil starvation. For if you will but tickle the bosom of our cheerful soil with a three inch scooter, it will blossom as the rose, and smile upon you in rich profusion like the garden of Eden. Ohl but says one, the evil has result ed from a want of diversified crops, we have an over production of cotton. In the history of the world when was it ever before said that too much had been produced of any article so gen erally needed as cotton, and of such universal consumption and varied uses. 1 have learned that, it is a very easy matter for another to give me advice; but “Samson was very strong and Soloman was very wise, but neither could pay money when they did not have it.” ’ A man can do a thing easi- ly enough if lie only has tlie means to do it with. It is but little trouble to tell him where to get. things at a rea sonable price, but without money, he would be like the Irishman, in want of milk, wlio was told where he could get it at ten cents per gallon, but said be “Ali! an fat.h I’m afther foinding the ten cents.” Give him the money of his own, or at a reasonable per cent and he can and would do a great many things he cannot do. A farmer buys his supplies on time expecting to pay for them from the sale of bis crops; In* plants ten acres iu corn which makes him 200 bushels, which is more than the average yield; the same teu acres would make live hales of cotton. For the corn he would rea lize about *120. but the cotton would bring him *200, a difference of sSO in favor of cotton. Now, the corn would not pay liis supply account, while the cotton would just pay him out, but leave him nothing over. This differ ence in the amounts received for his erops about shows the difference between the cusli and “time” prices which our farmers are forced to pay for supplies, so that, from year to year, the “time prices” the result of his necessities leaves to him no alter native but the all cotton system. No farmer will question the fact that di versified crops would better promote the prosperity and happiness of the whole people, but, situated as we find him, how can he possibly adopt it? .This is not an overdrawn picture, but is a lamentable fact. Soli him his sup plies on time at a just and reasonable peroent profit, and out of his no more than five bales of cotton he would have left In his own pocket a balance of at least $50 or $00, which aggre gated would be indeed a large amount left in the hands of a great mass of producers, and would soon enable him to quit the credit system, and would then be applied to the improvement of the lands, and to making their homes comfortable. In Georgia alone this aggregate would amount annually to $8,000,000 or $10,000,000, which would be left as the net profits of their labor in the hands of the tillers of thesoil, and thousands of these would be made up of small farmers. If one-half of the above amount could be realized by our farm ers os a profit, and which, iu all justice and good conscience and fair dealing, they should realize, it would in reality infuse a new life and im pulse Into our agricultural interest thut would he ‘us the dew of Herman that descended upon the mountains of Zion;” and as if by the magic wand of some good angel, it would shower blessings upon oar country, and bring joy and gladness to thousands of homes now shrouded iu gloom. We might tiien truthfully say we live in u revived south with an increasing pros perity and wealth and happiness un- paralled in all its former history. A more genial clime or generous soil than ours has never been found. We possess everything in the variety of products, and minerals, ami natural resources to make us one of the greatest people and countries that ever blest the world; but the fearful drawbacks herein mentioned are eat ing like a canker into the very vitals of our country’s progressive life. It is a fact too well known to admit of de bate, that n low rate of interest lias always resulted in the prosperity of the agriculturist, and tended to pro - mote the success of every other legiti- imate business looking to the build ing up of a country, and the estab lishment of public confidence; while a higher rate is antagonistic to all these elements of progress and tends to general poverty and bankruptcy. Hut now as to the remedy. This is the difficult question to struggle with. 1 feel jjroud of my section and people. It is well known that southern char acter is rioted for its high sense of honor. It may very properly be a question in some insteuces as to the correctness of that sense of honor. If he promises to do a thing his idea is to do it if it kills him; if he agrees to pay 100 per cent his purpose Is to pay it although it may bring ruin to him self and family. In one sense, and an important sense, this is an incorrect view as to an honorable compliance with a contract, because it is the en couragement of the wrongdoer, and the oppressor not only of