Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-11-10
No EXTRA Session.
Governor Replies to Request from
Marlboro.
GIVES REASONS At some LENGTH.

GIVES REASONS Al sumo LENGIH
In the First Place Extra Session
Would Cost too Much Money, and
in the Second Place, the "Poor Man" ;"
Who Would Have to Help Pay the
Expense, Would Receive Little Ben.
efit-charses That Cotton Mill Msr.
ger Was Organized to Depress the
Price of Labor and Cotton.
In a lengthy letter to Mr.. ]. ]. Ev-
ans of Bennettsville, dispatched Tues
day. Governor Blease states in full
his reasons for not calling an extra
session of the state legislature, as re-
quested at a mass meeting Of busi-
ness interests in Bennettsville Mon
day night. The letter is in reply to
telegram received by the governor
Tuesday morning from Mr.. Evans,
stating the situation, and asking for
a hearing on the matter on the 18th.
The extra session was desired to
take some action looking to an imme-
diate relief Of the present situation
Of lower prices for cotton.
The refusal to call the extra session
Is placed on the grounds Of tie heavy
expense entailed, the fact that mat
tiers are not in shape now to allow a
special session to do the business Of
the regular session, and that the re-
suits of any action that might be
taken would be of value only to a
limited number of farmers.
The governor received Tuesday the
following telegram:
Bennettsville, Nov. 6.
His Evcellency Hon. Cole L. Blease,
Columbia, s. C.
At a mass meeting of the farmers
of Marlboro county resolutions were
passed directing the delegation from
this county to request you to call the
legislature together to consider plan
of relief for the present situation.
Will It be agreeable to grant us a
hearing next Monday. November ID?
(Signed) j. ]. Evans.
The Governors !-stter.
In reply, the governor wrote:
Mr.. ]. ]. Evans, Bennetssville, s. c.
Dear Sir: Your wire Of November
6 received.
1 presume you are aware Of the
fact that when the general assembly
raised their salaries, and in order 10
do so attempted to evade the consti-
tuition, that they provided that for
each session Of the general assembly
the members shall receive 5000 each.
fought this very vigorously, be-
ing a member Of the general assem-
bly, at the time, because l believed
that 1t was a violation OF the consti-
tuition to raise the salaries, and fur
thermore because under the act MEM
bers would receive the same pay for
an extra session, even though 1t only
lasted one or more days, that they
receive for the regular sessions. /
thought then was right, / still think
Iwas-Fight, because were I to call an
extra session Of the general assembly
now, under this act, each member
would be entitled to 5000. even though
they only remained in session but for
a very short period. At the same time,
you will remember. the legislature
took a recess and went home and
then came back for a few days to
elect a United States senator to fill
the unexpired term Of Mr.. Latimer.
Many Of the members Of the legisla-
ture took pay for this extra few days
session. AS senator, took the po-
sition that 1t was not right, and that
no man had right to take pay for
the extra few days. l refused to ac-
cept my check, and returned 1t to
the state treasurer. l was endeavoring
then, as senator, to keep down what
1 considered useless and what might
be some day very expensive legisla-
ton, and / am now still OF the same
opinion as / was then. Furthermore,
were I now to call an extra session
of the legislature, who would be
benefited? The farmers who are
wealthy and who have been able to
hold their cotton, while the poor man
who Is compelled TO sell would re-
ceive no benefit from the extra ses-
sion, but would be compelled to pay
his share Of the taxes which the ex-
ira session would cost, and which
would possibly be 100000 or more.
In addition to this. there are large
number Of taxpayers who have no
cotton TO hold. They would be COM
PEELED to pay their part Of the taxes
for this extra session, and would re-
ceive no benefit whatever therefrom.
The constitution provides when the
regular session shall be held, and no
extra session that / might call could
do away with this regular session, for
it is compelled to convene; therefore,
II 1t met only for a few days at the
regular time under the act, which
/ mentioned in the first part OF this
letter, they would be entitled to $2OO
and their mileage. Therefore, to call
an extra session Of the general assem-
bly, would entail very heavy expense
upon all Of the taxpayers Of this state
when only those who have held cot
ton would be benefited thereby.
The state officers have not their
reports ready. and some Of them
could not possibly get them ready be-
fore the convening Of the regular ses-
sion of the general assembly; there
fore, the extra session could not act
intelligently upon matters Which
would be brought up In the regular
session, based upon these reports, and
for this reason, in my opinion, an ex"
ira session of the legislature cannot
well be held at this time.
Now, as to the cotton proposition:
am with you heart and soul; Will
do anything and everything within my
power to help the farmers to get
better price and, in my opinion, If the
cotton mill mergers had been jumped
upon as strongly as some Of the acts
of persons and corporations in other
matters. the present crisis would not
have come. The legislature. at its
regular session, should pass laws
which would aid the farmer in every
way possible, and l shall ask them to
do so, as I asked them to do at the
last session, when they forced such an
outrageous appropriation bill upon
the people, and l expect now the peo-
Pile see who was right-the members
of the general assembly, in passing
such an appropriation bill, or myself
for vetoing so much Of 1t, particularly
when I stated to them that they were
spending 100000 more than they
were collecting in taxes, which was
bad judgment, and that In case OF
crisis the state would be in pitiable
condition. with no money on hand
and unable to borrow. Certain mem
bers Of the general assembly laughed
at the proposition of a crisis; boasted
Of our prosperity and Of our abund-
ance of supplies, and said: "Ah, go
ahead! The people are rich and the
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