Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-04-30
ADDRESS OF STATE
SENATOR JOHN L. McLAURIN.
Delivered Before the Southern Educational Conference al
Richmond, Va, on April 10.

say something Oh the SUBJECT Oh GU
ton and cotton marketing sup
pose because | am the author Of a
bill providing for a State inspection
and grading, with State-owned and
operated warehouses.
l see a measure very similar in
principle has been commended to the
Legislature Of Wisconsin by the Gov
ernor of that State, and /. believe
that, sooner or later, all of the great
agricultural crops will be handled in
this way. There can be no doubt
that much Of the high cost OF living
comes from the enormous profits
that go to the middlemen, who stand
between the producer and the con-
sumner.
There is much being said in the
public prints about cheapening the
cost of living, but ! hear very little
about the profits Of productive labor.
If the propaganda vas less for the
consumer and more for the benefit
Of the producer, the evil would be
sooner adjusted to their mutual e
eft. More profits on the farm would
attract those now in non-productive
fields, creating more food and cloth
ing. Our census tells a story Of a
decreasing percentage of country
population as compared to the town,
and it is a manifest impossibility in
this free country, by any fiscal or
economic policy, to compel the farms
to feed and clothe a constantly in
creasing urban population at less II
less cost. | was BORN in the early
days Of the war on a big cotton plan
tation on the Little Pee Dee, 20
miles from a railroad, and am to-day
a practical-not a Observation-Disclosures
ter, and can truthfully say that there
is very little net profit in cotton at
even fifteen cents per pound.
There Is a constant labor shortage
because we cannot compete in prices
with the saw mills and railroads and
factories, and as a consequence the
most energetic labor goes where it
commands a higher price, leaving us
the naturally idle and u~nambitious
for the farm.
There is nothing to keep the en-
"rso.t@ and educated boy on che
1o.m Fural lite commissions Ray
CRY hack to .the tlrm but the
cNGatry lanes end blUomiNG Cel1s DO
l.H. attra2t when r0o only pla~o
where the comfort which wealth
alone "a bring is in the city, where
traffic makes gold by it's very touch.
This exodus from the country to
the town not only affects the cost Of
living, but goes deeper, for history
teaches us that a nation draws it's
most unselfsh patriotism and purest
life from a prosperous agriculture.
1t is not my purpose to discuss the
tariff, money or transportation Ques-
tons further than to say that for
fifty years our whole scheme of gov
eminent has revolved around their
protection and development at the
expense of both producer and con-
sumer.
The farmer is compelled to buy in
the protected home market and to
sell IN the unprotected open-world
market. l doubt If there Is a great
fortune in this country whose source
cannot be traced to special privi-
leges conferred by legislation.
Every article which the farmer
uses in his business, in addition to
protection Is trust-made and the
price Is trust-ixed. He must either
Ia or go without. When he comes
to sell his product he has nothing
to do with fixing the price. He is a
competitor with every other farmer,
and his product is forced on the mar
ket under a crop mortgage and lien
law system, and he must take such
price as may be offered.
Time and again we have tried to
organize and build warehouses;; in
fact, In 1911, we did not lack fac.li-
ties for storing, but found it impos-
sible because our debts were due.
and money to finance th, crop could
not be had. here are several rea-
sons why private warehouses do not
furnish a satisfactory collateral, ex-
cept for local use, where all OF the
parties to the transaction are well
known:
lst. A bank in New York or Bos-
ton must be sure about the title OF
the cotton. How do thew know, if 7
nreSpDt q Worabppuo ronoiDt ron