The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-04-21
Summerton.

II was our pleasure to have with us
last Monday evening, the 18th, Hon.
John L. McLaurin. state warehouse
commissioner, aud Hon. Z. J. Watson,
commissioner of Agriculture, who ad-
dressed a large crowd at the graded
school auditorium. Senator McLaurin
Was the first speaker. and was intro
duced by his old friend, the Hon. A. j.
Ricbbourg, who presented him to the
people as one OF South Carolina's
grandest sons.
| Mr. McLaurin began his address by
saving that he was indeed glad to have
the pleasure of addressing the good
people of this section of Clarendon
county, that about twenty years ago,
when this county WIS a part OF the
sixt., congressiona. district, that he
made speech at Silver and passed
through this place. and at that time
there was only about three or four
buildings here, and that he WAS glad
to see that so much progress had been
made. and that this place now had hoe
church buildings and an elegant school
building, and that had the people of
this section not been robed OF what was
Justly theirs 10 the sales of cotton these
past twenty years that God alone only
knows what Summerton would have
been by this time.
This audience was representative OF
all factions Of politics that greeted Mr..
McLaurin and listened with intense ln-
terest for more than one hour. TO the
explanation of the state warehouse SyS-
tenn, and the reasons for its existence
and the necessity for it's continuance.
At the close of the address MIR Nc
Laurin asked for criticisms of the plan,
amp offered to answer any question that
any one wished to ask. No question
was asked and the only response made
was by our local insurance man, Mr..
Ellison Capers, who spoke for the com
munity in thanking Mr.. McLanrin for
coming among US and promised coop
Grafton in getting the insurance rates
down to the lowest rate obtainahle. Mr..
Capers assured Mr.. McLaurin that this
community was unit In support OF
him and his warehouse plan. Your cor
respondent made special note OF this
statement and decided not TO report
this meeting until he had the oppor-
tunity to find out if Mr.. Capers' state
ment was correct.
And have questioned men in every
walk OF life, since the meeting. and
have not found any critic ism or objec-
tions to the McLaurin plao. but on the
other hand find every one endorsing 1t
and looking to this warehouse plan as
the safe.sane, and sure way TO put this
country on a sound basis.
Mr.. Watson was next introduced by
Mr.. Richbourg, and presented to the
people as man who was endeavortng
to teach the people how 10 live ct nome
Mr.. Watson began his address by
saying, that he thanked God that the
European war was going Cd, and that
he thanked God that the shoe had
pinched the people, and pinched them
hard, aud that he hoped that it would
take some Of the farmers in this COM
murity Two or three years yet to pay
their fertilizer bills. For so:lsthiu$
like this was the only thing that would
ever learn our people to raise what
they needed at bone, and stop having
their dairy garden and other things
for their bill of fare up at the grocery
store on the shelf in tin can.
Mr.. Watson told number Of good
jokes and kopt the crowd in a good
humor throughout his whole address,
and We do not doubt but what the good
work Mr.. Watson is doing: will prove