The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-01-30
lEPfll COTTON ACREAGE ACT
HOUSE VOTES FOUR no ONE FOR
REMOvAL OF RESTRICTION
ON PLANTING.
twenty 1.-TWO Vote 70 Retain Act, ID. ID.
AoAse Among Thcm-Rcpeal Bill
Introduced by Moore OF Abbcvilic.


the house voted four to one last night
IN favor OF repeating the cotton re-
duction acreage act passed by the
special session OF the general assem-
Sty In October. The act prohibits, un-
Der penalty. the planting 'in this
SUITE In any year greater number Of
aefes Of land In cotton than one
third Of the total acreage Of land
planted and cultivated In all crops by
such person In said year. including
Urain and fall sown crops planted the
trscedins fsll or winter" The act
we drawn by q special committee.
Incidentally. II In No. 13 In the thin
volume Of acts passed by the extra
ordinary session.
The house reached the cotton acre
aee reduction repeal bill early in the
svsning. The liveliest debate Of the
session ensued. Advocates Of repeal
oAsed thetr pleas on the assumption
that majority Of the farmers wanted
the restraining act stricken out Other
speakers took tho view that she acre
ses reduction act was a step toward
dsthronins the tyrant. King Cotton.
When . vote was reached at 1920
CLOCK last night. 81 representatives
voted against striking out the enact
Ing words of the repeating bill and %
voted TO strike them out. TIE meas
urs was than passed to third reading.
The members who voted against re-
psaling the cotton acreage reduction
hw were: Speaker Hoyt. .Messrs.
Baker. Dantsler. Dew. Friday. Fripp.
Harper. Hubbard. Jackson. Johnstone.
Lane. McMahan. Maipass. Massey,
Noise. Hover. Odom. Rivers Rus
sell. Sells. White and Workman.
Three bills repeating the cotton
acreage reduction act were introduced
IN the house during the first week Of
the present session. The bill by Mr.
Moore Of Abbeville was the one on
which the house acted last night.
hr. Moore spoke In favor OF the re-
tsaling bill. He said small farmers
wodid have dificulty In getting ad-
vancss Of supplies for this year II the
acreage reduction act remained IN
force. He assumed that many OF the
farmers we're going to break the Ia w.
AhSwpy. "''''
~, Friday of oranseburg said that
I. the acreage reduction act should re-
main In force and agreed with Gov.
Charles A. Smith that II was tho first
sep toward emancipation from cotton
slavery."
Mr.. Martin OF Kershaw protested
that the acreage reduction law in
tsrfered with the rights Of farmers
ana should oe repealed
Mr.. Hutte Of Dorchester said that
tho reduction act had ali eady served
IL purpose OF melting the farmers
60 plant grain and should be taken
on the statute books.
Mr.. Lies OF Orangeburg said that
ne believed that q majority OF the
farmers wanted the act repealed now.
Although majority Of them had been
In favor Of Its passage last fall.
IF the farmers are disposed to 60
on planting cotton at loss. then tina. {.
u thear lookout" declared Mr.. Lilies
Should the reduction act remain in
force and be ignored. It will be OF no
bsnefit."
Mr.. Wolfe OF Anderson said that
the cotton acreage reduction act was
void under the constitution.
1T will put hundreds and hundreds
OF farmers In the position Of violating
an unconstitutional law" he declared.
Mr.. Sellers of Marion said that the
farmers had asked the special session
OF the general assembly to keep
them from planting cotton and ruin
Ing themselves" He claimed that tho
repeal OF the act would cause a de-
preston Of the price Of cotton.
III we abolish this law. Wall Street
viii say that South Carolina has gone
Grassy and Is going to plant another
big crop OF cotton." said Mr.. Sellers.
Then watch the price Of cotton
drop"
Mr.. Sellers said that the chief
trouble with the farmers was that
they had raised. no foodstuffs last
year.
The farmers tell US they are 'on
tho hog" Mr.. Sellers said.
Let them live on hogs next year
and they will be better off," he added
Mr.. Sellers closed with the argu-
ment that the reduction acreage act
was constitutional as matter of pub
lie policy.
Mr.. Lee Of Spartanbure spoke I'm