The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-05-07
COTTON MILL MEN.

President JRmes l.. Orr OF Piedmout
Makes = Sensible Talk-Seme Com
parisons.-Reau OF Miils
and FArms-Sktlled Operatives Al
ways sare OF Good Pos,sisns and
ana Coed Fay.
The following speech wan made by PTssi.
dent j. l.. Orr at the annual supper OF the
mill men vi Piedmont
This In n mill mems supper. and I shall
speak freely To you, because l, too. am mill
man. and earn my iamily'a support from the
PixuniOnt compauy, Just as escn OF ou does.
l Know 1our strong points and your weak
Identical what benefits one bouefita tho 9th
or. what hurts one hurts the othor We should
therefore be iiapk ana open Ia our inter-
country against the mills and me operatives
engaged therein. To limited extent We can
account for IL by our condition when slavery
existed. There was muro or less prejudice
against men Who worked u. trade with
LneIr Own hands, for when the greatest part
among all clnRses Of manual was performed
by the slaves. While experiences and com.
mon sense has rooted OuL almost entirely this
feeling tn The south. rtrsce OF u sui remains.
There exists also \ feeling among The land.
holders that the growth Of nanufnotories
initiates against tie farming Interests, be.
cause the llOrs industrious. Intelligent and
amontous teuhnu 9eSe Iett tue hims ano
gone 10 the mills. ln my Judgment that II
the secret Influence which has caused adverse
leglsiaton " oe pressed year ster year
against Inc mills anu tne employees In them.
Any fsirminoed man must say tnst such u
ioeling not only onlnst, Dol most ungcner.
ous, for u would prevent q mao from doing
what MS lnterests dictate. we Know tne
counties which have advanced most 10 cot.
Ton manuiactories 10 South Car0lina have
shown the greatest Improvement, and tho
lands ARE 100 per cent higher within n radius
Of nve mlies OF tnese factories tnan tney were
before tneir e:AoiisnmenI;
Aside from the Increased value OF the lands
and general prosperity, statistics show that
this stats IND throughout tho south, Than II
wss before these mills were built, 70 that the
farmers Interests, viewed BY this light, arc
not injured by the mills. but improved. The
iact In that large family with great many
girs, who were mol sell.suppoitlny on the
farms, or could not make doi,sr clear. can
not oniy make . living ~ the mills, out cnn
earn enough 10 Jay ss'oe something every
Let us compare tie condition oi family ON
= inrm aud nt the mill, wherc they furnish
nothing Tut their lahor In either case. Sup.
and his two children large enongh lo help
him. IL hs makes ak bales OF cotton and lUJ
bushels OF corn On an average, which Ia doing
we'll. at seven coats . pound for the cott'n
and sixty ceuts bushei for the corn. be nas
the LANDLORD has furnished tho land, .tock
anu tools, Tue tenant WI! get que SaS5sH 81 tni.
for DIS yeats isDor, wien 10 sIoo.U. ne nas
suffered hardships and prtvatiOns during the
whole year, has cot dollar 10 spend until
the crop 10 IN, aud usually his supplies neces.
aary Tor . bare living takes every dollar LEFT,
no no really gets nothing AZ the end OF the
year. Put this same family In the mill the
man Will set sixiy.nve Genus day for every
working day In the year as common labor.
ct, which will DC S2Ol SO; say his Two children
only earn nfIy spd twenty -hye cent? Q day,
which will be Ssa2.s 20 year, or iolal OF S4Ss q
year In money, sgsin.t siso. 80. and be gets his