The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-08-27
ADDRESS OF SENATOR E. =. Smith
To the Democratic Voters of the State Of South Carolina

State in attendance upon the
Democratic National Conven-
ton at San Francisco where |
was member of the Commit
tee on Platform and Resolu-
tions and consequently did not
have an opportunity to meet
my fellow-citizens of South
Carolina face to face and give
them an account Of my stew
ardship in Washington, / have
determined to issue this ad-
dress to the people.
l have been a farmer all my
life and in common with the
farmers | have had a struggle
to make ends meet and have
no large fund at my service
that permits me to send others
from place to place advocating
my reelection to the senate. II
reelected it must be upon my
record alone.
In constellation of the SER
vices. rendered by me to the
agricultural interests Of my
State and the South, was
elected to the senate twelve
years ago. On every occasion
/ have stressed with all the
force in me legislation for the
benefit of the agricultural in
terests.
Briefly referring to some of
the measures which I have ad-
vocated and had passed in the
interest of the agricultural
classes are:
Agriculture: % Smith Cot
ton Futures Act, preventing the
depression of prices by the ten
der of valueless cotton on con-
tracts.
(2) Standardization of Cot
ton Grades. I co-operated IN
securing this very essential
legislation.
(3) Government comparison
of various grades of cotton,
showing much greater discrep-
ancy in price than there is diff
ference in actual value.
(4) Resolution calling on
diplomatic and consular repre-
sentatives of the United States
abroad to furnish information
as to the needs and demands
for American cotton in their
respective countries and the
best methods Of supplying it.
(5) Government cotton re-
(6) Census Department to
furnish number of bales OF
spinnable cotton and number
of bales of unspinnable cotton
on hand. This prevented the
counting of unspinnable cotton
in the carry-over reports.
CD I led the fight which pre-
vented cotton price fixing dur
ing the war with the result that
sit was defeated.
(S) Nitrate of Soda: Under
sthe Smith bill, originated, in
troduced and. sponsored by me,
the government has construct
ed huge nitrate plant at Mus
sci Shoals, Alabama, for the
manufacture Of nitrogen from
the air. This plant is practi-
cally complete and this fall will
turn out one hundred and sixty
thousand tons (160,000) Of As
per cent. pure nitrates, which
being reduced 10 the percent
age of nitrate of soda vii,
amount to 100000 tons. This
output will be sold to the far
mers at cost at a saving of mil
lions of dollars to them.
/ am also the originator and
author of the law by which nj
trate of soda was purchased
and sold to the farmers at cost
during the war. The Congress
sional Record will amply sub
stantiate this statement in
every respect. This law
brought prices down from $11O
and S12O per ton to $500 per
ton, thereby saving the farmers
millions of dollars. If it had
not been for this piece Of legis-
lation there is no telling where
the price would have scared.
.(9) Immediately upon the
signing of the arnistice Sc
cured the lifting of the embar-
go on potash from Germany,
enabling the farmers to secure
this year partial supply at
more reasonable cost.
(10) I am the author of the
amendment to section 13 of the
New Banking and Currency
Act, whereby the farmers Sc
cured six months time on agri-
cultural paper as against nine
ty days on commercial paper.
This puts the farmer on an
equal footing with other busi-
nesses and enables him to Sc
cure the proper credit for the
holding and marketing of his
crop.
(1D I co-operated in the
passage of the Farm Loan Act,
an Act which placed farm
lands for the first time in the
history of this country where
it was possible for farmers to
use their land as an asset on