The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-10-08

the last five years there has been al
average rof twenty-five towns chartere,
each year by the Legislature.
Mr.. w. b. Wilson could not supper
the amendment. The towns wher
they reached q certain size should b,
incorporated and for that purpose h,
offered an amendment to section
reading as follows: "All towns hav
ing ,OOC inhabitants shall be incorpor
ated."
Senator Tillmau accepted tha,
amendment.
Mr.. Stanyarne Wilson desired tc
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 superin-
tendents 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 a
warming. One of the main causes for
the large profits being made in the
cotton mills was the oppression of the
factory employees who received the
least possible compensation.
Mr. Stokes offered an amendment to
make the towns of 500 inhabitants
come within the provision of Mr.. Will
sons amendment. 1t was declared out
OF order, two amendments being pend
ing.
Mr.. Haynsworth spoke against the
amendment. The people should have
local self-government and the liabili-
ties OF municipalities should not be
forced upon communities without Civ
ing the citizens q voice in the matter
The undue Influences OF employees
could be provided against in the cleo
tion laws.
MIR. George d. Tillman took the
floor and made an impressive speech.
1t had been said that the only thing
more t.mid than one million dollars
was two million dollars. 1t takes
money to build cotton factories we
have not got it. To get it wo must 20
North or to Europe. He regretted the
effort to incorporate cotton factories.
He was aStOnished at the position of
the gentleman from Spartan burg, the
county whose wealth had been so won
derfully increased by these factories.
In the South we have but two indus
tries, growing cotton and manufactur-
ing it. Cotton factories are our means
OF converting cheap cotton into cloths
instead of sending it to New England
and Old England All cotton mill men
coming South prefer to locate factories
on some waterpOwer in the country
rather than in the city where any Tom,
Dick and Harry may be IL position
to plumber them with taxes Why
not incorporate two or three adjoining
rice plantations on the coast, having
ZOO hands. To incorporate these fac.
tories would be dead letter. Cotton
mill men would control the property
They go into business to make money,
nOI to found cities. If operatives are
offensive why should they not be told
to go. These gentlemen upon the
floor who employed hands, he guaran-
teed, wished to have the privilege of
telling them to "go" if they were
offensive.
a voice-They do it.
Mr.. Tillman-Of course they do.
The speaker then turned to the prop
Osition to establish bureau of labor,
with a labor commissioner. What
woL1d that commissioner do, he asked
except go among operatives and tell
them they were not being paid
enough, and invite them TO strike.
Up North there were hundreds of
tramp orators who got good wages just
to so around and stir up strife. These
agitutors do nothing but harm.
Mr. Tillman hoped that the sections
carefully prepared by the committee
would be adopted. He moved to lay all
the amendments Oh the table. This
motion was withdrawn in order to per.
nit further debate,
Mr.. b. r. Tillman followed his
brother. He said the Eaeglslature
could not be trusted to protect this
class of factory employees. The in
iluence of the lobby with the paid at
torneys on the floor defeated the in
corporation Of such towns. He would
rather capital stay away than come
here against the liberty of the citizen.
1t was not proposed to ovcrtax the
factory; their property would be pro-
tected, but the object of this was that
when South Carolina became the Mas
sachusctts OF the South, and it was at
tempted to impose upon these employ
ees and drive them out, the employ
ces would have the power put here
enabling them to fix municipal govern
ment on those towns.
Mr., Henderson renewed Mr. O.. ID.
Tillman's motion to lay on the table
all amendments,
Mr.. MCGOWAN was permitted to
speak. This was class Legislation of
the rankest sort. 1t would be inopera-
tive according to the arguments Of its
friends, because If the mill men control
the hands now, they would control
them tn sn but most serious feature
in the measure was that it would enable
diSpensarieS to be established in those
towns, and ruinatlOn would inevitably
follow.
Mr.. w. D. Evans How could they
do it when all the buildings belong to
the franchise?
MIR. McGowan--Yo propose to make
it a corporation, sir.
Mr.. Tillman BY your argument they
would elect the mill president may or,
and If he said so vote against the dis
pensary. How about that?
Mr.. McGowan-i was using there
your argument Do you believe it
would be well TO have dispensaries in
these towns?
Mr.. Tillman-Answer my question.
Mr.. McGowan--I follow your plan,
and ask one in answer to one.
Mir. Tillmap UrOm his seat)--No.
Mr., JOhnstOne, in alluding to Senator
Tillman's reference to the Legislature,
said it was shocking. pitiful. miserable
that such an estimate of the Lcgisla.
ture Of South Carolina should be held
as had been expressed on that floor.
III he had such an opinion of that
body it could not give him an Office.
If factories can dcbauch the Legisla-
thre, let's abolish factories or the Leg
islature. If there exists the power Of
debauchery let's cut out the cancer.
The factory officers had told him
they did not wish TO be incorporated
because they did not wish whiSkcy put
upon them. The principle Of local self