The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-02-23
MORE ,MLAURIN PROPAGANDA,
Senator Banks Tells McLalirin's
Part In Establishing State Ware
house system

entered the State senate i'm 1918. he
came with Il definite purpose to in.
augurate new program of industrial
progress by using the sovereignty OF
The State to stabilize the market val.
ue of the South's money crops The
program was:
1. Warehousing and financing cot.
ton.
< Direct sales of cotton from the
warehouse 10 the mills.
D. State grading.
4. State insurance.
D. A farmers bank to handle the
receipts
These ideas at first found little fa-
vor In an ultra conservative South Car
olina senate. but finally under the
persuasive power and fire of enthus
iasm of its author, and under the
stress of six cent cotton caused by the
war in Europe, the warehouse bilr'
was enacted into law at the extra SEES
sion of 1914.
The law conferred but limited DOW
er and provided a meagcr appropria-
ton. McLaurin was chosen commits
sioner and given his baby to rear to
manhood. The home was unshelter.
ed, the wolves" numerous, fierce and
hungry, but he loved this Offspring
OF his mind and fought for it with
valor that has commanded the ad
miration of every generous spirit
"hich mas not been obscured by po-
iitical partizan zeal He got farmers
to build Warehouses on their farms
ne reduced insurance rates on rural
warehouses from $3.50 to $1.5S; he
secured an abundance of money to
hnance cotton at 6 per cent at a
TIME when none was available even
at per cent, he enlisted the sympa-
thy and cooperation Of Mr.. w. =. G..
Harding. chairman of the Federal Re-
serve Board in Washington, and he
and 1 had developed a plan and Sc
cured the consent Of Mr.. Harding to
establish n bank to serve as distribu
ung agent for the money available
TO finance cotton, so that the farm
ers could get it at per cent instead
OF per cent as provided by existing
distributing agencies. The thought
had taken root and was growing. The
government in Washington was
sounding u. harmonious note. The
state warehouse office and the cover
nor's office seemed in harmony and
everything seemed fair and promis-
ing TO set sup in South Carolina a
light to guide Southern agriculture
out OF the gloom of it's years Of de-
preston.
Then came the May convention o.
1916, which violated the rules Of the
party and broke the law Of the State
sioner the right to a place in tn,
State campaign, which right had been
demanded by q resolution introduced
by Mr.. l.. w. Dabbs, president OF the
State Farmers Union, at meeting OF
the State Warehouse Association, ana
unanimously adopted, as expressing
the universal desire to have the auth
or of the law explain to the people it.
beneficial purposes and enlist THEN
cooperation to like end that it might
become all that it's friends hoped for
McLaurin felt that he lost the supper,
Of the administration then in office
and in my opinion made the mistake
OF carrying the fight into the CAM
paign for the election of the faction
which supported our resolution 1t i.
my conviction that our program il
bigger than either faction and if car
ried before the people by it's author
would make all which they stand
for look small indeed.
Additional evidence Of the fact that
McLaurin's thought has taken roo.
| and is growing may be found in tho
recent passage by almost unanimou.
consent of my bill to insure State
warehouse cotton by the State Thi.
law not only settles the question O
insurance for cotton, not only build.
IL wall between the cotton baby
and the wolves but it sets up :
light to guide the thoughts Of states
men to the ultimate solution of al
insurance problems and to lift tn,
weight which presses so heavily up
on the commercial life Of our people
Men are thinking everywhere on thi