Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-09-11

our increasing population and that of
the trade we have in other countries.
This being the case, is it not natural
that we should strive for wider out
let, establish new trade centres and
hold that which we already have
and safeguard the same and continue
our onward march in material pro-
gress? Do the farmers, merchants
and mechanics and laborers of this
country want any check or blight on
the enterprises springing up in our
midst dailyp ] would not rob one
industry or business to build up
another; but think with open doors
to the world, with a we'll regulated
merchant marine to enlarge the facil-
tiles of trade and commerce that will
lessen the cost of transportation to
the producer, we can compete with
the world and build up trade with
countries we cannot now reach. do
not say to give bonus to favored
few, but give the benefit of the re-
duced cost to the producer. These
matters are important and require
craftsmanship to formulate laws to
meet the emergencies without favor
itism to the strong and harm to the
weak. To these we must look for
just and impartial laws, and at the
same time use every effort in our
power to enlarge, extend and expand
our trade and commerce with outly
ing countries.
We want to build more cotton
mills with more Northern capital :;
make more mills as easily and in the
way one of our friends said we could
the other day at Union. He said
that all that one of these mill presi-
dents had to do when he commenced
to build a mill was to 60 North and
say he wanted to get money to build
a cotton mill with which to coercc
the poor white men of our State and
turn them over to the Republican
party, he could get all the Republi-
can money he wanted. This is not
my experience and not true. l have
never had the misfortune to meet q
Northern Republican Or Il Southern
who was such a fool as this, and
was surprised to hear the statement
from the gentleman. Just here l
wish to make this statement, that
with all my intercourse with both
Northern and Southern stockholders
the matter of politics was never dis
cussed. l believe this is the expert
cnce of all the mill presidents. These
people are not in the business for
politics or politicians.
was asked at Union by one of
the gentlemen who boasted that he
owned $4,000 in mill stocks: "Why
don't these mill presidents divide
their ono hundred per cent. divi-
dends with the poor operatives ?" 1
wish to say | do not know of any
mills making any such fabulous pro-
fits. If such was true no mill presi-
dent has the right to divide any mill
dividends with any one or to use
funds from his treasury for any other
purpose than mill purposes. The
stockholders declare the dividend
and the presidents pay them out.
When paid to the individual stock
holders they can do of course as they
please with their money, even return
ing it to the operatives. l would
ask this stockholder why he doesn't
divide his dividend with the opera
tives of the mills in which he is q
stockholder ? The presidents and
treasurers stand on the halfway
ground between the stockholders and
operatives. First comes the tax
gatherer, then the operatives, and
lastly the stockholder. If this rule
of copartnership obtained how would
the gentleman do when the mills
made no profits, as is the case some
times ? Would he have the opera
tives pay back to the mill their pro-
portionate part of the loss No,
gentlemen, it is very easy for n poll
tician to tell his constituents how
they must run their business and how
they must vote.
| wish to say word in behalf of
the mill operatives who have been
insulted by the insinuation that they
could be coerced into voting in the
way tie mill presidents dictated.
The man who intimated this is Ger.
tainly ignorant of the sentiment of
the very people to whom he proposes
to 60 at night and stir up. They
have manhood, independence, do
their own thinking, and no man dares
to attempt to coerce them at the bal
lot box or stir them up at night in
the mill village. These people love
freedom of thought and action and
exercise the same.
| In onnolnn;o,, LII