The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-12-25
TRUSTS AND CORPORATIONS.
The Laboring Mans Best Friend-The Population OF the
Country Divided Into Classes
Paper Read Before the Literary Cub Friday Night December TO- 1901
at the Home Of Mr. ]. Allen Smith, BY Mr. Wilson.

human rights for less than mess oi
pottage-a politicians promise?
Let the State of South Carolina take
high stand, and be just to the hum
blest of her children. Put not the
brand of Cain OH any one Of them.
Because of friendly legislation,
twenty years ago, this State stands to-
day at the head of the Southern States
in the matter of manufacturing cotton
goods; and in giving profitable EN-.
pigment to thousands OF good and
honest people, from whom spring
many Of the bes. and most useful citi-
zens Of this country, she excels them
all.
| And because of friendly legislation
In this respect South Carolina is second
only to one State in the Union.
l Let us not Kill the goose that laid
the golden egg, but let us cherish and
encourage all of our industrial enter
prises.
Let the humblest boy between the
plow handles view the passing rail-
road train and o~sider the high
pay which the company gives for
handling their palatial cars. Let
the sight arouse within his breast the
am bition and the hope that be may at
future time receive from the COM
pany more money for one months
work than the ordinary field hand can
earn in year.
Let him zee the humblest sweeper
in the cotton mill, and know that he
may in after years become its highest
officer, and receive daily more pay
than he could earn in a month on the
farm.
Let the boy visit one Of the many
shops that pay the highest wages to
skilled labor, and let him be inspir-
ed with hope and with ambition TO be
more than a mere newer of wood and q
drawer Of water.
The large corporations furnish the
best object lessons for the youth of this
land. They teach him the value of
time, and furnish an example and an
incentive to energy in the application
of business methods.
The corporations are the poor
mans best friend. They give him
higher wages than any private indi-
vidual can pay. The salaries which
are now paid by the railroads and the
cotton mills were unheard Of in this
town before these corporations appear
ed on the scene.
Then, if such corporations pay the
mechanic or the laborer higher wages
than he can get elsewhere, is not such
corporation his best friend?
Iflarge corporations serve the public
better than a smaller aggregation Of
capital, are they not public benefac-
tors?
Ifthey are the laboring mans best
friend, and the benefactor Of the pub
lie, are they not entitled to friendly
laws and friendly consideration
Should they not be. protected from
unfriendly laws?
But whether corporations deserve
consideration or not, the mother Of
poor children has been wronged when
she is deprived Of the divine right Of
caring for her own. When that right
is taken from her which has not been
denied to the lowest OF the animal
creation, she has received blow
which no legislator would dare to give
to mother possessing power and
wealth.
The discrimination against mill OPP
eratives is class legislation, and there
fore repulsive to Democratic principles,
and violative of the inherent rights Of
the American citizen.
Let no man misunderstood me.
While think it would be suicidal to
enact unfriendly laws for the govern
ment Of corporations, yet IT is the duty
Of the legislature to see that they do
not abuse the great power which has
been conferred or which they may as
sumo.
A commission, therefore, should be
organized to see that the humanities
at least are not. fiagrantly and openly
violated.
The cotton Hills assume great moral
obligations, and the manly and the
decent thing for the Legisture to do,
Is to require them 20 treat their opera
tives with proper consideration. Do
this, but do not strike at the rights and
the manhood Of the weak. They
need the protection of the State to
shield them from the oppression of
those mills which would be cruel or
|inconsiderate.
Let not the threatened abridgment Of
the rights Of the poor come from . lack
Of the courage or the want Of man.
hood to require the rich corporations
to correct the evils from which defense
less operatives may suffer.
See that the morals as we'll as the
health Of the weak and lowly are
cared for.
The iron hand Of the law should be
laid upon any heartless corporation
which does not provide for educational
and religious privileges.
No mill which has not q school
house and chapel for religious SER
vice should be allowed to exist.
The heavy hand Of the law should
be laid upon those mills which do not
give more care for the health Of their
operatives than humane man gives
to the beasts OF the field.
While it is barely possible that some
Of the mills have to some extent neg
lected to care for the'health, the morals
and the education Of their operatives,
yet 1t is true that cotton mill men have
done ten fold more for the education,
the moral culture and the physical care
OF their employees than has been done
by any other class Of men on earth.
They have sustained more schools,
erected more churches, and built and
endowed more colleges than a2y other
class of business men in South Carroll
ma.
They combine in the highest degree
as many Of the desirable qualities Of
good citizenship as can be found any
where. They are worth ten thous-
and times as much as whole colony
Of little politicians and childless
women who would interfere with
! their sistera i'm the MANAGEMENT OF