The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-10

pi ioooioh eo oho laCVofy poOplo VI oPhr
tanburg.
Mr.. Prince l was speaking of those
people in the factories of Anderson
and Greenville, who would scorn to be
considered slaves. 1 regret very much
to know that the same spirit does not
prevail among those of Spartanburg,
rs indicated by my friend.
Mr.. Prince then declared that if this
amendment was passed 1t wOuld be
tho death knell of factories in South
Carolina. Not because il would have
any effect upon the government of
these towns, but it would frighten off
northern capital. 1t would not ac-
complish what it was seeking to do
and would result in driving away
those who had money to invest.
Mr.. Tillman asked MIR. Prince If he
was willing to have capital come here
under conditions of white slavery.
MIR. Prince replied in tho negative
and declared no factory president in
the county that he came from dared
attempt to rule white people US slaves.
lie recitcd what factories wvro doing
for the education OF the children and
said that was the kind Of oppression"
1T seemed they wanted TO save tho cm-
plOyes from.
Mr.. Clayton declared that he was
tired OF having. capital" thrown in
thcir teeth as if it was the only thing
to be considered. There were higher
rights. There wcr' personal rights,
and he could no: vote for tho amend
ment. He was hcro to hold tho scales
easily and justly. When tho factory
owns all the property they had no
more right to say what that corpora
tion should do with it than they had
to dictate to the farmer working a
thousand hands. They should not i'm
pose burden upon II factory that they
would not set on any other property
owned.
MIR. Burns spoke from tho labor
standpoint as he saw it. Thcy must do
something, he said, or capital will rule
South Carolina. He spoke of tho Ia
borer as IL capitalist. For, he said, he
advances the value OF his labor until
the end OF the month or pay day
MIR. Gage thought that this convcn-
tion should not attempt TO pass on
facts. They were trying to do it, and
what was the result? Tho gentleman
from Edgciicld declared that factory
hands were oppressed ; the gentleman
from Anderson said they were not: the
gentleman from 'Spartanburg stated
that they were. Now, the facts were
that none OF them knew what they
United States Senator and none Of
them went into Il factory more than
once year.
Tillman-Do you know anything
about it?
Gugc--No, | do not.
Tillman-Thcn why don't you hush
Gnge-BecauSo you have not hushOd
| and | won't hush. These gentlemen
come here and try and stultify them
solves by making statements Of fact.
when they arc not informed and try Il
make fools of us. They can't do it.
Where, said Mr.. Cage, is to be vost
cd the power to say when II town ha.
grown to be factory town. There
are factories in many towns. Leave i
to the Legislature to arrange this mat
ter us provided in the committees re
port. If the gentleman from Edge
fed viii read that report he will SEE
that it covers the ground ho is q MAJ
OF sense-whatever his faults may be
he has sense. Let the Legislature
settle it,
Tillman-That's the sting. 1t pro
vides for petition and they can't pc
tition. The Legislature has enough
corporation lawyers in it to block it.
MIR. Gage-Thcn abolish the Legis.
laturc.
MIR. Gage went on to say that the
imputution of MIR. Tillman upon the
mem here of the Legislature was un
worthy o. him. Ho showed that fol
the last live years there has been al
average 'of twenty-five. tnYns chartered
each year by the Legislature.
Mr.. w. Is. Wilson could not siiapOrt
tho amendment. The towns when
they reached Il certain size should be
Incorporated and for that purpose he
offered an amendment to section 2
reading as follows CAL towns hay
ing l,00C inhabitants shall be incorpor-
ated."
Senator Tillman accepted that
amendment.
Mr.. Stanyarne Wilson desired to
make his position clear in the matter.
Perhaps the gentleman who had
spoken about the freedom OF the fac
tory employees had not seen, as he
had, factory presidents and supcrin-
tcndents standing at the polls handing
out tickets to their employees us they
came up, and if they did not vote them
the leaders would be turned off as 81
warning. One Of the main causes for
the large profits being made in the
cotton mills was tho oppression of the
factory employees who received the
least possible compensation.
MIR. Stokes offered an amendment tC
make the towns of 800 inhabitants
como within tho provision of Mr.. Will
sons amendment. 1t was declared out
OF order, two amendments being pond
ing.
Mr.. flaynsworth spoke against the
amendment. The people should have
local self-governmont and the liabili-
tics OF municipalities should not be
forced upon communities without Civ
ing the citizens Il voice in the matter.
The undue influences OF employees
could be provided against in the eloc
tion laws.
Mr. George ID. Tillman took the
floor and made an impressive speech.
1t had been said that tho only thing
more timid than one million dollars
was two million dollars. 1t takes
money to build cotton facto lies we
have not got it. TO got it we must go
North or to Europe. He regretted the
effort to incorporate cotton factories.
Hc was astOnishcd at the position of
the gentleman from Spartanburg, the
county whose wealth had been so won
derfuliy increased by these factories.
In the South we have but two indus
tries, growing cotton and manufacture