The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1920-08-25
ADDRESS OF SENATOR SMITH
The Democratic Voters of The State of South Carolina

State in attendance upon the
Democratic National Convention
at San Francisco where | was a
member of the Committee on
Platform and Resolutions and
consequently did not have an op-
portunity to meet my fellow-citi-
zens Of South Carolina face to
face and give them an account of
my stewardship in Washington, l
have determined to issue this
address to the people.
| have been farmer all nv
life and in common with the far
mers l have had struggle to
make ends meet and 1 have no
large fund at MY service that
permits me to send others from
place to place advocating my re-
election to the senate. If re-
elected it mus be upon my record
alone.
In consideration of the services
rendered by me to the agricul-
tural interests of my State and
the South, l was elected to the
senate twelve years ago. On
every occasion l have stressed
with all the force in me legisla-
ton for the benefit of the agri-
cultural interests.
Briefly referring to some of
the measures which l have advo-
Gated and had passed in the in
terest of the agricultural classes
are:
Agriculture: U) Smith Cot
ton Futures Act, preventing the
depression of prices by the tend
er of valuelcss cotton on con-
tracts.
(2) Standardization of Cotton
Grades. / co-operated in sccur-
ing this very essential legisla-
ton.
(3) Government comparison of
various grades of cotton, show
ing much greater discrepancy in
price than there is difference in
actual value.
(4) Resolution calling on dip
lomatic and consular representa-
tives of the United States abroad
to furnish information as to the
needs and demands for Amcri-
can cotton in their respective
countries and the best methods
of supplying it.
(5) Government cotton reports.
co. Census Department to
furnish number Of bales of spin
nable cotton and number of bales
of unspinnable cotton on hand.
This prevented the counting of
unspinnable cotton in the carry
over reports.
CD | led the fight which pre-
vented cotton price fixing during
the war with the result that it
was defeated.
(8) Nitrate of Soda: Under
the Smith bill, originated, intro
duced and sponsored by me, the
government has constructed
huge nitrate plant at Musscl
Shoals. Alabama, for teh manu-
facture of nitrogen from the air.
This plant is practically COM
plete and this fall will turn out
one hundred and sixty thousand
tons (16O,000) of 45% pure nit
rates, which being reduced to the
percentage Of nitrate of soda
will amount to 100000 tons. This
output will be sold to the farm
ers at cost at q saving Of mil
lions of dollars to them.
am also the originator and
author fthc law by which nj
tartc Of soda was purchased and
sold to the farmers at cost dur
ing the war. The Congressional
Record will amply substantiate
this statement in every respect.
This law brought prices down
from $40 and $l20 per ton to
$500 per ton. thereby saving
the farmers millions of dollars.
If it had not been for this piece
of Legislation there is no telling
where the price would have
scared.
0) Immediately upon the
SIGNING of the armistice I secur-
ed the lifting or the embargo on
potash from Germany, enabling
the farmers to secure this year
partial supply at more reason
able cost.
G0) / am the author of the
amendment to section Is of the
New Banking and Currency Act,
whereby the farmers secured six
months time on agricultural
paper as against ninety days on
commercial paper. This puts the
farmer on an equal footing with
other businesses and enables
him to secure the proper credit
for the holding and marketing
of his crop.
(11) I co-operated in the pas
sage of the Farm Loan Act, an
Act which placed farm lands for
the first time in the history of
this country where it was pos
sible for farmers to, use their
land as an asset on easy terms
to make them pay for them
selves while supporting his
family and helping to support
his State