The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-01-21
Hishes Of an i Ie.veaing pouer-Late. U. s cost Repos
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A8SOAUVEnY mURE


of 1.-THE utmost Importance that our State
should be credltably represented. L
perfected an organization in every
county in the State aud endeavored to
raise funds from popular subscriptions.
1 found this, however, an herculean
and fruitless task. A mass meeting of
citizens OF the Piedmont section of the
State was held ut Bolton, in Anderson
County, and resolutions passed petit
tioning me to borrow money and secure
for our State q proper place In this
picture OF the resources and Industrial
development of the South. Armed
with this authority, and upon the re-
quest OF many members of your body,
State Treasurer Bates and L succeeded
In raising six Thousand dollars from
the Farmers Bank upon II individual
note, which the bank carried without
interest. We employed Mr.. e. L..
Roche, an expert in such matters, to
collect n secure a proper exhibit of
to Capt. w. A. Clark and MI. j. c..
Hemphill and other members OF the
State Board for active and hearty CO.
operation In securing the exhibit. [
am satisfied that those of you who at
tended the Atlanta Exposition on South
Carolina day were not ashamed of the
State and its exhibit. 1 am happy to
inform you that the State was awarded
a gold medal for having the most COM
prehensive State exhibit. I feel assur-
ed that the State will be repaid many
fold for the investment, and Judging
from the letters of inquiry received by
me during n since the close of tho
exposition concerning the many re-
sources of our State, we have already
been repaid. The State Treasurer and
l feel that you will not hesitate to en-
dorse our action as being for the best
interest of the State and assume the
obligation. a movement is on foot by
the citizens of Chicago to hold an ex
position in that city in September, 1896,
to be known as the Chicago and South
ern States Cotton Exposition. The
object of the exposition is to show to
the West the extent of the develop
ment of manufacturing in the South
and h natural advantages possessed
by the South for further development
in this line, thereby encouraging direct
trade between the South and the West
and a union of these great agricultural
sections for mutual preservation. l am
satisfied the success of such an enter
prise would mean q good deal for the
South, n especially South Carolina,
which now leads in the manufacture
of cotton goods. To this end l have
directed our exhibit to be shipped to
Chicago, with a hope that it will be
but a nucleus of a grander exhibit of
our entire resources. 1 would suggest
that suitable resolutions be passed
by your body assuring the people of
Chicago of your appreciation of their
efforts to unite the two sections and
nf on. hnorft l.. .l...
work. Efforts have been made to OBJ
tain our exhibit to be placed in Phil
adelphia and New York, but l can
see no good results to come from this
course. The interest of this section
is 80 ~antagonistic to ours, and their
greed for bonds 50 great, that | fcar
we could expect nothing save financial
bondage.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Various complaints have been made
to me during the past year against cot.
ton factories working their operatives
longer than the time prescribed by
statute. In each case | have dispatched
a special officer to investigate the facts,
and III warranted to arrest the party.
The report has been that while the
operatives are worked often longer
than eleven ho.rs a day, yet they did
not exceed the sixty-six hours a week
prescribed in the Act. would recon
mend that the law be amended so as &c
require only eleven hours a day, with
no provision for working longer during
the day Tor any purpose. This would
make the law definite and clear and
easy to enforce.
This industry is becoming very DOW.
erful in our State, having more thar
doubled the number OF spindles in the
past two years.
L desire again to call your attention
to the oppression and harGships placed
upon the people by banking institu
tions in the smaller towns of the State
in the practice of usury. 1t aaps the
life and existence of the large number
OF our farmers who are in debt anG
compelled to borrow, even upon the
harshest terms. There can be no de
tense OF the crime. 1 would SUCCESS
as a remedy that q law be passed re
curing the burden OF proof to bt
placed upon the plaintiff in every &C
tion brought upon u note or accoun
to show that usury has not been prac
tlced before q recovery can be had
LII this evil has not impressed itsel
upon you, L feel that nothing that | cal
DO or say will cause you to realize it
The past year has been q prosperou
one for every industry Of the State
Our farmers have been blessed will
abundant harvest; our merchants will
good collections and larger profits GU
banks and factories have paid hand
some dividends our State bonds ar,
bringing o premium of 10 per cent. IL
the market, end for all of this we ar,
thankful. The burdens heaped upol
us, however, by the national govern
ment continue to be increased, and il
time of peace the national debt ha
been increased to the mount OF owe
$500 for every man, oma and chill,
In The nation. Upon the heels of it W,
are threatened with q foreign war
which would mean stagnation of tn,
progress and development of the entir,
South. We believe in the enforcement
OF the Monroe doctrine, but let us hop,
that this Is but u feeble effort to bolste
up the repudiated foreign and domes
tic policy of a great political failur,
and monstrosity.
L invoke the blessings of God upo,
your deliberations.
JNO. GARY EVANS,
Governor.
W.