Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-11-24
MCLAURIN TO The People
Warehouse Commissioner Tells What
He Is Trying to Do.
ASKS INTELLIGENT COOPERATION.


Financial Burden that Has Been I'm
posed by Disturbed Conditions
Commissioner is Not a Miracle Mar
but is Working Along Sane and
Sound Business Lines
Warehouse Commissioner McLaurin
has given out a statement that ought
to prove of interest to cotton growers
and merchants. as we'll as others He
has not yet met any unexpected OBJ
stacles; but is working at a serious
handicap because Of small appropria-
ton. However, he will make the un-
dertaking a go unless his health fails
So far as his own salary Is concerned,
he will not take any unless the gener-
al assembly makes further appropria-
ton. The statement is as follows:
McLaurin's Statement.
The statement Of Warehouse Com
missioner McLaurin says:
Columbia, S. c.. Nov. 90. 1914.
To the People Of South Carolina:
have completed the machinery to
put the state warehouse system into
operation. Application blanks may be
had from this office, also the form of
contract. Under the act, / can only
pay rent after all operating expenses
are met; consequently / am forced to
take the warehouses that are offered
at a nominal rent and require the own
ers to pay all charges and expenses,
including three cents per bale per
month to the state, to meet the cost OF
postage kilograms, express, travelling
and other blanks. l find that the
charge does not cover the cost, but |
will use the appropriation as far as 1t
will go, and submit the matter to the
next general assembly. l do not ex-
pect to use a cent of the salary given
me, unless there is further appropri-
alton, as all the money will be needed
to continue the acceptance Of ware
houses. / only want my actual eX-
penses and no receipts will come in
until cotton is taken out, which may
be a year, while insurance, ETC., Is
paid in advance.
/ hope to have some information
later as to the use Of state warehouse
receipts as collateral, but do not
wish to make a statement until l can
speak advisedly. DR.. Wade Stack
house submitted the receipts to GER
tain capitalists in New York, and his
report was that the state receipt
would be preferred by them to that
Of any private or corporate receipt
for cotton in storage.
New Departure.
This is a new departure in both
finance and government. 1t will take
time and patience to inaugurate 1t,
and 1 especially ask the farmers of
this state to give me their confidence
and support. Don't expect miracles.
1 am not "a miracle man. as one OF
the newspapers intimates. nor the man
who found a shoestring and built a
factory" My purpose is to inaugu-
rate a sane, sound system Of marketing
cotton.
I notice in the morning papers of
today, decision by Associate Justice
Gage. which further emphasizes the
decree in the warehouse case OF 1912.
No jurist has in clearer language. set
forth the principles upon which such
legislation as the South Carolina,
are based. Judge Gage says:
Cotton, and that includes its seed,
is the staple product Of the state and
Of the SOUTH in this year Of grace the
frightful collapse of it's price, incident
to a we'll nigh universal war, has
shocked two continents; the whole
policy Of the state is bound up in the
growing, the sale and the manufac-
ture of cotton
The individual cotton grower is
powerless to protect himself. If we
can unite the units, we can control
the situation. Cooperation spells sue
cess. We will never get this except
through our state legislatures. If our
experiment fails, then no other state
will try it.
No Unexpected Opposition.
l am only meeting such opposition
as l expected. / am depending on
my fellow farmers-not those whose
interests are against us. Some of the
newspapers have been liberal and fair,
while some have been harsh and unjus
Try to sift out the truth. If you do
not understand anything, write me,
and do not let your mind be poisoned
by insidious methods Of belittling me
for the purpose Of destroying meas
ure which will be of inestimable bene-
fit to you and your children's chill
dren.
l accepted unsought and tremen-
dous responsibility, and If my health
holds out, | will see it through. To
sell cotton at present prices is prac-
tically the confiscation of $4,000, 600
of property beonging to you. The
state is attempting to aid you. 1t is
not only function, but it is the duty
of a government to protect citizens in
their property rights as we'll as In
life and liberty. The declaration OF
Judge Gage is splendid enunciation
of this principle. l wish some case
would occur giving him an opportu-
nifty to define, with the same clear
insight, just what the constitution
ownership Of property. Does it in
clude the use of that property. or
does it mean mere physical posses
sion? If restricted to mere physical
possession, then the constitutional
guarantee is hollow mockery. for
combinations of capital can contiscate
the profits and thereby deprive me or
my property by destroying its use.
Must be Decided by Courts.
All of these questions must be final
ly adjudicated in the courts of the
land | feel that this worldwide war
is the end of one epoch, and the
beginning of a new one in the science
of government and finance. The ulti-
mate aim of a true democracy is to
give each individual his just rights
and no more. This must Involve an
equitable division Of the burdens OF
organized society, as well as the bene-
fits.
A situation like the present offers
a fertile field for money and power
to fatten at the expenses of weakness
and poverty. The farmers cannot
bear. without destruction, the entire
burden of the situation. 1t must be
distributed over the entire body polite,
and there is no force strong enough
to curb money and its power, save or
ganized government. This is the logi-
cal sequence of the statement, the
whole policy of the state is bound up
in the growing, the sale and the man.
ufacture of cotton"
Worlds Attitude.
What grand conception of gov
ernment it is. to stand strong. curb
ing human greed and protecting hu-
man weakness. Do not be deceived:
the entire world is deeply interested
in getting your cotton at the lowest
possible price. They intend you to
shoulder the loss on this crop. and
let you make another one if you can.
The more cotton you make, the less
YOU get. If one-half OF the cotton
crop were destroyed, the portion left
would sell for more than the whole.
Why is it that as soon as Liverpool
contracts, that the exchange opened?
They are knocking the price down eV-