The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-11-08

Federal Courts keep hands off in
our dispensary fights. It is a State
Issue and we prefer to fight it out
amongst ourselves.
The would be candidates for State
Oficers have been handicapped by the
8 saispensary issue. They can't just
wade in and say that it is the best
solution yet offered" and let it go at
that. a candidate must have an opin--
ION on the subject this year. And the
trouble Is, the would be candidates
have not been able to find out what
win be the popular opinion.
The statements made at the meet
Sng of the Chamber of Commerce Fri
day night to Railroad Commissioners
Caughman and Earle were definite
and particular, and should have con-
yinced them that there is need Of i'm
B proyement in the freight service in
and out Of this city. The need Of bet
ter and more satisfactory service on
9he Northwestern railroad was also
made plain. It is to be hoped that the
reaief sought will be granted, either
oy the railroads on their own. motion,
sor by order Of the railroad commis-
sion
The great trouble about holding
cotton for higher prices in this sec
section is the hardship that it works
10 merchants who have extended
credit to the farmers. The merchants
OF this city. for instance, sell thous-
ans OF dollars -orth Of goods in the
spring and. summer to farmers on
open account and as 8 rule they are
paid in September or October. But
when the farmers decide to hold their
cotton for higher prices they cannot
pay their debts and do not do so,
Therefore, the merchants must per-
Torce wait with what patience they
possess. The merchants, however,
have to pay their bills falling due in
September and October, and when
sthase who owe them do not pay, they
are forced to go to the banks and bor-
row money. Here is where the hard
ship comes in. They are paying il.
terest in order that the farmers may
hold their cotton and while most Of
The merchants have made no objec-
ton to extending this credit to their
customers, for they are confident that
M as necessary to the future prosper
NV Of the South that the fight of the
Cotton Growers Association be VOL,
Yef 1t IS hardly fair to expect them to
carry the entire burden. AS matter
OF business justice it would seem only
ght that the man who is holding
Che cotton should be the one to go to
Che bank and pay the interest.
The failure Of the Independent Oil
Company of Darlington and the flnan-
claI disaster that resulted from the
speculation of the president OF the
Onion and Buffalo cotton mills do not
prove that the oil mill business and
cotton manufacturing are overdone
IN South Carolina. There may not be
room for any more Oil mills for there
IS not raw material enough to supply
the OIL mills Sow in operation in this
state. But there is room for many
more cotton mills in South Carolina
and the state will not be really pros
perous until there are mills TO spin
and weave all Of the cotton crop
xrown in South Carolina When ali
of The magnificent water powers OF
the State have beeh developed it may
0e that there will be room in the
STATE for mills to spin all of our own
cotton and a part Of that grown IN
uther states. If it is profitable to car
~ cotton ala the way to England 20
ne be manufactured it should be prof
atabae to manufacture here at home
part of the forty thousand bales that
IRE marketed in Sumter each year.
The counties that have voted out
che dispensaries are paying for the
privilege and the blind tigers arc the
ang ones tpat are reaping the profit
The time to make plans for the re-
duction of cotton acreage as means
uf regulating the price of cotton next
wear IS right now. The best and most
profitable way to reduce the cotfof
acreage is said to be to plant a heaVl
CROP of small grain. If this county
,roduced all the oats it consumed
and a part Of the wheat it needs In
LII orn n