The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-03
ENFORCED IDLEKEss.
Mistaken Opposition to Cotton Mill
Operatives.
Contributed.

| Some OF our enIerpIlSihS SaPiVoi'"HS
ought to build q mill in Laurens that Will
buy and use the kind of cotton generally;
| raised in this county. There is not,a mill
in Laurens county, nearer h CLINTON,
That uses short staple cotton. So far as
compeii IN is concerned, u mills are oil
very little advantage to Laurens county
farmers, as practically all the cotton our
mills use is produced in Mississippi.-Lau-
rensville Herald.
Our good friend across the Saluda is a
little off of his base in this matter. 1t mat
ters little whose cotton the mills spin and
weave. The profit to Laurens lies in this.
The money that is paid to operatives m
from abroad and is paid out to people in
Laurens. Nearly all the business in small
towns like Laurens, Grcenville, Anderson
and Abbeville is done with the money which
is distributed by the manufacturers OF cot
ton goods. The business thrift in these
towns has increased the value Of every foot
| of land in their corporate limits, and there
is not O farm in Laurens, or any other or
the towns named, which we assume could
be bought for less than double the selling
price before the mills were built.
Cotton mills are the farmers best friends.
Some ten or fifteen years ago, when we
had no mills, cotton brought FROM liz, 5,
6 and 7 cents a pound, Today the same
staple brings double price.
The Press and Banner however, agrees
| with the Herald in saying that Laurens
needs another cotton mill. And q town
like Abbeville or Laurens a build as
many as may be wanted. With two or
three exceptions, the cotton mill at Able
| vile was built by poor folks and extremely
cautious rich folk. The stock is not at
premium, but since the mill was put in
operation the town has grown more than
it did for O hundred years before, We have
more people. We do more business and
our lands have increased in money value
from one hundred to five hundred per
cent.
With but very few exceptions the stock
in the mill was sold to out-of-tOwp people
Our people have their money now and the
mill, too. The property pays taxes into
the treasures of the city, the county and
the State several thousand dollars, so that
every man is saved his pro rata share.
About one hundred thousand dollars OF
foreign money is yearly brought, here and
paid to laboring people, and these la
boring people turn their money loose.
Whom the mill was first started some
families quit the lien business and went in
to the mill where they made good wages
and had the ready money to buy for cash
whatever they needed. One family that
had lived from hand to mouth, with very
scanty supplies, soon after coming to the
mill began to draw over 500 per month.
They paid old debts, bought furniture and
carpets for their homes and wore good
! clothes. And the last that we heard OF
Them they were enquiring the price of an
organ.
While many good men have in ignorance
sought to prejudice the people against
cotton mills, yet we think when they are
better informed they will change their
mind, so as to believe in the future that
the enemy of cotton mills is also a public
enemy.
This opposition to cotton mills gained
such popularity with the unthinking poll
ticians that they passed a law causing en-
forced idleness of the poor mans child UNI
til he was about ready to leave the roof
tree. That law, by good men who have
gone to the trouble of informing them
selves, must be regarded as the most ini-
quitous law that disgraces our statute
books.
OF course it is all right for the Legisla-
ture to protect children from engaging in
dangerous work. 1t is right for instance