yourself but of your neighbor, undjthe underminer of your country’s real good. A rob ber meets you on the highway and de mands your money; you have none with you and you say turn me loose and as soon as 1 get home I will send you all. Now, if you complied with this promise would not every man say you acted the fool? Would you be any less honorable m not sending it? Where would be any condemna tion under any law human or di vine? Neither would an enlightened public opinion censure any man for refusing to pay an unlawful, ruinous interest for money. The law makes robbery u crime. The law says exorb itant usury is wrong and shall not be collected. So in both cases we are sustained by the same wise, impartial, honest judgment of our legislators, which ii but a true expression of a just public opinion. The truth is, a man owes something to his family and to himself, and no law of man or God could honestly condemn him for refus ing to comply with an unjust contract, resulting from taking advantage of his necessities, ami which would final ly end iu want to himself and fojuily. Our law makes the limit of interst 8 percent and more than this would bo unjust and oppressive. Is it a just and wise law? If so, where is the wrong, or condemnation, or dishonor in refusing to pay a greater than 8 per 'cent interest? That the law is just is too evident, at least the advan tage is in favor of the lender. Mon eyed men are ready and glad to ! invest in “bonds” and “stocks” pay ing 4 per cent or 5 per cent interest, j Then this is all that money is really I worth. The law permits nearly twice ] this tier cent as to individuals, and I wisely restrains the lender from go- 1 ing beyond Its limits. A penalty should be affixed for any attempt to 1 violate this law. And it would be a good tiling for the whole country if a law could be passed that would reach all evasions, whether under the name of commissions, agencies or any other pretext; and then cultivate the public mind to recognize tlie fact that all the dishonor attaches to the man who ex torts it and not to him who refuses to pay it. i It seems our legislators have been unable to devise a law that can reach theseextortioners under “timeprices;” and it is indeed a difficult question; but it does seem that its necessity and importance would, under wise' anti united counsel, result in suggesting some law that could remedy the evil. As the law now stands, under the violation of the contract idea, the op pressed debtor is powerless to resist the merciless demands of the heartless creditor; and legal robbery is the most wicked and ruinous of all robberies, because it endangers the best interest 1 of tlie whole community, and leaves the weak and dependent under sub-j jection to the grinding extortions of the rich and avaricious. The trtiei object of all good government is to protect the weak against the strong, [ punish crime, and prevent wrongdo ing. Now if the evils herein named do not class among the greatest! wrongs which can be perpetrated up on a people, then I would like to know what is wrong. It is causing today more embarrassment, and pov erty, and suffering, than any other 1 evil. If your business men would look at tills question in its proper bearings they would see that in tlie end it is financial suicide, and destruc tion to every material interest of tlie country, ana is doing more than everything else in destroying public and individual confidence. Tlie quickest and surest way to restore this confidence arul bring about a prosperous state of affairs would be to change this system of dealing with the agriculturalists of the country, I believe the agricultural interest would be very greatly promoted by applying to it wholly and directly all the fees and revenues derived from the inspection of fertilizers, as this was the original intention of those who recommended the establishment of tlie “agricultural department.”— This would doubtless be a question in the proposed convention. 1 have said nothing as to tlie efficiency of our currency to meet the demands of trade as another cause of embarrassment, although I am one of the many who believe we need more money, a larger circulation. This is properly a nation al question, but it might also bo con- , sidered, as no doubt many important questions looking to the advancement ami prosperity of our agricultural in terests would be brought to the no tice of such a convention. I will with pleasure cooperate with any movement having in view tlie proposed object. If bis excellency, Governor Gordon, could inaugurate some means that would accomplish the relief so earnestly desired, and which now ‘cries to heaven’ against these evils, lie would add to the many i honors that cluster around his name one brighter than all he has hereto fore achieved, and bring down upon himself the heartfelt gratalations of the thousands of now oppressed tillers of the soil. What u. letter I have