The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-11-15
MAKES REPLY
0igpi6sd Letter Addressed to ceVerros
Blease by Committee

PERTINENT And PlTHY
Waving the Discourtesy Of Governor
Blease's Action, Mr.. J. J. Eyars
of Marlboro County, Speaking for
the People, Goes Straight to the
Point of the Discussion.
Mr.. J. J. Evans, representing the
committee appointed by the mass
meeting of Marlboro County farmers,
has made reply to the letter Of Gov
ernor Blease. The committee, tol-
lowing the instructions of the mass
meeting of the farmers, telegraphed
Governor Blease asking for hear
ing in reference to calling the legis-
lature in extra session TO help the
farmers maintain the price OF cotton.
Governor Blease declined to hear the
committee and gave out a long let
ter on the subject to the press. This
letter was received by the committee
after it had appeared in the newspa-
pers. The committee had hoped that
Governor Blease would at least give
the people Of Marlboro county hear
ing, but in this they were disappoint-
ed. The letter of Mr.. Evans to Gov
ernor Blease is as follows:
Dear Governor: I have the honor
to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter Of this date in respc.-ea to my
telegram requesting hearing for the
representatives from this county on
the subject Of an extra session. The
request was made in response to the
decision of a mass meeting Of Marl-
boro farmers, held last Monday in the
court house.
"My message to you was not
through the county prints, and re-
gret sincerely that you did not accord
us hearing before reaching your de-
cision. Waving, however, the dis
courtesy to US, it does seem that a
mass meeting Of Marlboro citizens
might have expected an opportunity
to present the reasons which caused
them to make this request.
1.-THE right OF the people TO speak
in mass meeting in free govern
ment is supposed to be sacred, and
will be a protection against injustice
long after the ephemeral power Of
the willy politician has passed away.
"The old-time theory and the only
valid reason for democracy is to do
the greatest good to the greatest
number, and I do not conceive that
there is any manner that you could
better employ the functions Of your
great Office than in assisting the far
mers of the State to secure better
prices for the products Of their la
Dor.
governor, whoathatlsponsesxnire-h
'It is not a good shepherd, my
dear governor, who would sit on
stump and impartially allow the bear
and the sheep to fight it out. The
crafty and the strong should not be
allowed to compel the weak and the
simple to fight them on their own
grounds and the government take no
consideration Of mercy, justice, and
the eternal moralities.
"Your excellency says that the
holding of the cotton crop now will
do no good except to few wealthy
farmers Most respectfully I beg
leave to differ with you on that ques-
ton. Any advance in the price Of
cotton would be of great advantage
not only to few wealthy farmers
aut to every man, Weman and child
in the South.
Cotton is the basis of our ;:7ealth.
In this country not one-half Of the
crop has been ginned. Much is being
held in the hope Of help from some
where. + believe that call from you
for the legislature of South Carolina
to meet in extra session to do what
she could constitutionally TO aid in
the present holding movement would
of itself advance the price Of cotton
materially If the crop of South Car
olina is 100000 bales, a cent a
pound would mean s6,0O0,000 to the
people Of the State.
81 think, governor, that you are
mistaken about the poor farmers
getting no benefit. 1t is the poor
farmer who needs it most; the rich
farmer can hold hi scotton. 1t is the
poor farmer, operating under a lien
and mortgage that these times are
literally crushing into the earth.
Compelled to buy his supplies at ex-
orbitant prices, he is now forged to
sell at a cruel sacrifice. The fact is,
my dear governor. the rich farmer
is a myth-the last one evaporated
when cotton went below 10 cents.
"You speak of the mill mergers be-
ing the cause of the depression. I
think it goes deeper than that, gov
ernor. The mill mergers are the out
growth of the business conditions and
policies of the past centuries. We
are living in new era, the principle
Of individualism dominant over the
past is exhausted, and when the con-
sequences of principle are exhaus-
ed, the structure built upon it crunn-
bles away. We are living in time
when the principle of association is
the controlling force, and with all the
varied interests combining into
trusts there is nothing left to pro-
ductive labor whether on the farm or
in the shop except to make their gov
ernments the vehicles through which
by unity of action they may have