The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-07-30

| u" "hSSi, "
competitive basis. and do busi-
ness on a ';live and let live prin-
ciple."
FARMERS, IS THIS A SUGAR COATED
PILL:
Hon. G. NJ. Davis has a COM
munication in these columns
which we wish our readers to
carefully consider. There are
statements made therein which
to our mind will make it plain to
any school boy to reach a con-
clusion. We publish his commu
nication without charge and with
a degree of pleasure.
Our readers will remember
that in several issues of our pa
per we editorially had something
to say about cotton seed oil mills
combining. What we have said
about this matter remains un'
changed; we still contend that
these institutions are in a combl-
nation with a general manager
who resides in Darlington and
who was here yesterday. Our
information is that the cotton oil
mills in this combination under
the management of Mr.. R. L.
Dargan, are located at the fol-
lowing places: Marion, Darling
ton, Wadesboro, N. c., Manning,
Davis and Cheraw.
We are also informed that as a
result of this combination, IN
stead of each of these mills hav-
ing competing agents to buy
seed at the various depots, the
seed will be bought by one agent
and he will ship to the nearest
oil mill. We have never heard
of any report of gins being
bought up or leased by any OF
these mills, but we have also
never heard any response to the
proposition that the oil mill CON-
bination will sign an agree
ment to gin cotton at 81 per bale
and furnish bagging and ties for
a period of five years.
That the oil mill Mr.. Davis is
president of is composed largely
of farmers we have no doubt is
true. There are farmers and
farmers; for instance Mr.. Davis
is a farmer, nevertheless he is
largely interested in three cor
porations, Davis Lumber Com
pany, Aiant Mercantile Com,
pany, Farmers Oil Mil Com,
pany, president: we believe, OF
all three corporations, yet he is
a farmer. We also think that
one of the stockholders in his
mill is a neighboring merchant,
he, too farms, and is one Of the
Largest merchants in the county:
he also can be classed as a farm
er. Then if the list OF stock
holders were made public it will
be seen there are others who
also either farm themselves or
rent out, even some who hold Of
fee, and perhaps relatives who
live abroad are interested IN
farms and who are among the
stockholders. It would not sur
prise US to learn that Mr.. R. L.
Dargan Of Darlington, the gen
eral manager of the combination,
also has a block of stock. There
| is nothing criminal or wrong in
people taking stock in oil or
other mills; it is legitimate busi-
ness, as much as being a mer-
chant, selling goods on liens at
1902 prices. There is no COM
plant of the corporation, COM
bining to crush competition is
what hurts. No complaint can
be lodged against a man who:
by his thrift and fnanciering can
manage to become president OF
three corporations in one small
county.
Personally Mr., Davis is a very
clever gentleman, and it is to his
credit that he has amassed a
fortune in a few years, and that
by his expansive ideas he con
tinues to pile up the wealth. It
would be a source of great graf
LITIGATION if the people living in
the territory where Mr.. Davis
thrift has been so successful,
were also rolling in wealth OF
even independent. In that Sec
ton there are as good farmers,
with as much energy and as good
land as anywhere. Are they in
dependent? Are their homes un-
der mortgage? Consult the rec
ords. Do these farmers living
near where this Klondike exists,
work? Then why have they to
mortgage their lands, their
crops. their stock to procure
credit? Why don't they secure
an Aladdin's lamp? These are
pertinent questions which tend
merely to remind people that
there must be "heWers of wood
and drawers of water" and un'