The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-11-22
A Cotton Mill as an Adjunct
to a Country Bank.

ed by B. S Walker, president of the
Monroe Cotton Mills and vice presi
Gent of Bank of Monroe, Ga before
the Bankers Association of Georgia,
at their convention held at Warm
Springs, Ga.
The members of the convention
were so delighted with the address,
that they ordered it printed and dis
tributed with the hope tha: it would
do much good-in developing the
industries of State
There are in almost every town in
Georgia merchants who fume and
fret every time a new merchant
locates in their town doctors who
criticise and SANDER the new pill
soller as he comes fresh from the
medical college with his new crisp
diploma, prepared as he thinks to
neal all the diseases to which human
ity is subject lawyers who pounce
upon the new limb of the law, aod
IN a saeering manner advertise his
mistakes in his first cases and pre-
dict his failure in places likely to do
bim harm bankers who groan in
disgust every time the see Mr.
Witham has opened a new bank
There are cotton mill men in this
State now rolling in anguish, irett;ng
their lives away because they see
now and then a new cotton mill
projected in some Georgia town
and, if by chance they are appealed
to for advice by those intending to
build new mill, they tell the parties
to keep their money out Of cotton
mills, that there are already too
many io the country, those now
running do not pay and often times
they defeat the building of the mill
l an thankful do not belong to
this class of croakers / am one Of
those who believe every bale of
cotton produced in Georgia should
be spun in Georgia There is no
such thing as too many mills IN
Georgia. or in the South, 80 long as
as single bale of cotton is shipped to
New England or across the water.
l am tired OF seeing our farmers sell
their cotton at S25 per bale 20
foreign manufacturers and buy it
back in its manufactured state at
from $50 to S75. the difference
between the price received 'and price
paid having gone to pay freight. to
enrich foreign manufacturers and to
feed and clothe the poor of other
countries, while our worthy pc,r
people are left to spend their lives in
misery and want. a noble old
Georgian, who has made a large
fortr~e by manufacturing cotton, said
few days ago, as several hundred
of his operatives were passing out of
his mill : 81 enjoy feeding and cloth
irg these poor people more than |
enjoy all the money I've made .
If by what l shall say here today
I can arouse one dead, sleepy town
to action ; if I can cause one honest
Georgia widow with her helpless
children to leave the cotton field,
where they are not making expenses.
and move to new cotton mil! to be
built in her county town to move
from the old dilapidated cabin in the
country to the new, white cottage in
the mill village nearby, where they
will make more clear money IN one
month than they have made in twelve
months on the cotton farm, | will be
delighted and will welcome the slurs
and abuse of those selfish, narrow
minded men who. because they own
few shares in some cotton mill, or
perhaps hold an Office in one, will
shower upon my head their harshest
epithets.
i am almost prepared to say where
ever there is a bank in Georgia
town and no cotton mill. the bank has
no. dcne It's duty. | will say most
emphaticaily the bank has neglected
most important opportunity for in
creasing its own business andof every
individual in its community. from the
iargeet merchont 10 the most lnsignl
fcent washer woman or wood chopper
For the proof of this assertion |
have but to refer you to my own
town. Monroe, to Harmony Grove,
to Jackson, to Toccos, and to Eber-
ton, in each of which places pros
porous, dividend paying cotton mills
have been built under the supervision
of officers of the local tank, and are
now being operated most successfully
to the great good of the bank, and
for the benefit of every man, woman
and child in these towns
Do not understand me to say the
banks are in partnership with the
mills This is not true, and it would
not he advisable hnt tho mills are