Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-08-13
THE TIRZAH PICNIC

South Carolina needs q genera
political house-cleaning, not only ir
the legislature but elsewhere. There
is no state in greater need Of such g
cleaning than South Carolina" said
Warehouse Commissioner McLaurin
yesterday at Tirzah in addressing the
1000 or more people who had gath
cred there for the annual Tirzah pic
mic. What you should do Is to send
representatives to the house and sen
ate who will look after your interests
and enact the legislation which you
know will benefit you. A nation wide
political housekeeping is also needed
in Washington. When a man has
served in the national house or senate
for twenty years OF more he begins
to deteriorate morally, mentally and
physically and Is unable to be Of SER
vice to the people whom he represents
even though he were Sc inclined"
Although not 80 large Is the crowd
last year, people who attended the
Tirzah picnic were representative OF
the surrounding section, and the
number who listened attentively to the
speeches Of Warehouse Commissioner
McLaurin and Solicitor Albert E. Hill
Of the seventh judicial circuit, the
only speakers of the day, was about as
large as those who were grouped
around the stands at Hilbert week be-
fore last.
Senator ]. E. Beamguard presided
over the assembly, the speaking be
ginning shortly before II o'clock. The
well trained and directed Tirzah band
had quarters on the speakers stand
and rendered a number Of selections
There was much disappointment EVIL
| denced when Senator McLaurin an
! nounced hat former Governor Blease
who was scheduled to speak in the
afternoon, could not be present, owing
to the fact that 1t was necessary fol
him to appear before the supreme court
in Columbia
Hon. A. e. Hill.
Albert E. Hill Of Spartanburgi
| solicitor of the seventh judicial cir
cult, who was first introduced to the
audience, said he had prepared nc
speech for the occasion. He wanted
to compliment the people Of the Tirzah
section on their prosperous condition
which was evidenced by the fine crops
in the fields which he had passed and
the intelligent faces which he saw be-
fore him. Mr.. Hill said he liked York
county for two reasons-first, because
the best woman in the world, his wife,
was a York county girl, and second
because he could buy a ticket from
York county to Spartanburg.
Referring to the low price OF cotton
and the unsettled condition OF things
so far as the farmer is concerned, the
speaker took occasion to state that he
was Of the opinion that the farmers
could benefit themselves through or
ganization. The Farmers Union, he
thought, was a good thing. Any union
whose purpose was the uplift OF Its
members was a good thing, he believ-
ed.
Mr.. Hill thought the state warehouse
system a good thing for the farmer.
Although still in it's infancy 1t had been
taken out Of its swaddling clothes ard
was now on the road to mature growth.
Mr.. Hill briefly reviewed the hard
fight which advocates Of the warehouse
bill had had in the Legislature to get
the system established. He told how
Commissioner McLaurin, whom he
characterized as the leading exponent
Of the cotton growers In South Caro-
lima, If not in the SOUTH" had never
given I'D TIE fight even when it SEEM
ed that his efforts would end in fail
ure, anG stated that he believed that
II the warehouse commissioner Is CIV
en- a chance the state warehouse sys-
tenn will result in financial gains for
the farmer.
In conclusion, the speaker said he
had come to TirZah to meet the peo-
pie. He wanted to be the friend OF
everybody and wanted everybody to be
his friend. He wanted them to be like
the young girl whose mother had given
her a Bible with the advice that II she
followed it's precepts she would never
go wrong. Sometime later the young
lady's mother discovered q young man
kissing her, and when she admonished
her daughter, the young lady replied
that she had followed the teaching OF
the Bible in the matter. The mother
asked to sec the passage bearing on the
subject and the daughter referred to
the verse which reads: do unto 9TH
ers as you would have them do unto
you" Mr.. Hill was applaudcd when
he concluded his adore s.
Hon. John L. Mclaurin.
People always look to what is said
at a York county picnic for an idea Of
the political trend Of the state" said
Hon. John L. McLaurin, warehouse
commissioner Of South Carolina, whom
Chairman Beamguard next introduced
to the assembly. The speaker an
nounced that he would deal mainly
rr;fh nm apf1irn Of tho ofnfa uo rob nrl 90
system, since he intended explaining 1t
in detail to a number Of interested
farmers in the afternoon. After re-
viewing the bitter fight which had been
made on the warehouse bill in the
senate and house Of representatives Of
this state, the commissioner mention
ed that Georgia and Alabama wanted
a similar warehouse system but that
the bankers, insurance people and
others had made a similar fight in
those states. "a" notice." he said, that
the warehouse bill has just been killed
in the Georgia senate. 1t is in these
senates where legislation which will
help, is killed. However, our farmers
are becoming educated and are rapid
ly growing able to defend themselves
against the lawyers"
The warehouse system, in the opin-
lOH VI Liz SolhiiiiooioiiSi "oS ~HfN
growing. 81 do not believe there Is
now a county in South Carolina where
a candidate can stand upon a platform
Of opposition to the warehouse system
and be elected dog catcher" he said.
In discussing probable conditions
this fall he declared that II something
isn't done pretty quickly the situa-
ton is going to be yer worse than 1t
was last fall. Doubtless most Of you
have read in The Yorkville Enquirer
letter to President Wilson, in
which / advocated that this country
purchase 1000, 900 bales Of low grade
cotton to be used in the manufacture
Of war munitions. l believe that
the plan would help. If We don't be-
come involved in this European war,
the entire gold supply Of The world
will come into our hands through the
purchase of supplies by the belliger-
ents, Mr.. McLaurin declared, and beg
ged his hearers not to sell a bale Of
cotton below the cost Of production
and to hold for a good price as long
as possible. If our people were any
thing like as economical as European
peoples, we could hold u cotton until
a fair price was offered. Economy Is