The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-02-04
THE FIRST DEBATE
Takes Place in the State Senate Over
a Bill to
REGUL ,TE TIE TRAFFIC IN SEED
Cotton and Uap& &c!>rsl l.:nt Cotton
Full Text Of the Hiii. and
How the Senators
tored On II.
Voted On Ii


reading in the Senate on tuesday .
last week, general debate enSuei
which occupied almost the entire tim
of the Senate. As the bill is genera
in its scope and Of much importanc
to the agricultural class, it's main fea
lures are given as follows:
Section l. The traffic in seed cottOl
or unpacked lint cotton by purchase
barter or exchange within the perio,
beginning August 18th and ending De
cember 2Oth Of each year without Ii
cenSe, or between the hours OF SunSe
and sunrise, is hereby declared asalnS
the public welfare. and is prohibited.
Sec. ,. The clerks Of the courts O.
common pleas are authorized and EN-
powered to issue licenses 10 traffic il
Seed cotton or unpacked lint cotton by
purchase, barter Or exchange within
the period beginning August 18th ant
ending December Goth of each year
and within their respective countle:
to such person or persons Us Shall ME
with said clerks, respectively, a writ
ten application therefor, the granting
of which shall be recommended II
writing by at least ten land owners re
siding with y the township wherein
said applicant intends to carry on such
traffic. Such license shall specify the
exact place whereat said traffic shal
be carried on and the period within
which such traffic is permitted, ano
shall continue in force for the perlOc
OF one year from the date of issue: ano
for such license, if granted, a fee Of
three hundred dollars shall be paid by
the applicant to the county treasurer
for the use OF the county.
Sec. ). All persons engaged in the
traffic in seed cottCn and unpackeo
lint cotton are required to keep leglbly
written in book, which shall be 0per
to public inspection, the name OF The
person or persons from whom they pur
chase or receive by way Of barter, eX.
change or traffic Of any sort, any Seeo
cotton or unpacked lint cotton, with
the number of pounds and date of pur
chase.
Sec. 4. Any person who shall engage
in the traffic in seed cotton or unpack'
ed lint cotton within the period begin.
ming August 18th and ending Decem'
Der 20th of any year without license as
herein provided, or between the hours
of sunset and sunrise, or who shall fall
to keep the book of record as herein
provided, shall be deemed guilty OF a
miSdemeanor, and on conviction shall
be punished by a fine not exceeding
one hundred dollars or imprisonment
not exceeding six months, or by both
fine and imprisonment, at the discre
tion of the court.
Sec. 5. The provisions OF this act
shall not apply to the purchase OF lin
tiers" nor to the purchase OF seed cot
ton or unpacked lint cotton sold under
process of law in the collection OF rents
or of liens or mortgages previously
given on the cotton sold.
As soon as the bill was called Mr..
Warren moved to Strike out the enac-
ting clause, which was promptly Sec
onded.
Mr.. Gaines, the author Of the bill,
resisted the motion, and stated how
the inequality OF the seed cotton law
now on the statute books mitIgateo
against Greenwood County with Abbe.
Vile and Edgefeld on her borders:
this was not only the case with his
county but with several other coun'
ties in the State which had had spec
ial legislative enactmentS and it is the
purpose and scope of this bill to wipe
them all out and establish a genera!
law bearing equally in every county j.:
the State. His people wanted protec'
tion and in granting it to them II
was his desire to extend it to others.
Mr.. Warren believes that there is
an abundance of laws already on this
subject and opposed it because, in MS
iudgmenJ,it would work a great hard
ship to the small farmers all over the
State. Under the present law mer
chants must keep a record book oper
to inspection at all times and if any
cotton is suspected Of having beer
stolen and sold. the owner has nc
trouble in tracing it by the records.
Mr.. Mcleod strenuouSly opposed the
motion, and believed that it was high
time that existing evils along this line
should be remedied. The record books
he declared. are farce and are gener
ally filed up with fictitious names
and this he could assert from his owr
knowledge. The County OF Lee j:
hampered just as many others by it:
border counties. and he wanted the
bill to become a law as soon as posi-
bic.
Mr.. McIver favored the motion, de
claring the bill to be extremely dras
tic and in some Of the poorer countle:
would almost amount to confiscatlor
of property. The law, if enacted
would not step stealing, and the small
farmer will be the innocent sufferer.
Mr.. ]. W. Ragsdale favored The
motion and told how the cotton acre
age had been decreased in tue PEI
Dee Country by the cultivation o
tobacco and he knew that his count.
desired no change in the seed cottot
law, as this matter had been thor
oughly discussed throughout his coun
ty during the last campaign. The en-
actment of the bill would encourag
rather than discourage stealing.
Mr.. Hardin was OF the opinion tina
the existing law is demonstrations
ana "OulQ llOo olaua eiiO lSoC oNAot'
the supreme court and therefore advo
Gated the passage OF the bill, believ
ing it to be for the general good 0
the public.
MI. Sharpe opposed the bill, oeiieE
ing that the law as it now STANDS
amply sufficient.
On the motion to strike out the en-
acting clause the yeas and nays wer
demanded and resulted as follows:
Those who voted in the afflrmatlT
were: MesSrs. Davis, Forrest, McDel
mott. McIver, Ragsdale, j. w. Sharpe
Sheppard, Stackhouse, Talolrd, No
Kolnitz. Warren.-ll.
Those who voted in the negatlV
were: Aldrich. Blake, Brice, Brown