written; but your letter encouraged the giving you Hjy views, and i believed you sincere, and you have them for ali they may be worth, although they may differ with the opinions of others—I certain ly did not intend to string it out in this manner when 1 commenced, and hope you will pardon the affliction. J. B. P. Posterity vs. Ancestry. It is no longer questioned, it, is ad mitted, that tin* blood of man is im proving. The children of to-day are better formed, have better muscle and richer minds than our ancestors. The cause of this fact is due more to the general use of l)r. Harter's Iron Tonic than any other source. Ii. Barrett, Invites his friends to call and examine his new and comnlef * of Groceries. He has endeavored to open a I c stock First-Class Grocery Store, in Milledgeville, and intends, so long as he continues in bush* * keep up a full and complete stock of FRESH GOODS and t ’ to just as LOW as tlie same goods can bo sold in this or anv market. He does not propose to cut under Lis Brother Merck * but it will be a “cold day in August” when he is run out hUM*’ Brother who proposes to undersell him. His advantages tte better than any other man, BUT JUST AS GOOD, and he enn n !! afford to meet their prices. He n Makes a Small Profit on all he Sells and “Don’t you forget it.” Ho does not sell at COST lie buys f r the best houses, pays cash, gets the benefit of cash discount 2 therefore can and will ’ UDl1 Sell Goods as Low as Any One! To mention the articles would be useless, suffice it to say, hob. nearly all the goods usually kept iu a First-Class Grocery Store in cities of any size. He will endeavor, by STRICT HONESTY «nl polite attention to merit a full share of the public patronage ’ 2 it successful m business, will promise to do all lie can to build 1 the interest of the city that has so kindly received him. P s. IBjAIELIR.IETT. Xo - d£ ' m, ”"£ g- ® 183611 SWIFT'S SPECIFIC.1111886 19 S s s 8 s s S s s s s s A BEMEDY SOT TOE A DAY, BUT TOE UST HALT A GEHTUEY -*« BELIEVING SDTFEEISff HUMANITY I s s s s s s s s s s s s AN INTERESTING TREATISE ON BLOOD AND SKIN DISEASES SENT FREE TO ALL APPLICANTS. IT SHOULD BE READ BY EVERYBODY. ADDRESS THE SWIFT SPECIFIC CO., ATLANTA, GA. June 22, 188(5. OOcwlv. Near MilledgEville, Georgia; Manufactures STEAM-PRESSED DOUBLED-GLAZED VITRIFIED DRAIN, SEWER and WATER PIPES, SMOKE AND HOT-AIR FLUE PIPE, Flower Pots, Greenhouse Tile, and Other Ware, Etc. wmm mwm a specialty. STEVENS BROTHERS & CO. PROPRIETORS. March 1, 1887. 34 tf T. C. HKNDRIX. O. 1>. WILLINGHAM. GEO. R. LOMBARD & GO., Foundry, Machine and Boiler Works, Above Passenger Depot, near Water Tower, AUGUSTA, GA., Sell the Best and Cheapest Engines and Boilers. Complete Gin and Mill Outfits, —A SPECIALTY.— Mill and Engineer’s Supplies, Cotton, Grain, Sawmill and Labor-saving Machinery, Shafting, Pulleys, Bolting, Saws, Emery Wheels, Governors, Pumps, Inspiiators, Injectors, etc. Largo stock to select from. Prices low, good* guaranteed. Write for circulars. Castings of every kind, and new work (light and heavy) prompt ly done. Best outfit South. t ^OIN WORK, New and Repairs, promptly and well done, at AUGUSTA GIN WORKS. GEO. It. LOMBARD. April 1011), 1337. 41 ly. HENDRIX & WILLINGHAM. MANUFACTURERS AND DEALERS IN Sash, Doors, Blinds, Mouldings Ih/E-AJSTTIiniiS, Newels, Rough and Dressed Lumber, Shingles AND ALL KINDS OF BUILDING MATERIAL. Lime, Plaster, Cement, Hair, Laths, Paints, Oils, Glass and Builder’s Hardware, DIXIE WORKS, Toot of Cherry St. March 8, 1887. P/XACOW, GA. 35 3tu, I am here to Supply a Long Felt Want. MILLEDGEVILLE Marble and Granite Works! M y yard is open and everybody is cordially invited to come and see my work and how it is done'. I am prepared to furn ish any size job from a small Headstone to tlio finest elaborately carved Tablet or Monument. I have as good a selection of origi nal Designs and Photographs as can bo found anywhere in tlie United States. Satisfaction Guaranteed in every instance. Prices, Designs and Estimates sent by mail upon application. Correspondence solicited. E. P. LUGAND, Lock Box, No. 1, Milledgeville, 6a. Jan. 11,1887. 27 tf Brickl Brick! Brick! 1,000,000 FIRST-CLASS BRICK for SALE. P ARTIES Intending to build on thollnoof the Georgia or Central Railroads,wouil do well to consult us before making a contract. First-Glass Paving Brick a Specialty. We are mat lng Brick with the latest Improved Machinery, on the celebrated Can ker yard. BRICK DELIVERED TO ANY PART OF TOWN* Kir We take pleasure In referring to Maj.J. FUSS, Architect and Building Sup«di tendent. foster & mcmillan, Milledgeville Ga.,June 10th, 1880. Contractors and Builder- A. B. FARQUHAR A CO, MACON, 6A„ —Southern Branch of— Pennsylvania Agricultural Works —Manufacturers of— Steam Engines, Boilers, Saic Mills, Grist Mills, AND MISCELLANEOUS MACHINERY. JOBBERS OF Beli|tafipe,BrasslfiiSS HANCOCK INSPIRATORS, ETC. March 8th, 1887,
