The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-02-20
general to investigate. The policy of
the State was settled by the constitu. t.
lion In 1OOk

to ton in 1895.
le lie declared that there is notbino
~ inc Diil TO Keep foreign capital out {
", the State. If capital doesen't want [
=" aqulesce in the laws of State,
should keep out of the State. Th
- farmers who have had the price O
thelr cotton seed reduced arbitraril
y know whether or not trusts are 1000
Il ehihgs Tor the people. He didn'
x thlnk The Federal Congress could rcacl
the trusts as effectively as the State.
can. These trusts have never created
- nave never built, a plant in the STATE
ana cannot be contributing to tn,
taxes.
Mr.. Ashley wanted to know if tbc
, Dill would not keep the farmers from,
organizing TO control The price of cot.
ton.
Mr.. DeBruhl explained that the
farmers will be able to hold their cot
ton.
MIR. II. Is. A. Roblnson opposed the
Dill. We had held out the olive branch
TO the people of the North and now
since they bavc come here if we 90 to
Expressing them it will be violating a
trust-and he would sooner steal. The
bill hatchcd up here lately i, stained
Win persecution. not prosecution.
Col. Robinson told Ike. a hard
headed boy got kicked by Il mule.
When he recovered his consciousness
he asked his daddy, Will it leave a
scal?" The old man replied, eyes,
you will never look pretty again, but
you will have a burned sight more
sense" He said the Legislature was
liking TO learn hard lesson.
Mr.. Wingo opposed the trusts and
favored the bill. The Virginia. Caro-
Ina Chemical company is buying up
plants iu the State. How? BY run
ming down the price of products, by
forcing the little companies to The wall
and thus buying them in. The far
mers Will see the price of guuno 90 up
when tho Virginia. Carolina Chemical
company gets control Of the fertilizer
manufacturing world.
Mr.. Webb opposed the bill for the
reason that it prevents labor from hcing
| organized. The bill is too sweeping.
III would prevent carpenters or other
workmen from organizing to control
the price Of their labor. He would
vote for the bill if it could be so
amended that the labor organlZ ,tlons
could not be intericrcd with.
MIR. Croft then spoke in favor of the
bill. In answer to Mr.. Thomas he said
that competition is the life of trade.
The Boston tea party incident showed
what the people thought of arbitrary
methods Of assessing commodities. lie
then gave running account of the
growth OF corporate wealth in this
country. No nation on the earth can
| now be compared TO America in wealth.
She exceeded Britain in 1880. Now
she has more wealth than Austria,
Russia and Italy combined. The
question is TO prevent riches from as
sumlng arrogance.
The evil Of the trust is that SO great
a crop Of cotton seed cannot be con-
trollcd by the farmers, but is directed
at Inc stroke of pen of the chairman
OF board OF directors. lie had lc-
Gently had case against The trust
which brought the facts to light. His
client had offered seed for sale in Aiken
and had been offered 10 cents: the
client later went TO Augusta and sold
for | cents. lie went back to Aiken
and told the Aiken man Of his sale.
The Aiken mill claimed forfeiture of
300 tons OF seed from the Augusta
mill. The latter asked Mr.. Croft's
client for release from the trade. AS
an honorable man his client agreed
and then came to Mr.. Croft TO seek re-
dress in the law against trusts. Mr..
Croft declared that his investigations
had led him to sec how the cotton seed
crop OF the State is controlled here in
Columbia. Each mill is allowed a Ger
tain territory and certain price.
There arc heavy forfciturcs If they cx-
coed the limits prescribed.
AS to Federal legislation, he wished
to God that something could be done,
but it seems improbable. AS to Mr..
Ashley's argument that the farmers
would not be able to organize a trust
ho said that they would never organize
anyway.
Mr.. Croft made a splendid reply tt
out capital. Texas is not hampcrct
ny inc llOSS law ana III inc OIL well:
Of Texas is the one hope for success!
against the Standard Oh company
There have been many such bills in The
, General Assembly and the cry has al
ways been that 1t would keep out capl
tai, but no incorporation acts hav,
ever kept out capital and the industrie
| Of the State have grown. Mr.. Crofp
) was a splendid speech, and a synopsi
| does not do it full justice. lie spok
for an hour aid kept the attention O
1 the usually restless and inattcntiv
, House.
c AT the night session, when the bill
| against trusts was again under discus
+ slon, Mr.. g. e. Robinson, Of Plckcne
: stated that he WAS one of those VIII
C had voted against striking out the cr,
y acting words. He had done so hopn
o that the measure could be propcll
Il modified. lie feared, however, th;
c the matter could not be property di
l. cussed at this session, so he moved
reconsider the VOIc whore by thp Jnu,