The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-05-24
McLaurin Discusses
Action of Convention

house system has been to them and
the larger benefit which it can be to
them, and the State warehouse sys-
tenn shall have the opportunity, to
which it is entitled in the same man
ner, of meeting before the people of
the State such vicious attacks as are
constantly being directed against. it
as 'exemplifed by the State cnvention.
/ have nc weapon save the thought
which can create; no appeal save to
conscience and the true interest OF
my fellow citizen.
The concentrated wealth which op-
poses every step I take forward gath
ers for it's defense an army of faith
full because we'll paid retainers. They
buy the best brain to speak, write and
act for them. They have lawyers,
politicians and editors constantly at
work moulding public sentiment.
When the system demonstrates its
usefulness, they attack my character
and try to destry confidence in me.
No appeal to sense Of justice avails;
greed and self-interest outweigh the
rights, prosperity and happiness +
millions of human beings.
Charges Monopoly.
There is today in this State close
corporation of interests demanding
an exclusive monopoly in making, de-
claring and administering laws. They
care not who hold the offices, 80 they
control policies. "Whose bread I eat,
his song sing" Never was there 80
overwhelming a desire on the part of
the people for knowledge. Are they
to be denied?
If the State warehouse system has
one thing to be specially commended,
it is economy and efficiency. Is it
in these cardinal virtues?D
South Carolina has never had
real business administration.
Taxes have doubled in twenty years.
Who dares say efficiency has been
bettered?
Political Leeches.
. I venture the assertion that about
one in 20 primary voters Is on the
public payroll in some capacity. This
State is flooded with policitcal leeches
performing n ouseful work, but bend
ing their energies to keep up ma
chine which will perpetuate their
jobs. Food inspectors, drug inspec-
tors, whiskey constables, special con-
stables, charity experts, labor experts
and pellagra and tubercu-
losis experts, hog agents, anti-toxin
distributors, mad dog inspectors,
white slave agents, demonstration
agents, tomato club agents, crop bu-
reau information gatherers upon
whose information the prices of our
products are forced down, trustees,
purity congress delegates, drainage
delegates-anything that will create
a job-all travelling over the same
field, eve-lastingly drawing salaries
and piling up expense accounts to the
profit of the political machine and the
imoverishment of the ordinary tax
payer. Who pays the freight? Where
is it all to end? What man outside Of
the lunatic asylum does not know
that such a loose, diffuse administra-
ton of its affairs would bankrupt the
United States Steel trust in a few
years? The State only survives such
a lack of efficiency at the expense Of
constant drain upon the taxpayers.
We need ordinary business efficiency
and plain cmmon sense in public SER
vice.
This condition came about because
after 1876, every time objection was
raised, those in control said, "Hush,
you'll split the party" Now, it is
''Blease in the wood-pile," and people
are whipped into line by a threat of
"Bleaseism." God save the State, if
the people can be fooled, and if they
allow themselves to be duped into
bitter factionalism against their own
interests by this incessant cry against
"Bleaseism."
The interests which are fighting the
State warehouse system because it
cuts off their enormous profits mis-
led the State convention into fac
tional lineup against the interests of
the people whom that convention had
been assembled to represent. Manu-
facturers, exporters and others who
are now profiting at the expense of
the producer do not want licensed
graders system under which cotton
can be stored and sold on standard
grades, and they do not want other
laws which will stop the constant
drain upon the people of the South
which evc:y day enlarges of the al
ready rich. They defeated these meas
ures in the last legislature, and they
will defeat them in the next unless
the people are on the alert. I have
no fear as to the final verdict when
these matt ers are nresented to the
people fully, and I shall take that
course which shall seem to me best
to get an exposition of the principles
of the State warehouse system clearly
before them.
Jno. Lowndes McLaurin.