The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1915-08-26
SENATOR EPPS ON
COTTON SITUATION,

CUllUN SlUAllUN
FORCIBLY POINTS OUT BENEFIT!
TO BE DERIVED FROM STATE
WAREHOUSE SYSTEM.
Editor County Record
At this time, twelve months ago
the farmers and all other persons il
Williamsburg county, together will
the entire citizenship of South Caro-
lima. were engaged in much agita
ton and were deeply concerned il
each others welfare, because o.
the terrible cloud of anxiety anc
the threatening disaster which ther
depressed and confused the publ,
mind.
The European war which haG
burst forth so Unexpectedly and 81
suddenly completely shocked the
earth, and the boast of the worlds
civilization crumbled; doctrinal in
fluences of Christianity vanished anc
the business affairs of inter-nationa
commerce became paralysed with
dreadful apprehension.
The financial interests of America
after momentary pause, began t.
sectionalize. Wall Street squawked
and Immediately the community in
terests of the great East, North anc
West ran to cover. Organized
trained and prepared to meet emer
gencies, these sections converted
what at first seemed to them to BIZ
certain disaster and calamity into E
harvest of wealth and a condition OF
lasting benefit.
But the South! This great section
which stands first in the annals OF
American history and which is des.
tined to preserve individual free
dom, and ever ready to defend the
great principle of national liberty
and the nations honor, floundered
iE chaos and confusion, while her
prosperity wilted and disappeared
like dew before the mornings sun.
Its great product which should
have brought luxury and a bed OF
ease to her people proved only tc
be a burden of poverty and a mil
stone Of depression.
The reason for the difference be.
tween the effects of the war in the
North. East and West, and the eff.
fects of the war in the South, is
plainly that of a preparedness on
the one hand and lack of pre-.
paredness on the other hand.
Twelve months have passed since
the first shock of the war was felt;
the record crop of cotton in 1914
has been practically consumed, and
the lie has been given to the Bear
and the Critic, who deluded the
public mind with the erroneous idea
that the industrious South had fool
ishly produced more than a worlds
supply.
Realizing that the agricultural
people were approaching great
crisis. which then threatened not
only their welfare but the interests
of the entire people of the State,
South Carolina led out, as she usual
ly does, and provided a remedy for
the purpose of meeting the emer-
gency. The task was great, the
process tedious and the hindrances
enormous. Yet out of it all, has
developed a system which, if util-
lied, will defy any adverse circum-
stance or current event which might
be used to temporarily depress or
destroy the intrinsic value of the
South's greatest product.
! have reference to the great pos.
sibilities embodied in the States
warehouse system. 1t seems that
so few men have concerned them
selves in regard to this law. and be.
cause of the fact that the daily pa
pers of the State seem inclined to
doubt the wisdom of agitating the
subject, which at this tirae should
be the constant thought of both the
farmer and the business man, | have
persuaded myself to at least give to
the farmers of our county the SIM
pie suggestion that there is at hand
a real, practical, inexpensive, safe
and common sense method for the
storing and indefinite holding off of
the market the cotton which they
are now about to begin to harvest.
Those who do not avail themselves
of the plan should not complain
when their obligations mature and
their creditors ask for either cash
settlements or such negotiable paper
as will pass current in the general
market for credit extensions.
The newspapers, when they dis
cuss this subject. advise that there