The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1903-02-04
Takes Place in the State Senate Over
Bill to
REGULATE THE TRAFFIC IN SEED
Cotton and Unpnckrd Lint Cotton.
Full Text Of the BilI, and
How the Senators
Voted On Ii.

reading i'm the Senate on Tuesday of
last week, general debate ensued
which occupied almost the entire time
of the Senate. AS the bill is general
in its scope and of much Importance
to the agricultural class, its main fea-
lures are given as follows:
Section /. The traffic i'm seed cotton
or unpacked lint cotton 10y purchase
barter or exchange within the period
beginning August 18th and ending De-
cember goth of each year without H.
cenSe, or between the hours of sunset
and sunrise, is hereby declared against
the public welfare, and is prohibited.
Sec. :. The clerks of the courts of
common pleas are authorized and en-
powered to issue licenses to traffic i'm
seed cotton or unpacked lint cotton 10y
purchase, barter or exchange within
the period beginning August 18th ana
ending December 10th of each year.
and within their respective counties
TO such person or persons as shall file
with said clerks, respectively, Il writ
ten application therefor, the granting
OF which shall be recommended in
writing by at least ten land owners re-
siding within the township wherein
said applicant intends to carry on such
traffic. Such license shall specify the
exact place whercat said traffic shall
be carried on and the period within
which such traffic is permitted. and
shall continue in force for The period
OF one year from the date of issue: and
for such license, if granted, Il 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 i'm the
tratlic in seed cOItOn and unpackcd
lint cotton are required to keep lcgibly
written in Il book, which shall be open
to public inspection, the name of the
person or persons from whom they pur-
chase or receive 10y way of barter. eX-
change or tratlic OF any sort, any seed
cotton or unpacked lint cotton. with
the number of pounds and date of pur-
chase.
Sec. !. 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-
ba-s,n'I, s,ss...y y,sf W IcIIUuL :. - nc
herein provided, or between the hours
OF sunset and sunrise, or who shall fail
TO keep the book OF record as herein
provided, shall be deemed. guilty of a
misdcmeanor, and on conviction shall
De punished by Il fine not exceeding
one hundred dollars or imprisonment
'1lne and Imprisonment, at the diScrc-
tiOn of the court.
Sec. D. The provisions of this act
shall not apply to the purchase of lin
tcrS' nor To the purchase of seed cot
ton or unpacked lint cotton sold under
process of law i'm the collection of rents
or OF liens or mortgages previously
given on the cotton sold.
As soon as the bill was called MIR.
Warren moved to strike out the cnac-
ting clause, which was promptly sec
onded.
MIR. Gaines, the author Of the bill,
resisted the motion, and stated how
the inequality of the seed cotton law
now on the statute books mitigated
against Greenwood County with a Abbe-
vile and Edgetield 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
lal legislative enactmentS and il is the
purpose and scope OF this bill to wine
them all out and establish a general
law bearing equally in every county i'm
the State. His people wanted protcc-
tion and in granting it To them it
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. i'm his
judgment,it would work a great hard
ship to the small farmers all over the
State. Under the present law mcr-
chants must keep record book open
TO inspection at all times and if any
cotton is suspected of having been
stolen and sold, the owner has no
trouble in tracing it by the records.
MIR. Mcleod StrenuuuSly 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 gcncr-
ally filled up with fictitious names.
and this he could assert from his own
knowledge. The County of Lee is
hampered just as many others by its
border counties, and he wanted the
bill TO become law as soon as posi-
BILE.
Mr.. McIver favored the motion. de-
claring the bill to he extremely draS-
tic and in some Of the poorer counties
would almost amount to a cOnfiScation
of property. The law, if enacted
would not step stealing, and the small
farmer Will be the innocent sufferer.
Mr.. j. w. Ragsdalc favored the
motion and told how the cotton acre.
age had been decreased i'm the Pee
Dee Country 10y the cultivation of
tobacco and he knew that his county
desired no change in the seed cotton
law, as this matter had been thor
oughly discussed throughout his cuun-
ty during the last campaign The en-
actment Of the bill would encourage
rather than discourage stealing.
Mr.. Hardin was OF the opinion that
the existing law is unconstitutional
and would not stand the test before
the supreme court and therefore advO-
Gated the passage OF the bill, bcliev-
ing it to be for the general good of
the public
Mr.. Sharpe opposed the bill, bcliev-
ing that the law as it now stands is
amply sufficient