The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-02-22
HARMONY NOT MONOPOLY.
A Further Exposition Of the Views of
Mr.. e. T.. Witherspoon as to the
Methods to Be Adopted to
Obtain Factories.
Sumter, S. c., Feb. 1S, 1905

oSdl oil L O0l p1SSS LII LIN ASNAAA
last night is calculated to make the
wrong impression upon the people of
the ideas I, have. This I would not
have done foranything. Harmony" is
the word I wish you to use. am no
If there were not so many monied
sharks in the world to steal the in
ventions of a poor man, I would be
one to abolish the patent office. Ille-
gitirnate compentition is all I object
to
Speaking Of High Point, this is my
ideal city. The % factories in that
place, while they are called furniture
factories, all work in perfect har-
mony; one making one class Of goods
and one another class Of goods. One
makes tables, another makes cham
Der suits, another makes chairs, and
every one nearly makes something
different, and if there are two Of a,
kind, they are obliged to work in per-
feet harmony, and guard strictly
against over-production. Where an
abundance Of anything is made, and
can be bought cheap, nine cases out
of ten it is not needed at all, and is
dear at any price.
The ideas I have use on my own
business, and put them in practice. I
want them to do you good, and I give
themto you as free as water, and
don't think there is anything mclopo-
listic about that A trust is good
thing sometimes, providing it is "all
hands around" but harmony" is the
word, not trust There can be no
harmony among thieves, and harmony
among bad men, but we haven't got
any Of this class Of people in Sumter,
at least we don't want them to belong
harmony among the people is waht we
want. We may be ignorant, and we
may even be simple, but we are hon
est and to get together in perfect har-
mony. each one giving his views, the
whole put together is a power. My
ideas are practiced every day, and
are practiced by most every individ-
ual. We cannot get two men to handle
our coffins in one town, especially If 1t
is a small one, and one or the other
Of them inclines to cut the prices, nor
can you get two men in town to
handle the DeVoe paint, and espec-
ially where one wants to cut prices.
This is the competition that I have
reference to, and as individuals we all
practice it, and the idea put into prac-
tice jointly, would be a power for
good to all of us.
You say that factory should pay
taxes. How in the world could town
be so ungrateful as to receive from 1t
$4,000 to $4,000 a year, and make
it pay taxes for the privilege Of doing
so The town does not charge the
countryman taxes, and instead OF this.
makes all the inducements it can to
get the countryman to bling his cot
ton to town. not that it wants the cot
ton. but the town is sure that it will
get some of the money, and the fac
tory leaves all of its money in a town.
While a factory is all condensed in
one small place, and apparently IN
better circumstances than the coun-
tryraan. the laws of the universe re-
ouire that you treat every man alike,
according to the benefit they derive:
whether he is rich or poor, and in my
opinion the town makes itself an OBJ
ject of charity when it accepts the
bounty bestowed upon it by factory
when it is not willing to give anything
in return. No intelligent n1anufac-
turer would stand it, and as long as
the present conditions exist, we will
rot have any factories, only just
those instituted by people at home
who do not know any better. y fac
tory has a hard enough time any way.
in fact, next to the preacher and
school teacher, they have the hardest
time Of anybody on the globe.
1 have been a farmer, merchant
and am now manufacturer, and as
1 know how to sympathize with each
of them, I feel that I ought to know
what I am talking about. The reason
I am a manufacturer, is it has always
been my ambition to give men, en-
ployment, and any manufacturer OF
this kind is always interested IN your
churches and schools, as these are in
deed essential to give him good intel
ligent workmen.
49, rooJ J,oJ