The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-07-23
C. JULY 23 1913
SHOULD STUDY MEASURE

FARMERS OF STATE OUGHT TIC
DISCUSS CLARKE BILL.
President E. ". Dabbs Asks That
Wen-Informed Farmers Write Sen
ators and Representatives About It.
E. W. Dabbs, OF Mayesville, presi-
dent of the State Farmers union, has
given to the press for publication GER
tain letters pertaining to the Clarke
bill for taxing cotton contracts OF
futures. The paper follows:
ITO the Press Of the State:
There is no better way to learn
the wishes Of the farmers Of the State
upon matter affecting their inter
ests than discussion in the papers.
Therefore I am sending to the press
a copy of a letter to Senator e. D.
Smith, and would ask you to publish
same, and would ask for such farm
ers as are informed on the subject to
publish their opinions. Especially do
I ask the delegates and visitors to
the State meeting Of the Farmers
union next week to study this ques-
tion Of taxing future contracts with
view to. giving our senators and
representatives light upon the sub
ject. My letter follows:
'Mayesville, July Is, 1913.
"'Dear Senator Smith: Your favor
with Senator Clarke's bill for taxing
cotton contracts received. I have not
been able to discuss this matter with
the farmers Of the State, but will lay
it before the State Farmers union
next week at Charleston. Mr.. McEl-
derry Of Talladega, Ala, writes me
and incloses copy Of letter ex-
change strongly indorsing the meas
ure.
Without having heard the argu-
ments for the bill I must ask, Why
single out cotton? Why not grain,
coffee, cotton oil, steel rails, ETC., etc.,
ad libitum? Stocks, bonds, ETC., in
fact everything traded in any vol
ume in the exchanges Of the coun-
try?
"'I think you best stick close to
your bill to require the grade to be
named in the contract, according to
standard grades, and let the govern
ment establish the standard of
grades, just as it does the fneness of
gold and silver and weights and
measures. Then not allow anything
to be rendered but the grade concen-
tracted for or one better at the differ
ence in price.
"I think Senator Clarke in his
zeal to make the cotton exchanges
behave as they should will do harm.
With fair rules I can not see any
thing wrong in sales for future de-
livery, but when things are juggled
as we think they are 1t is a most
iniquitous business. The question is
how to regulate it in the interest OF
legitimate trading. 7 ought to be al
lowed as free right to trade in the
products of my labor as in my labor
itself, and no one would attempt to
prevent ne from contracting to labor
for another at a stipulated wage for
a stipulated time-except to prevent
abuses and the oppression Of the ig-
norant. I think labor contracts are
limited to one year, or the calendar
year. We see another exception in
labor unions and their employers fix
ing a labor scale for term Of years.
"sIf the exchanges are so bad that
they should be abolished, do 50 by di-
rect act under the general welfare
clause Of the constitution. For the
above reasons, I can not, without
more light, approve the measure. !
am giving out this letter that the
people of the State may discuss the
subject. Yours truly,
"'E. W. Dabbs.
President South Carolina State
Farmers Union.
"Mr. McElderry, who was appoint
ed by the National Farmers union
conference in Columbia in January to
secure the enactment Of legislation
that will make effective the standard
ization Of cotton grades, writes a
strong letter in favor Of the Smith
bill, senate No. 10, TO regulate
trading in cotton futures and provide
for the Standardization Of upland
and "gulf" cotton separately In his
letter to the New Orleans cotton ex-
change referred to above, he said, Jf
you would do as much to correct
abuses as you do to prevent legisla-
ton, we would not need to legislate,
and he indorses the Clarke bill as
understand it only as a last resort.
4 wish space would permit the
publication Of both bills and the cor
respondence have on them. At the
State union meeting the entire mat
ter will be discussed.
"E. W. Dabbs,
"President South Carolina State
Farmers Union.
"Mayesville, July IT,"
no HELP JACK TARS,