Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-04-18

two blades Of grass, where one grew
BEFORE" let them keep the other fellow
from getting our grass as well as hi
own, and the problem Is solved. It is {
problem of distribution, not Of produc
ton. I do not hesitate to say, that II
could be assured Of fifteen cents fol
five years, that at the end Of that Pc
riod, would have my land making 81
per cent more than 1t does now. The
harvesting possible, II only my profits
mert. - a.,
ment to settle the trust question by
prosecutions under the Sherman act
was q failure. because they sought to
destroy, not to regulate. The reading
into the act by the supreme court OF
the qualifying words in reasonable
restraint Of trade" was, suppose, q
piece Of judicial legislation, absolutely
necessary to keep the business Of the
nation from being destroyed by put
ting all Of our great captains OF indus
try in prison.
| So far as the production Of cotton
Is concerned, the failure Of the
lGrange, the Alliance and kindred or
ganizations, show that cooperation
lation. Certainly II is function of
lgovernment to do for the people
whatever they are not able to do for
themselves. Nay, more than that, II
lis q sacred duty.
In the fall OF 1911. the October re-
lport, of the government indicated a
lcrop Of 14,800,000 and Immediately
the price fell $40 per bale. In the
Ispring when II was determined by
actual count that the crop was sixteen
million bales. the price went back
| to where Il started from. That Is what
the inexorable law Of supply and de-
mand does for us. Cotton Is made on
credit. Start big scare and knock
the price down In October, and the
lower II goes the more of our cotton
/ II takes to pay back advances.
II the crop had been ten million
bales and we were forced to market
Iall Of Il In two and one-haf months,
1.-THE rise In the spring would only BEN
| eft the middlemen who bought 1t up.
| This Is no exceptional case. There is
Ian average difference Of 8 per cent.
between the price Of October and May,
That Is, the fluctuations are 25 per
cent above and rs per cent below an
average mean price.
In 1898, the difference between the
|price In the crop marketing period
land In the summer, taking the high
and the low. was $3.50 per bale, as
much as my cotton averaged me In
|1911.. Now the planter who sold at
eight cents in October, the same cot
ton bringing 10 cents In Mays be-
| ginning to wonder who gets the
grow. There is need and use for every
koI - nr06nn-
ton has not kept pace with increas-
ed consumption. It Is not question
Of reproduction, 1t Is q question OF
marketing and fipance-one so large,
embracing interests so varied, and In
dividuals SO numerous, that nothing
short of the functions Of sovereign
power can solve the problem.
The cotton planters are scattered
over thousands Of square miles, tndf-
vidually producing each few bales,
that go to make the mighty whole.
I am glad to have. the privilege OF
participating in this great confer
nrociairn my profound respect for the
earnest and able men who are making
this great fight for education. re-
alize that the lack of general educa-
tion and the blight of ignorance is the
greatest handicap under which the
south suffers. Il believe, however,
that II is caused more from poverty
than an indispositfon to take advan-
tage Of opportunity. when I see our
great crop sacrificed year after year,
ask the question, what chance
against the combined wealth and
brains Of the world have the negroes
and poor whites, toiling in the March
winds and the August sun, to produce
- nrnr M
world Is eagerly awaiting to infuse
new life into commerce. Association
and cooperation are the dominating
principles Of human civilization, and
their only chance Is to act through a
government, which proclaims itself to
be Of the people. by the people and
for the people. n&
It is just here, that we are met
with the cry Of Socialism. Well. I
must plead ignorance Of just what
Socialism means know this, that
twenty-five years ago, the policies
now advocated by the three political
parties In reference to railroads and
public franchises of every kind would
be considered rank Socialism. In
England. David Lloyd-George Is
age pension bills and government in
surance. In this country let one
read the message Of the governor Of
Wisconsin and the bill pending In the
Wisconsin legislature, and he can see
the drift Of the time. It Is not Social
ism, II Is plain, simple, old fashion,
ed justice. for. one do not believe
that we are drifting In that direction
lat all.
Our people abhor so-called Social
ism as much as they love justice. 1
believe that what the great masses
|are striving for is a state Of society
under government strong enough
and wise enough to insure to each
unit just his rights and no more.
I think students Of economic and
apply the same general rule to the
problems of the day; which they
have deducted from study Of ancient
history and modern European labor
conditions. These do not apply In
the social and economic revolution In
progress in this country. Aualogies
with other nations do not mean much,
because they do not take Into ac-
count the great power born OF the
spirit of our democratic institutions.
This Is. the only country where the
democratic idea in government has
had a half chance for full and free
expression. II lS nOIuiHS Dot ioCi ~
for man formulated into theory Of
government, but it has in 1t an ele.
ment which defies the anylytical
scalpel of the political scientist. Its
spiritual power cannot be measured
or defined, we only know that as IT
impels the individual to deal justly
with his fellowman. so carried into
government, it makes the ideal COM
monwealth. ..
AS some animals moved by sub
tie instinct, cross mountains and
rivers until they find the habitat best
suited to their development, so zoo
years. ago did your forefathers and
mine seek this continent, feeling
alphabetically that 1t was set apart for
divine purposes, and still the humble
men and women Of Europe eagerly
seek these shores. America is the
dream that has haunted countless
generations Of the oppressed In their
long weary search through the tragic
centuries for Justice.
In these later days 1t has come to
pass under our present financial sys-
tenn that agriculture has not been able