Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-04-04
AND
| COMMERCE..

Business Side of Grea
| Southern Problem.
lOHN l.. MeLAURIN SPEAKS AT SUMTER
Farmers Have the Whip Hand of tn,
| World and Can Use II as They se
Proper II They Will Only Adopt tn
Means-orsanization Question Up
held on Ground Of Self Defense
Necessity of Developing New Mar
n kets.
SUMTER, April 3.-Former Senator
John L. McLaurin and Hon. Frank II
Weston spoke to the cotton growers
here today. Both were listened t.
with close attention. and the speech o.
Mr. McLaurin was especially interest
Ing. 1t was as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow Citizens:
II thank you for this invitation to ad'
dress the people Of Sumter county OF
the issues of the day.
jJIt was here that the memorable
campaign Of 1897 opened, and some o.
ybu remember when the town bel
pealed out the hour, how John Irby
dramatically turned and pointing hi.
finger at me, said, "Yonder bell ha.
just tolled the death knell Of John l.
Mel aurin," and none present will evel
forget the scene that followed when
replied, "Hark from the tomb dole
full sound
Well. didn't die just then. but the
old bell has since rung out a dirge fol
myself and many another. It Is pret'
ty hard on the corpse, but am bount
to admit that as a general proposition
funerals are good thing, especially
political funerals. You can't have too
many Of them In South Carolina. "Of
where Is thy victory" was not writ
nor is there any hope held out to hin
of resurrection and life everlasting be-
yond the grave. There used to be 6
young German named Weld who made
his headquarters In Bennettsville.
knew him pretty well. He hadn't beer
In this country long and spoke Eng
lish very imperfectly. Weld had 6
favorite horse named Zeb Vance. One
cold morning he led Zeb Vance out OF
the stable with a halter, and Zeb fell
so good that he got to snorting, rear
ing around and standing on his hind
feet, until Weld gave the halter
sudden jerk and Zeb Vance fell ovel
and catching his head under his body
broke his neck. I met Weld coming
up the street, blubbering and crying
like his mother-in-law was dead.
asked him what was the matter, ant
he said, "Mein Gott, Zeb Vance, ht
feel so goot, he rear, he jump, he fal
down, he break he's damn neck. Oh
mein Gott, Zeb Vance, he dead, ht
dead as hell" That is about the way
with the politician. He snort, he rear
he Jump, and when he fall down, III
break his neck and when "he dead. hi
dead, he dead as hell"
Fortunate Is the man who can lool
back to the past without bitterness
and vain regrets, and feel that In spite
Of self, he has struck some blow fol
truth, done something for country
and planted some seed that must beal
good fruit He can console himseli
with the thought that -unsound seed dt
not live long anyway, and that he 1:
always sure to harvest that crop
Popular applause is cheap, 1t Is thu
property OF any demagogue, big or lit
tie, who can successfully pander II
the passing whim or caprice, but Il
the man who has no higher aim i
brings it's own punishment, for 1t l!
as uncertain as the soft south wint
signing in the pine tops. changed In
moment into a hurricanes blast; 1t 1!
like the wavy, tremulous light OF thu
moonbeams. tipping the waters will
silver, and making the dew-dropi
shine like diamonds. The strong, shin
ing sun comes out, and shows only
muddy. stagnant pool, filled with hide
GUS reptiles and choked with poison
Gus weeds and vines.
Truth Is the clear, bright, shining
sun Of God, blotting out the shadows
lighting up the dark places, and max
ing men and things stand out cleal
and distinct as they are. The tru'
philosopher is one who laughs
mans frailties and weaknesses. ant
vet loves him for that little bit OF GOD
in the worst man, which redeems ant
sanctifies human nature.
Look the Truth in the Face.
1t Is a pleasure to me to address {
strictly non-political body Of my fel
low citizens.
It is a good thing for a man or peo
rle to look the truth squarely In tn
face, see things as they are. not a!
pictured by vanity, ambition or dis
ordered imagination.
When Jesus Christ came on thi:
earth, he did not come with messag'
to any particular race or religious
creed, hut proclaiming the truth Il
Jew and Gentle. You cannot get at
truth from partisan standpoint
truth is strictly non-partisan; 1t Is TIT
property Of no one one political part!
or religious creed, 1t Is there for then
ALL
We live In a day Of combination ant
organization. Every business In tn
United States Is organized except th'
cotton planter, and now In self de-
ferse, we are being forced to act II
concert.
Here Mr.. McLaurin went over TIT
ground covered in his speech In New
Orleans, and drew an analogy betweel
wheat and cotton.
"Stand Pat"
production, II there were proper meth
ods Of distribution. The balance o
the world Is consumer of our raw
cotton and Is therefore combined q
get our product as cheap as possible
You can only meet organization Titf
organization. All other industries
through combination fix the price o
their products. This coat that hav'
on lay on the shelf Of some merchant!
store until l paid his price for it-h'
fixed the price without consulting me
The beef trust fixed the price or m!
meat, the coal trust of my fuel, tn
flour trust Of my bread, the coffee trus
of my coffee, and so on Of everything
that I use. I may starve, / may freez'
or go naked, but l pay their price o.
go without. When I bring my product
cotton. into town to sell, | do not te!
the buyer what will take as all otheI
Industries do me. / humbly ask VIVA
will you give me for my cotton"
The buyer says, wait until Liver
pool comes in," then he says l vii
give you six cents or whatever some
man in Liverpool says Ia the price.
Gentlemen, do what all the others
do: nut your cotton in a warehouse
don't ask anybody what they will give
hut tell the world what you will take
1t Ia in your own hands. All you nave
to do Is to "stand pat" Fellow citi
Zens, let us "stand pat" with the ac'
ton of the New Orleans convention
stand pat"
Let 1t be understood that from nov
henceforth and forever we. the produc