The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-09
VERY LIVELY DISCUSSION
[coNT1NUED FROM PAGE ONE.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
ern capital. 1t would not accomplish
what it was seeking to do and would
result in driving away those who had
money to invest
Mr.. Tillman asked Mr.. Prince if he
was willing to have capital to come
here under conditions Of white slave,
ry. Mr.. Prince replied in the negative
and declared that no factory president
in the county that he came from dared
attempt to rule white people as slaves.
He recited what factories were dong
for the education of the children and
said that was the kind Of oppression
it seemed they wanted to save employ
ees from.
Mr.. Clayton opposed the amend
ment and Mr.. Burke favored 1t.
Mr.. Gage thought that this conven'
ton should not attempt to pass on
facts. They were trying to do it, and
what was the result2 The gentleman
from Edgefeld 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
were talking about; one of them was
q United States senator and none OF
them went into a factory more than
once year.
Tillman-Do you know anything
about it9
Gage-No, do not.
Tillman-Then why don't you hush!
Gage-Because you have not.hushed
and I won't hush. These gentlemen
come here and try and stultlfy them
selves by making statements of facts
when thew are not informed and try to
make fools of us. They can't do 1t.
Where, said Mr.. Gage, is to be vest
ed the power to say when a town has
grown to be a factory town. There are
factories in many towns. Leave 1t to
the legislature to arrange this matter
as provided in the committees report:
If the gentleman from Edgefeld will
read that report he will see that it Gov
ers the ground; he is a man 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: .
Mr.. Gage-Then abolish the legisla
ture.
Mr.. Gage went on to say that the
imputation of Mr.. Tillman upon the
members of the legislature was un'
worthy of him. He showed that fol
the last five years there had been an
average of twenty-five towns chartered
each year by the legislature.
Mr.. w. B. Wilson offered an amend
ment to section reading as follows
"AIl towns having 1000 inhabitants
shall be incorporated.
Senator .Tillman accepted that
amendment.
Mr.. Stanyarne Wilson desired to
make his position clear in the matter.
Perhaps the gentleman who had spok'
On about the freedom of the factory
employees had not seen as he had,
factory presidents and superintendent
standing at the polls handing out tick
cts to their employees as they came
up, and if they did not vote them the
leaders would be turned off as warn
ing. 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 pos,
s,blo o0ynpopoofinyo
Mr.. Stokes offered an amendment to
make the towns of 500 inhabitants
come within the provisions of Mr.:
Wilson's amendment. 1t was declared
out of order, two amendments being
pending.
Mr.. Haynesworth 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 voice in the matter.
Mr.. George D. Tillman took the
floor and made an impressive speech.
It had been said that the only thing
more timid than one million dollars
was two million dollars. It takes
money to build cotton factories; we
have not got it. To get it we must 60
north or to Europe. He regretted the
effort to incorporate cotton factories
He was astonished at the position OF
the gentleman from Spartanburg, the
county whose wealth had been SO
wonderfully increased by these facto'
ries. In the south we have but two
Industries, growing cotton and manu-
featuring it. Cotton factories are our
means of converting cheap cotton into
cloths instead of sending it to New
England and Old England. All cot
ton mill men coming south prefer to
locate factories on some waterpower in
the country rather than in a. city
where any Tom, Dick and Harry may
be in position to plunder them with
taxes. Why not incorporate two OF
three adjoining rice plantations on the
coast, having j, 900 hands! To incor
porate these factories would be dead
letter. Cotton mill men would con.
troll the property. They 60 into the
business to make money, not to found
cities. If operatives are offensive why
should they not be told to 60. These
gentlemen upon the floor who EN-.
ployed hands, he guaranteed, wished
to have the privilege of telling them
to ''go" if they were offensive.
A Voice-They do do it.
Mr.. Tillman-Of course they do.
The speaker then turned to the pro
noeition tn establish O h,lreall of labor