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

violation of the law; let this penalty b,
enforced, but not this measure.
AS TO the charge that the compan,
had carried suit against it into tn,
Federal courts, he said that is a con
stitutional right that no man or cor
poration should be made to suffer fol-
exercising. Would not auy Senator
have done the same thing if he hat
thought that he had cause TO do SOL
Shall the right of change of venue be
denied? You all know that when 6
case is brought in the State courts
against 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 att fairly, you can't blame any
corporation for seeking to have its case
transferred to the Federal court where
this sentiment is minimlzed.
AS to the charge that the company is
Expressing the farmers of the State, he
asked seriously, is this true Are
prices eXtortionate He said he was
no farmer and knew nothing about fer
tllizers, but he had some well defined
IDEAS. by the act passed in 1893 the
State invited outside or foreign corpo-
rations to come into the State and do
business. This company came into the
State and bought up seven fertilizer
plants that were nearly bankrupt, and
started to do business. They do not
monopollze the fertilizer business in
tho State fhnxr do nI
put. There are independent companies
in this and other States. 1t Is asserted
that the Virginia Carolina company has
capital of $50,000,000. If this ls
true, and the company wanted to
monopolze the fertilizer business, why
didn't it buy all the plants The fact
is that the company simply bought up
lot of rundown enterprises, put them
on their feet and commenced to do
business. That's all. If this is mon
opoly why hasn't it frozen out all the
concerns 2
Recently new fertilizer company
with capital stock of S600,00O was
formed at Anderson, and a new plant
costing 100000 has just been built in
Columbia. Both of these are indepen-
dent companies. lie quoted figures to
show that the Virginia. Carolina COM
pany has not de crossed 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 Cf 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
fertilizers now than it did few years
ago? There is no big profit in feruli-
zers at the present prices. 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 aud form a trust in
fact as VIZ II 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
TO the whole world that South Carolina
does not want investors fIe said this
bill involved not only the fate of the
Virginia Carolina company, but many
others, of great and varied interests.
The fate of the bill will have far ar-reach-
ing effects, and he hoped it would he
killed in the interests of the whole State.
A large syndicate is being formed to
control the rice plantations around
Georgetown, which would be as great
a 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 Virginia -Carolina company be tried
in the courts and if it be convicted
there is 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 IL. There are
seven or eight others, all of them larger
than the Virgipia-Carolina company.
There was certainly no intentional
wrong, merely an inadvertence through
Ignorance, yet this ls taken as the ex-
cuse for bill which would, as Judge
Hudson said, " be snar 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 I; it will do great deal of harm.
1t will hurt 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-
gretted. Because this company may
have bad name, 10 not let injustice
be done.
Senator Talbird said that the ques-
ton of whether the Virginia Carolina
company is 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- Carolina should be debarred from
doing business In this State on May l,
1902, unless before that time the COM
pany shall domesticate itself in this
State as is now provided by law. He
offered this as an amendment to the
substitute bill.
Mr.. Graydon then tonk the floor and
made some further arguments in sup
port of the measure. He quoted from
many court decisions showing the