The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-02-22
LUNATIC WOMEN
INJURE CAUSE
Carrie Nation Suffragettes Dis
gust the Members of Equal
Suffrage League.
COLUMBIA NOT PLEASED
WITH ABUSE OF WILSON
Interest in Cotton Holding and
Acreage Reduction Campaign
Increasing.

Columbia, Feb. 1S.-Ihe nenpeis >
of the Columbia Equal Suffrage
League are about the maddest people
in town today. They declare that
they have a, right to be and lots o.
people agree with them III their as
sertion. They say that much OF the
work that they have done in n1ohths
has been killed by the visit to TINS cltS
Yesterday Of a bunch Of militant SUI
fragists.
The mi!itants are travelling on what
they call the prison special and are
visiting the principal cities III the
South. If they make the same speech
es everywhere that they made mere
and the impression formed by the
people everywhere is the same that was
formed ny the few people who heard
them here they will be delaying the
cause Of suffrage in the South very
much.
A crowd Of from fifty to one hun
dred people heard the lnilitants speak
here. They spoke on the street cor
hers ana only few passers-by stop
ned TO hear them The speeches were
for the most part denualciation OF
President Wilson. Posters denounc-
fne the President W re also d;stribut-
ed by the party.
The Columbia Equal Suffrage
League, composed Of some OF the
most prominent women in the CITY,
recently sent communication TO the
local papers announcing that they did
no, sympathize with the National Wo-
mans Party under the auspices OF
(which the speakers appeared here
yesterday.
Mayor Blalock served notice on the
visitors before they began their meet
ings that no disloyal utterances would
be permitted from them.
Members Of the General Assembly
who heard the addresses said that the
suffrage cause had been hurt by the
visit of the nilitants.
The farmers Of the State seem TO
mean business in their holding move
ment and acreage reduction drive. A
meeting. Of the central steering COM
mittee was held in this city yesterday
and J. Skottowe Wanamaker, Of st.
Matthews, was elected chairman and
J. Rutledge McGhee of Columbia
secretary. It was decided TO make
February % pledge day and on that
day every farmer in South Carolina
will be asked to sign a pledge to re-
duce his cotton acreage one-third this
year and to cut the amount OF ferti-
lizer which he proposes to use so per
cent.
Pursuant to suggestions made by
". P. G. Harding. governor Of the
federal reserve bank, in his speech
here last week, a bill has been intro
duced in The General Assembly pro-
viding for the organization Of cot
ton corporation under the Webb act
to stimulate the European cotton
markets. Mr.. Harding in his address
before the joint assembly declared the
states should do something to relieve
the distress Of the cotton growers as
the selling price OF their product is
now. below the cost of production.
The plan he suggested was the
organization Of two corporations, one
for the Gulf s-ates and the other for
the Atlantic states, these corporations
to become the selling agent in the
foreign field. Mr.. Harding said that
all artificial stimulation Of the cotton
market could thus be eliminated