Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-04-03

about supply and demand" which
law, as applied by them would be more
correctly stated as the lie and the
man." We, who raise the cotton and
who should have a say as to what Ii
Is worth, when we want to know, have
to 60 to the board to see what the Wall
street gamblers have agreed we must
take. Supply and demand! Why.
right now they will sell you cotton for
next December, all you want for 1913,
and not a seed of the next crop yet
planted. How do they know what the
supply is going to be? And we let
them do 1t. We who raise the cotton.
take all the risk, all the anxiety, all
the responsibility and who can make
the price what we WILL If we will only
sit down on the yield until the consum-
er agrees to come to our terms. And
this is unjust and unfair? You did
not hear them say anything about that
when the price was away below the
cost Of production, less than cents a
pound, did you?
Mr.. Smith drew graphic picture Of
the conditions following the. war, de-
scribed the homecoming Of the Con-
federate soldiers, penniless and In
debt, told how he had to get loans from
the Yankees in order to be able to
plant his crop how he worked, and
slaved, and, starved, and gave up his
crop year after year at the price fixed
by his creditor, how he remained hon.
est through 1t all, accommodated HIM
self to the hard conditions, finally
worked out his own salvation, and with
the help of the Sully crowd few years
ago, got his first taste Of the freedom
for which he had been so long striv-
ing, and how now that he is free, he
intends to establish his liberty and as
sumo the position Of supremacy and
dominion to which he Is justly enti-
| tied. Our taskmasters made us drink
the cup of misery and poverty to the
Interest dregs; but thank God, we re-
mained honest and paid our debts, and
having paid them, we will now teach
those same taskmasters how to pay
| IL and Is cents for our cotton.
Discussing the matter Of raising sup
plies at home, the speaker said that
this was the key to the situation. He
always felt sorry for the man who had
| to haul corn and meat from the rail-
road station These things he can
| produce himself, and he cannot hope
for independence unless he does pro-
duce them. He will strengthen his po-
sition also, II he will undertake to
raise his own horses and mules which
he can do as easily and as profitably
as does the man from whom he buys
them.
Again recurring to the justice Of the
policy he was advising in making the
most of the south's monopoly Of cotton
production, the speaker suggested the
probable result, II conditions were re-
versed and II, instead of their own
bleak hills. the people of New England
had our soil, climate, and cotton fields,
what would they do with them. Does
anybody think they would ever be
able to buy cotton for less than twen-
ty-five cents a pound? Not much
Our New England friends get out OF
| the monopoly every cent there Is In 1t
and they wonder at us for not ha>t1e
| long since accomplished that which
we are now trying to do.
The south. Mr.. Smith declared, has
served in bondage long enough. The
day Of our emancipation Is daw hing
and we have II within our reach to Sc
cure our future forever Let us have
a complete union of southern brain
and effort, and backed by southern
capital. we will raise our cotton and
put II in southern warehouses, locked
by southern keys. Then let us manu-
facture it on southern spindles and
looms and exchange 1t for a stream OF
foreign gold that will ensure the
southern empire Of the Industrial, fl
nancial and intellectual world.
| Although the foregoing is but an inn
perfect outline of what Mr.. Smith had
| to say, II gives a reasonably satisfac-
| tory idea Of the general scope OF his
speech. He was noticeably hoarse; but
this did not interfere with clear un-
Outstanding of what he had to say
His manner was intensely earnest
throughout and he was frequently elo-
quent: but the oratorical finish OF
many of his finest periods was partly
lost in the anticipatory applause.
At the conclusion Of his speech. Mr.
Smith reminded his audience that the
work Of the cotton association could
not be carried on effectively without
money, and he would like those pres
ent to give some evidence Of their
practical interest by their subscrip-
tions. He first asked for the man who
wanted to give him $25. This gentle
man did not materialize and neither
did the man who wanted to give Up
SIS; but there were quite number OF
$40, subscriptions twice as many SIS,
some $2.50's, and then a passing round
of the hat. the total aggregating
something like $3.50.
1t was now quite late, after 6 o'clock,
and the crowd rapidly broke up, but
a few Of those who had listened to the
splendid address Of Mr. Smith, remain
er to hear Dr. w. w. Ray Of Columbia,
along the same lines.
After the speaking, Mr.. Smith and
DR.. Ray remained In the court house
for a short time to shake hands with
| the farmers and others who desired to
meet them and little later took the
C.. & NV. train for Columbia,