The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-06-19

~. "dtIheWS, June 1I.-lne CAM
paign meeting was called to order
this morning at 11:30 o'clock by DR..
L. II. Dreher, chairman of the coun-
ty executive committee. The candi-
| dates were allowed one hour each and
Governor Blease opened. The exc
| cutlve opened with an attack on the
recent state convention, saying that
the requirement of registration works
hardship on the poor man because
he cannot leave his home and work
like the rich man. He said many of
the officers and members of the con-
vention are corporation lawyers and
not friends of the people. He said
that his opponents cry, "No faction
| alism," yet they attack him on all &C.
casion- Governor BleaseS address
was principally an attack on the rec
ord of Senator Smith. He charac-
terized him as a Haskellite, reading
| abstracts from news articles of 1880,
giving the name of E. D. Smith, as
another of the Haskell convention. He
attacked the junior senator's labor
record and claimed he had done little
to help the farmer and asserted that
Smiths appointees to Office are Has
kellites, corporation men or anti
labor people. An exciting incident
happened when Governor Blease stat
ed that James L. Sims, Of Orange
burg, United Marshal, was a Smith
appointee. This the junior senator
denied and asked the governor to keep
the record straight. Governor Blease
read letter from Senator Tillman to
w. j. Sheldon, of Columbia, in which
it states that Tillman and Smith have
agreed to the appointment of Sims.
hn II
Ben Tillman may be, l do not believe
he will lie." At this juncture Sena-
tor Smith arose to his feet and faced
the governor, saying: AZ know YOU
want to be fair and keep the record
straight. Mr.. Sims was Senator Till
mans appoiptee. I tell you this: Ne
man living in the image of God can
call me a liar" Senator Tillman
wrote that letter, l didn't" replied
the governor. Chairman Dreher then
took Senator Smith by the arm and
led him back to his seat and what
looked like a stormy incident was
closed. Senator Smith followed Gov
ernor Blease.
Senator Smith, discussing his rec
ord, said in part:
Another election year has come.
Six years ago l stood for election to
the United States senate upon a plat
form whose main plank was in the
interest of the farmers of the state,
particularly the cotton growers. They
ha dnot had as everyone knows, a
square deal, and after years of work
In farmers organization, / believed
that if the proper legislation could
be had to supplement the organiza-
tions that relief could be given.
The cotton exchanges of the coun-
try, under the domination and con-
troll of Europe, were debating to
American producers what American
cotton was worth. These exchanges
made such contracts that they were
at liberty to put the price up or down
as they saw fit 1t made no differ
ence whether the crop was large or
small; that is, practically no differ
ence. because these exchanges could
manipulate the market to suit them
selves. Therefore, it is encumbent
upon me to show what I have done in
furtherence of my promise to the
farmers of the state.
Is Farmer Himself.
l am farmer myself, pure and
simple. 1t is the only means / have
of making living, and cotton is the
only crop of which we can get ready
cash. Now, as l suggested, what
have l done?
In the first place, during the re-
publican administration I introduced
a bill to regulate the cotton ex-
changes, to force them to give con-
tract which would be fair and Just to
both the buyer and the seller. 1t must
be borne in mind that in the senate
then, as now, there were about sew
enty-eight lawyers, thirteen manu-
facturers or other professional men,
three farmers with other business and
two farmers pure and simple of which
two am one. Therefore, it can read
lily be understood what an uphill bus
mess it was to get this mass of pro-
fessional men to understand the real
condition that confronted the farm
ers. recall one incident After hav-
ing labored with a number of south
ern senator's on my bill, and having
used the words "middling," Glow mid
ding" "strict low middling," "good
ordinary" "strict good ordinary"
"strict middling" and "good middling"
one of these, coming from one of the
cotton growing states, asked me to
explain just what l meant by enid
ding" This serves to illustrate the
difficulty in getting the proper legis-
lation for the farmers Of this coun-
try. Only five, socalled, out of the
ninety-six senator's, farmers, three of
them having other business which
seems to be more their real business
than farming, and only two directly
dependent upon farming.
Passed First Bill.
After laboring for two or three
yeahs, I finally passed in the senate
of the United tSates the first bill. go
far as l have been able to ascertain,
that was ever passed through that