The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-08-18
SMITH OR BLEASE?

/ Who will the farmers of Lancaster
county vote for in the race for
United States senator, Smith or
Blease? The answer to this question
will help determine the result of the
election. If they vote as they did
five and half years ago, Smith will
be overwhelmingly elected, as he was
then. But since that time there has
been injected into politics the issue
of Bleaseism and the exponent of
that issue, Governor Blease, is
vehemently urging the same farmers
who put Smith into the United States
senate, to retire the senator and ele-
vate him to that position. Now will
they do it? Viewing the matter
from every standpoint, we fail to see
how they can.
The farmers, as a general rule, are
never guilty Of ingratitude. If there
is one man in South Carolina, more
than any other, who, for the past
ten years, in season and out of sea-
son, has fought to make cotton bring
f. ID. Smith. He is in whole hearted
sympathy with the farmers for the
reason that farming Is his one and
only occupation
About a decade ago. in company
with Harvey Jordan, president of the
Southern Cotton Growers AssoCia-
tiOn, he went all over the Southland,
when cotton was down to something
like five cents per pound. urging the
farmers to wake up and change con-
ditions. He pointed out to them the
way this could be done, by co.
operation i'm divcrsiryug their crops
and by holding their cotton until it
would bring a fair price. lie made
no demagogic appeals to them: he
did not try to array them against
other classes of citizens. But not
withstanding the high plane upon
which he pitched his campaign for
higher prices for the staple. he in
Cured the displeasure of the cotton
buyers and cotton mill interests. He
told the farmers that they had
monopoly in cotton and it was their
own fault if they so regulated the
raising and sale OF it that it hardly
brought the cost Of production. The
plan he urged was to get out OF debt.
The result was that there was
an awakening on the part OF the
cotton growers to the alarming sit
uation and they began to raise
what was needed on the farm,
thereby reducing the amount of the
staple planted and then market their
cotton only when the price justified
and carrying out the advice of +. ID. .
Smith, cotton began to rise in price.
In appreciation of what he had
done for them and realizing that
further relief could be given them
in the national Congress. the farm
ers called ON +. d. Smith to enter
the race for the United States SEN
ate. Obedient to their will he enter
ed the race, and as stated was tri-
umphantly elected.
Now is there any good reason why
these same South Carolina cotton
farmers should humiliate Senator
Smith by retiring him to private life,
when it is generally conceded that
he is the best posted man on cotton
in the United States, when he has ac-
complished so much for them in the
way of legislation, and at a time
when, by reason OF his experience. he
is in position to give better service
to them than any other man? Gov
ernor Blease, in his campaign to dis
place Senator Smith. gives no valid
reason why he should replace Sena-
tor Smith. We urge upon the cot
ton growers of Lancaster TO stand
by Senator Smith and return him to
the senate where he can complete the
good work he has already under
taken for them
Al