Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-10-22
IN TEARS, OVERMAN ASKS
HELP FOR COTTON GROWERS.

Washington, Oct. 17.-Senator Over
man made the best speech he ever
delieverd in the Senate today in sup
/ port of the Hoke Smith cotton amend
ment. He cried while he spoke, and
several other Senator's Joined their
tears with his. But the attitude of
President Wilson, who does not think
that such legislation as that proposed
the cotton amendment. =
Senator Simmons voted for the
Smith and Overman amendments both
of which were defeated.
Senator Overman spoke for Is min
utes showing considerable emotion,
az he reviewed the dark days during
and just after the Civil war In the
South. He spoke first for the Smith
amendment, and then for his own.
Senator Overman did not join the
conspiracy to defeat the war tax bill.
He stood aloof from that. He went
as far as he could.
"We of the South" said he, come
not to the Senate and ask for aims:
we spurn them. We do not ask for
any gift. We ask simply that this
great Government lend US its credit
to take care of our own situation.
We ask for justice,
1--WE men here, pleading for the peo-
pie of the South, are as serious as if
we stood in front of the cannon's
mouth: it is a serious question. We
do not know what is going to happen
in our section of the country with 15sS
600 900 bales of cotton on hand that
cannot be sold at ALL. Some few
bales are being sold at five and six
cents but the cotton mills do. not
know what to pay for it.
Cannot Get Loans.
''WiH the banker loan money on it?
No. Why? I would not loan money
On cotton myself if I were banker.
I would not as the trustee for the de-
positors of my bank loan money on
cotton today at six cents when tomor-
row it might go down to five cents or
four cents.
eve do not want money; we want
a market. Give US your credit and
we will make market and that is
all we need.
Senators talk about precedents. /
hope to God there never will be need
TO follow this precedent in the United
States. again. There never has been
need to establish such precedent and
there never will be again.
"Mr. President, the banks of the
South get their money from New
York. They discount their paper in
New York for the purpose of financing
their crops in the South. The bank
ers lend the money to the merchants
to supply the cotton planters. The
cotton planter supplies the poor ten
ant farmer-and about 40 per cent OF
the cotton growers arg the poor col
ored men -uf the SoutG. Those men
today cannot sell their cotton. What
is to become of them during the win
try months or what is to become OF
the poor white tenant farmers?
sI tell you, my countrymen, II
something is not done for this South :
ern country in the near future, star
walton will stare us in the face and
million poor poor colored men whom
we have been trying to take care or
who have no land and who have been
living on the. supplies given to them
by the planters, will be roaming up
and down the South begging for
them if we are threatened financially
and in a condition of ruin and dis
tress?
eve simply ask that you write up
on a piece of paper bond and give
, It to us and let us take these 5,OOO,O00
bales of cotton and save them and
hold them until they may be sold and
you can get your money back Under
these conditions the taxpayers OF the
South will help and If the cotton does
, not pay back the amount of the bonds
we ask that you tax us for the pur-
pose, so that the Government OF the
United States shall not lose cent on
it's cotton. We will pay it ourselves;
we will bear our burdens but we ask
YOU to help us to save ourselves from
bankruptcy, sister States. Have we
not done duty to the Union? Have
we not been loyal? p
4