The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-02-22
RUIN COTTON CROP
4 CONSPIRACY SAID TO BE on
FOOT TO DISTRIBUTE

4 CONSPIRACY SAID TO BE on
FOOT TO DISTRIBUTE
Thousands Of Live Cotton Boil Wee
wills by Night in Georgia and This
State.
An alleged conspiracy by crooked
spectators to ruin the South's cotton
crop by secretly distributing thouS-
under cover OF night. was brought 10
light in Atlanta Saturday when Gov
.rnor-elect Hoke Smith made public
4 letter OF warning. sent him anomy-
| nousiy by New Orleans business
nan This man called al Mr.. Smith s
Office Friday afternoon. made known
us identity and good faith. and COR
'obora,ed all the statements in the
letter.
Two men approached him in New
Orleans Shor; time ago. he declares
and solicited his help in diabolica.
! scheme 10 curtail this years crop by
linundating Georgia and South Caro-
| ina with the wcev;ls. 5uyin: great
quantities Of October cotton now. and
selling when the crop shortage sent
prices higher. making I fortune for
themselves. al the awful expense o.
devastating one Of the richest az
-icul:ural sections Of the union not
only for one year bu: for years 10
come.
The author OF the letter says he
Swo-e 20 the TWO men that he would
no; disclose their names. and insists
that his own be withheld from publi-
cation He came clear from Bir-
.ningham Friday TO assure Governor
elect Smith OF his good faith. He
convinced Mr.. Smith tha, he was
Iot At SIaHH anu iot q SIaA'-!. io' iiS
:aated nothing. He simply felt it
his duty TO make the matter public.
:uSi as Mr.. Smith now feels it his
! 'uiy TO :ire the contents Of the let
er 20 al! The farmers OF the south.
through the newspapers.
Georgia State Entomologist Lee
| no
| o-th is entirely feasible and posi-
BILE. and tha; any one of mind TO
commit such an appalling act. could
-o-a SO "no5trusively that il would
,e practically impossible TO detect
hem. lie does not know anything
core OF TIE alleged plot than con-
;ained in the story and letter given
out by Mr.. Smith. OF such thing
being done. and asks that all farm
erS and others be on the watch for
any suspicious characters about the
State.
1t was pretty we'll established
some six years aHo that the boil
weey:l was Surrep itiously int1oduc-
!; I'd on Audubon farm il Mississippi
~ some unknown miscreant." said
NJ. Worsham The pest had ap-
cared nowhere in the state up 10
i hat time. and was not within many
miles Of the farm. Suddenly and
without warning it appeared. Gov
| .rnmen, experts were summoned
and after 4 careful investigation de-
.lared that the weevii could not
have appeared there without having
been brought in from distance. No
trace OF the perpetrator OF the out
rage could be found.
| Il, would be possible Cor man
20 scatter t5e pest fro:a the win
Tow OF fast moving train. Enough
would fnd lodSment 10 get start.
Once il begins its spread is rapid.
History showing that !. travels fTc!n
- 70 $50 miles every year into new
territory 4 scoundrcl mean enough
|to do such a thing would commit
the act with due care. and there
would be small chance OF ever de-
iec.ng him.
Il estimate that the weevil will
cross the line into Southwest Geor-
yia late mex, Year. but will not be
seriously felt until the year follow
ing. All we can do is to sc; ready
10 combat il by every known and
possible means At hand
! Mr. WorSham xas asked Il the
! luau would destroy the weeril. He
stated that il would not eat them IT
first. but had finally come 70 like
and DESTROY large quantities OF them.
This is one OF the arguments some
lawmakers will put forward for
stringent laws 10 protect the quail
from further slaughter for a period
lof years Field larks and orioles
will also eat the weevil.
Eoth he and Mr.. Smith are inclin-
ed 70 believe that the widespread
publication and exposure OF the
scheme. putting the farmers on not
ice. and arousing them 10 protect
their fields with armed force IL nee
essary. will force the conspira,ors
10 abandon their plans Here is the
letter received b. Hon Hoke Smith:
Anonymous Letter.
New Orleans Jan. 81. 1911.
'.Hon Hcke Smith. Governor ot
Georgia:
Dear Sir: In writing this let
;er ] do so because feel II is NY
duty and know you vel! enough by
reputation TO know you will apprc-
ciate it fully viii bc as brief as pos
S5iIe and &c, ri:h, TO the point.
There are TWO men. one fro:G
Texas and ! am not jus; sure where
he other is from a; this writing.
hut should say Chicago from his
talk are going to aistTia"te boil
we.ril in every cotton-raising coun-