The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-05-04
SMITHS RESOLUTION PASSED.
Sen ATOR L.. ID. SMITHS RESOLU.
TION PASSES SENATE.
1car Evils or Boil Wcevils-SOuth
Iarotinian Declares One is as Bad
As the Othcr-BOth Work Great
Injury.

washington, April 29.-Senator
ofnlths resolution directing the at
torney general to inquire into who
sold the cotton contracts to Hayne,
Brown, Scales and others went
through the senate today.
Efforts were made by Elkins, AID
rich and others to postpone it, fear
ing that time would be taken IN for
discussion, but when, after a spe,
by Senator Smith, it was found that
only vote was wanted, it was all
lowed to come up and it was passed
without opposition.
Senator Smith made another cot
ton speech in the senate, arraigning
the cotton bears as working great in
jury to the country, not only to the
people of the South, he said, but to
those of the whole country.
1.-The bear evils" he said "are do
ing as much damage as the boil wee
wills"
THE investigation into the pur-
chases of cotton which Attorney Cen
eral Wickersham is concluding has
cost the American people nearly
S4O,O0O,OO0," asserted Senator Smith.
He was making a speech in the
hope Of persuading the senate to
adopt the resolution directing the at
torney general to ascertain the names
of the persons who sold the cotton
to the New York pool.
Mr. Smith said that whereas only
$4O,OO0,000 worth of manufactured
goods had been exported last year,
$500, 100000 worth of raw cotton
had been sent abroad. This year the
cotton expectation. he declared,
would be about S0O,OOOO,OO0.
"The attorney general is investiga-
ting the sales of spot cotton. I want
| him to investigate the sellers-to find
out who were engaged in trying to
put down the price. I want him to
inquire as to the gentlemen who got
together and sold the cotton without
it to sell. His investigation, so far as
it has gone. has depressed the price
to the extent of cent a pound, a to-
tai cost to the people at large of
S40,000,000. Let him extend the in
| quiry so as to show the real facts"
Speaking sarcastically, Mr.. Smith
said:
IF the attorney general must con-
duct an investigation, let him inves-
tigate the chief of the weather bu-
| reau for bringing on the recent frost,
| and if that is not conclusive, let him
go higher and investigate Jehovah
himself for running the cotton crop
of the present season.
He went on:
Il believe, and the South believes,
| that this interference at this time is
| tor the specific purpose of relieving
| certain bears on the cotton market"
AhS NSCioiCu illdSiillltllcIS OIl lne
, stock exchange were in the interest
| of foreign buyers.
He said, on account of the scare
| ity of seed, it would be impossible to
plant more than 65 per cent Of an
| average cotton crop for the present
year.
The resolution was adopte1 1t d.
| rects the attorney general t. inquire
| as to the names of the "party or par
ties or corporations that sold the cot
ten alleged to have been bought by q
| pool of purchasers, who are ROY un-
der investigation by the department
| Of Justice also as to the prices,
whether or not they owned the cot
ton at the time of the sale thereof;
and the price Of spot cotton in the
South on the date of the contracts"
Senator Clay introduced a BIZ: pro-
h'biting the transmission by mail,
telephone or telegraph of all inforL1-
alton concerning future sales Ct cot