Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-10-13
UP TO THE SOUTH
Cotton States Can Help Themselves if
They Will, Says TiIIman.

Cotton States Can Help Themselves if
They Will, Says TiIlman.
Senator Tillman has written the fol-
lowing letter to ]. T. Collins of Ches-
ter on the cotton situation:
"My Dear Sir: Yours Of October s.
received. l realize your condition
perfectly and sympathize with the
farmers who owe you, too I do not
know what to suggest or how to help
our fellow citizens who are in this
predicament. Sad to say there are
very many of them in distress. / am
hoping that the legislature will enact
law promptly providing for a sensi-
BILE warehouse scheme and that the
state will get behind it's own citizens
with its credit by voting a constitu-
tional amendment to increase the
public debt for this purpose. Pos
sessing the power of taxation as 1t
does, there is absolutely no reason
why it should not do this. Until South
Carolina and other southern states
show their willingness to back their
own people, it is idle to expect the
national government to do it. I be-
lieve the state supreme court would
declare a proper warehouse law con-
stitutional, provided the people at the
next election vote to increase the pup
lie debt for that purpose. The legis-
lature can act Immediately and as the
election comes of in November, every
thing could be satisfactorily adjusted
in this way. South Carolina can thus
save it's own citizens, whether other
southern states do or not. l doubt
very seriously, however, whether any
law looking to the decrease of acre
age or forbidding the planting of any
cotton at all will stand the test of
constitutionality. 1t is worth trying,
however.
II myself expect to SOW all the oats
can get in the ground and will fer
tilize them we'll with cotton seed meal
and acid phosphate, two home prod
ucts. The land may wait for potash
until the Germans are licked. Luckily
most of the land in this state has
enough potash in it already to make
one or two crops, for it is mineral,
which does not leach out All the
soils above the falls in our rivers have
a natural supply.
II believe the reduction of acreage
will settle itself without legislation,
simply because nobody is able or will
ing to advance money or supplies to
is like lifting ones self over a fence by
his boot straps.
This European war has certainly
hit the south a hard blow. We have
before seen cotton very low, but ev-
erything else was low then too. Now
everything we have to eat, especially
meat and -four. is very high and the
cost of growing cotton is probably
double what it was in 1890.
II see no reason why the national
government does not hasten getting
the national reserve banks in condi-
tion to begin operations. We have
chinery would begin to move on
October l. The national govern
ment could recognize warehouse re-
ceipts as good collateral and 1 believe
it will do, provided the state first
takes sensible action in regard to this
matter.
Il do not think Uncle Sam WILL or
ought to be expected to come to our
help until we have exhausted all of
our own resources and have done
those things which are necessary.
There never was a time when the old
adage. God helps those who help
themselves was more applicable and
had more truth. If the people of the
state demand a sensible and practica-
BILE law, the legislature will enact it,
and the governor will sign it too.
Our home banks, if they would
only cease being greedy hogs and do
their duty towards the people, could
get us all out of the wilderness. 1t is
preposterous and criminal for those
banks to draw money from the United
States government at 3 per cent in
terest to assist the farmers in mark
citing their cotton crop and then give
it to merchants and manufacturers,
and then if some few farmers are
fortunate enough 10 be able to put up
the proper collateral charge them 6
per cent and per cent. Secretary
McAdoo has the machinery already
paper money necessary and will is
sue it to the banks on proper col
lateral. Congress has already dis
charged its duty far better than our
dent and the secretary of the treasury
dare not do more than they have al
ready proposed to do.
There are certain things the ma
tional government can do and ought
to do. but as usual there are dema-
gogues among our public men who
are making wild proposals. Such men
are public enemies and ought to be
sat on
Let the state Legislature do its duty
and the national government may be
depended on to perform its. We can
stem the tide if we all work together,
but many wild and impracticable
schemes ought to be abandoned
promptly and not talked about longer.
Action is what is needed and not so
many words"
DIR. George w. Dick of Sumter
prominently mentioned as a candidate
for the speakership of the next house
of representatives, has declared he will
not he n candidate as Sumter has the