Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-09-04
FARMERS MET LAST SATURDAY.
Hon. John Il. McIaurin Spoke With
Reference to Warehouse Plan.

Hon. J. L. McLaurin addressed a
goodly number Of farmers of Oconee
county last Saturday morning at the
Court House. 1t was not as large a
gathering as had been hoped for, but
II the county was we'll represented by
sections and the meeting was quite
+ a representative one.
}{sSf After a few. remarks in the nat,lre
Satof al, Intro duction to the subject to
i be treated sins shis talk, Mr.. McLaurin
2 sal M pa n 55j st L y&. tEs 3s Il.
81 pEsme & ontt Decision.
I am glad that our Supreme Court
T 3hass,laid down the broad doctrine
that the term property means some
thing more than mere physical pos
session; that the State can protect
me in my right to employ my prop
/. erty with profit.
"If, under Federal statutes and
Interstate commerce regulations,
South Carolina has been impotent to
protect her citizens from the eXac-
tions Of powerful trusts, she can
NOV say to her people, Here is a
wa ehouse; put your cotton in it,
ari | will give you a receipt, under
my sovereign seal, that will pass cur
rent wherever cotton is spun and the
name and flag Of these United States
Is known
"My friends, last fall we sold cot
ton at from $50 to $40 per bale, and
in July 1t sold for $75 per bale-say
an average loss Of $25 for each bale,
or $25, 100000, to the State. Some
body has the difference, either in
cotton, money or cloth.
Remember that the prosperity Of
every merchant and banker absolute
ly depends on the surplus money left
after the payment Of debts. Think
about what $25, 100000 more would
mean In South Carolina, for this
amount left the State to increase the
already swollen fortunes Of the cot
ton kings, who have their homes in
New York and Liverpool.
Are We Fools?
"The warehouse bill has been call
ed a rich planters measure My
friends, do they take farmers for
fools? If grow / 900 bales and you
grow only ten, an increase in price
is shared by each in proportion to
what is produced. The big land
owner can get on without the ware
house bill; he can borrow money and
carry his cotton, while the ten-bale
man can't, and his creditors have
crop mortgage and he must sell in
October. He received TX cents,
while | sold in July and got 10
cents
"The object of this bill is to give
every cotton planter the same chance
and enable us all to market at
profit. Don't YOU see that If they
get the poor mans cotton at seven
cents In October they can pay more
for cotton in July on the principle
OF general average? 1t would have
Deen better for the country to have
had price OF ten cents for the whole
crop than to have given my tenant
tnree cents less in October and to
give me three cents more i'm July. |
call this rotten.
The supreme Court opens the
door for lis. am satisfied with the
decision. 1t holds the act unconsti-
tutional on the ground that the Leg
islatuEe appropriated money in 1912
Nfor 9l3. or course that Is uncon-
stitutional. The bond issue ought
never TO nave been in there, but
was drawing an act that could be
passed: and ! honestly do not think
the Court Is right, but | am NOT fool
enough to argue about it. The Court
Is composed OF ADLER lawyers than,J,
and. when they all say | am wrong
why say Amen. The thing TO do
Is to take the decision ande draw an
act in conformity to 1t. President
Dabbs and myself have prepared
bill that will meet the Courts views
and, besides, is vast improvement
over tho old bill, which / knew at
the time was crude.