The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-02-08

no would not ado j t. II was IN y behalf
Of humanity rather than against cor
porations. @.'s'
90 to Polzar, ho said. 'rhoro you
will find school honsaa and churches
as fino as any In Columbia Or CharIes-
ton, furnished by tho owners Of the
mills, for he rusoI Of the operatives. \.
3ggsThere Oapt, Smytho, glorious be his!
namo, has worked among tho opera
tives Thoro many facilities aud con.
yonionces and luxuries are furnishedt
froo to tho operatives by tho mills
Those people dosiro no legislation, for
they need mono. But tho question is
shall We put other mill oommunitios on
tho samo plano? 81.
Shall wo. rolnain in tho plano Of tho
dark sgcs or shall wo aduanoo "a Enga
land has. dono2 GaWe are now just on
tering into a manufacturing era and
from thoScxEerience Of Nagland apd
Now England this legislation ia necas
aary.
Ho olosod with an earnest disclaimer
that ho would not lcgislate against COR
porations.
a Mr.. Prince Of Anderson said that ho
GOULD rot be frightened by tho init
nation that within two years tho labor
unions would take charge Of tho Piod,
mont and leave him and others at home.
Repre- septiDg us good people as there
arc on the face Of tho earth, ho ID not
afraid to do his duty and 90 back to
than. Mr.. Prince stated that his homo
is ina ward in which factory people
live. There il not moro orderly com.
munity anywhere In reply 10 tho
statement of Mr.. john MoMaslcr that
tho operatives Of tho eou,h would
always bo servants to northern superin-
tondonts and bosses, MIR. Pfinoo stated
that tho superintendent and bosses Of
tho mill at Anderson arc county born.
These operatives, ho continued, como
from tho mountains Of Georgia, Tennos.
SEQ and tho Oarolinas. Thoy got moto
in a couple of months out Of the mills
than they did in year in tho noun
tains. They are sturdy pooplo with
good, hard sense and make good oiti-
zens. Talking about raising up criminals
why Pelzor, town Of 5000 people, is
kept oloar Of crime by ono magistrate
thing bo said Of Columbia or any other
placo? Tho mill ohildron arc not harder
worked than they woio oh tho farms
and thoy are botter fed and bottor
clothed Whonoo oamo tho ignorance
in tho mills. Itoome from tho country; !;
God bless tho o)untry. Ho was a ooun
try raised boy himeelf and said this in
no i'll fooling to the country. Ho thcn
defended tho R,v. T.. G. I.igon who
had opposed tho bill boforo the oom.
mittee aud WHO had boon referred to
by Mr. Gunter. Uhsrlio Ligon 10 mono
of your etooplcohase preachers Ho is
q man. God medo him man. Mr..
Pfinco meant no ref seton upon the
gentlemon who had difforod With Mr..
Ligon in tho. public print, but Mr.. lii
gon had lived with tho factory poopIo
and knows'them aud tho other proaonors
had not. The operatives arc not allow
ed to drink In Pelzer and other towns
He oitod the drunkard who takeo the
wages Of his ohildr5n who work in stores
aud is himsolf a town loafor as a oharao-
ter unknown to woll regulated mill com
munities. We arc just on tho threshold
of great mill building ora ind no
wanted no legislation which would DO
country to tho spirit If tho times The
poople who arc labosers now would bo
bossos in tho mills to bo built. He con
tended that girls betweon ii and Is arc
injured worao than children.
Mr.. Francis H. Weston, author Of the
bill fro, was.next recognized He
said that insinuations had boon made
|lby5one sido or tho other about what
would ;happ0n to tho political future of
tho mon who voted for or, against the
bill. He cared not how il would affoot,
his political future, but no would ad.
vooato the bill because ho believed 1t
to be right. It's true that South Oar
olina mills employ ohildron undor IL
years of age. Tho question is, shall
this be stopped2 This country is ruled
by men plaoed in power by tho ballots
Oi the people Tho question is, shall
the county heiruled by an Intelligent
constituency? South Carolina ranks
among tho lowest States in the Union
lin the matter Of illitoraoy. If the child
does not got education in its tondcr
years, tho Opportunity is, lost forever.
Tho constitution Of South Carolina
bases citizenship upon intcll geucs Ia
tolligcnoo, among tho p,oplo is nt o,s-
sassy to tho preservation OF liberty. Arc
We 70 labor forever under tho blight of
illitoraoy? Unless wo take somo ateps
we will do so, What mskos Massaohu,
setts 90 prosperous? Booauso her chill
dron arc boing educated and the odu
oatod mind produces the creator re-
suits than matter South Carolina has
never waited for any othor State to
mark out tho path Of duty and the time
is at hand for hor to act in this matter.
1t will not hurt tho mills. 9
Mr.. Croft Of Aiken, said that the
question ID comparatively now one /,
Within tho past fow years many thous.
ands Of people havo becn engaging in
tho mill businoss and many now prob
loms arc boing presented for solution.
lWo osn profit by the expetionco Of
other States. He has kindly foeling
for tho mills. Indeed, but few days
ago he had on this floor showed his
friendship for thom But this is q
question Of highor Significance. Ho
was absolutely oortain that tho proposi-
tion 10 right. Tho bill socks to give
health and Intelligence to those little
ones. Rob these ohildren of the fow
years when tho free schools arc opon
to thom and thoir opportunity is gono
forever. nhoahopo Of white dominion
is in tho intelligence Of tho whito peo
ple. Ho passed an enoomium upon the
county Of Anderson, And this proud
oOUntv dOeg not naed Tho vnrv Ia ,u