The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-02-19

~ PShuiby " tulS IGCnulc
violation OF the law; let this penalty bC
enforced, but not this measure.
AS to the charge that the company
had carried a suit against it into the
Federal courts, he said that is a con
stitutional right that no man or cor.
poration should be made to suffer for
exercising. Would not auy Senator
have done the same thing if he had
thought that he had cause TO do so?
Shall the right of change of II be
denied? You all know that when a
case is brought in the State courts
against a corporation the jury is nearly
always prcjudiced against the corpora
ton. You all know how familiar is
the argument, "Oh, well, the plaintiff
is a poor man and needs the money,
and the corporation is rich and wouldn't
miss it," We must admit this, and.
looking at il fairly, you can't blame any
corporation for seeking to have it's case
transferred to the Federal court where
this sentiment is minimized.
AS to the charge that the company is
expressing the farmers of the State, he
asked seriously, is this true ? Are
prices extortionate 2 He said he was
no farmer and knew nothing about fer
t~llizers, but he had some well defined
IDEAS. BY the act passed 1893 the
State invited outside or foreign corpo-
rations to come into the State and do
business. This company came into the
State anil bought up seven fertilizer
plants that were nearly bankrupt, and
started to do business. They do not
monopollze the fertilizer business i'm
the State f; they do not control the out.
put. There are independent companies
in this and other States. 1t Is asserted
that the Virginia. Carolina company has
a capital of $50, 200, 900. If this is
true, and the company wanted to
monopolize the fertilizer business, why
didn't it buy all the plants ? The fact
is that the company simply bought up
a lot Of rundown enterprises, put them
on their feet and commenced to do
business. That's all. If this is a mon
opoly why hasn't it frozen out all the
{?
Recently a new fertilizer company
with a capital stock of 5000 900 was
formed at Anderson, and q new plant
costing 500, 900 has just been built in
Columbia. Both of these are indepen-
dent companies. lie quoted figures to
that the Virginia. Carolina COM
pany has not depressed the price of
seed and increased the price of hulls
and meals as has been charged. 1t
may be true that the price of some
kinds Ct fertilizers have been increased
within the past few years, but HASN'T the
price of the ingredients increased too ?
Doesn't it cost more 10 produce these
now than it did a few years
ago9 There is no big profit in fertlli-
zers at the present prlces. Ask any of
the independent companies this. Sup
pose we drive cut the Virginia Carolina
company, what assurance have we that
the independent companies will not
form a combination and form a trust in
fact as well as in name2
In conclusion he asked if il is going
to be the policy of the State to drive
out capital +? Do we want to advertise
the whole world that South Carolina
Goes not want investors (? lIe said this
bill involved not only the fate of the
Virginia. Carolina company, but many
of great and varied interests.
The fate of the bill will have far -reach-
ing effects, and he hoped it would he
killed ia the interests of the whole State.
A large syndicate is being formed to
the rice plantations around
Georgetown, which would be as great
God-send to that section as was the
big lumber company, and he feared
that if this bill passed the company
would not be formed. He opposed
both the bill and the substitute. Let
the VlrSinia-Carolin company be tried
in the courts and if it be convicted
there is a law 10 punish it.
Senator Barnwell said that the Vir-
ginia.C Carolina is not the only one that
has violated the law in the same respect
as is charged against IT,. There are
seven or eight others, all of them larger
than the Virginia-C Carolina company.
There was certainly no intentional
wrong, merely an inadvertence through
yet this 10 taken as the ok
cuse for a bill which would, as Judge
Hudson said, " be snap Judgment" to
use no less harsh expression. Besides,
any attempt, to prevent the transfer of
cases TO the Federal courts will always
be futile. Again, the State should
have no reason to fear the Federal
courts if the State has right on its side.
This bill that is before us can do no
good /; it will do a great deal of harm.
1t will hurt a great many sections of
the State and it will help nobody. He
hoped that the idea which seemed to
prevail that something ought TO be
done " would not cause the Senate to
do that which would always be re-
GREETED. Because this company may
have a bad name, 10 not let injustice
be done.
Senator Talbird said that the ques-
ton Of whether the Virginia. Carolina
company ls a trust really has nothing
to do with the bill. He had talked
with the attorney general aud fully
understood his reasons for taking the
position that he did. However, he had
secured from him an amendment to
the bill which would meet the issue
and would stand the test of the courts.
That amendment simply said the Vir-
ginia-C Carolina should be debarred from
doing business In this State on May /,
1902, unless before that time the COM
pany shall domesticate itself in this
State as ls now provided by law. He
offered this as an amendment to the
substitute bill.
Mr.. Graydon then touk the floor and
made some further arguments in sup
port of the measure. He quoted from
many court decisions showing the