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1 VOLUME LIU, JflUBEK 20 .\E\VBERRT, S. (I. FRIDAY, II .US CI I 10 191?. ? TWICE A WEEK, KM A YEAB. W Mr. McLaurin Disc R Cotton and i A Advises the Farmers to Ph R Supplies at Home?Not i \ Ample Power in S Protect People factors of G (By John K. Aull). N Columbia. March 9.?Senator Jno. L. IMcLaurin, State warehouse commissioner. returned on a late tflain last l night from the North, where he has been -.or the past week, in company wkh State Senator J. Arthur Banks, of Calhoun county. I'pon his return ii-p issueii a statement dealing with ; the situation as to cotton and referring at some leng.h to the insurance situation in South Carolina at this k time. A "I have just returned from New York, Washington and Richmond." he f said, "where in company with Senator > ? i.,. t ?it rh?. nia. t<*r OdIIA5> i ? ao uiovuokjm^ v?v utMwv* of the "urtlier enlargement and develop Iment of the State warehouse system. I also took up the matter of insurance. Be ore discussing ihat I desire to say that I went over the cotton situation very thoroughly with a number of experts, and particularly with Mr. Harding, of the Federal Reserve board. Mr. Harding will make a speech Fri-< -? ?? * ? A t.1 in u'Viifli hp mF* in Aium juiuci >, am., iu " mvn will discuss at length the statistical position of cotton, and also give some valuable information from the British k ambassador as to ihe situation abroad and the effect of the various orders promulgated by the British government with reference to cotton. Mr. TT 1 J ^ ^ olir?fino1 rv n_ , rtaraing cuii5iueic> wc au?m,oi ./v-i sition o* cotton ivery strong, but on ! every side I was urged to advise the farmers in the present situation not to plant cotton except as a surplus crop, to make their farms self-sustainf ing. Another thing chat 1 am satisSed of is that the necessity of pota?"n vms ~ ~w?Ar> 1 ov o oro nro t q n r? tCI V gll'a .i> v.\a30nmv.u. M T that much of the land in South Cark lina, by deep plowing and the use or H legumes, will continue to mafce eotton without potash. The clay lands are the ones to which I refer. "Personally I do not believe that we ft ran make a larse crop of cotton next tyeai, with the small amount of fer.zer, and it looks to me as if vhe ! war will be ended before the next crop comes on the market. The Germans 1 have evidently made up their minds ^ not to fight a war of at rition, but are I making the issue at Verdun, and from all that I could gather the fight along Meuse now in progress occupies very much the position .hat t"e Battle o" Gettysburg did in the War Between the States. If the Germans lose this (battle their only hope is to make tne most favorable terras of peace that they can get. and the reverse is true as to the French and the English, because this breach in the lines will put v the German army between the French and the English and ?>pen the road to Paris. 1 1I11U ill > v? l l ix i'lcivxically unanimous for the Allies e~B| oept where you s.rike those of German descent. There is -iot nearly so much divisu 1 ci sennmeiu north of ^ the Potomac as there Is in the South. There is a lingering feeling here L that England's con rabend orders tia*.e been a great blow to cotton, and jet a cererui suiciy or iue suuauon aoes L not bear this on . because the advance last August which put cotton above | 12 cents so as to give us a 10-cents borrowing basis was strictly due to K "he purchase of cotton by the British government, off-setting as far as possible declaring cotton contraband. < r These purchases were the result of the negotiations between officials in iWash ington and the British ambassador, j With the Federal reserve board dis-; ? counting warehouse receiDts at SO Der L cent, of the value of cotton and the British government purchasing heav-j ily, coiton was bound to advance. I : V do not know what effect the speech to to be made by Mr. Harding on Fri-, day will have, but when the cotton j trade studies the figures which he showed me I think that they will real- 1 ize that the price has touched bot-1 i :usses I nsurance Situation T rirtd IWnht? Df.'Jn *11IL tlCOO "ft?* >, Jneasy as to Insurance? tate Government to Against "Malei " r 1 . I ? t J reat Wealth ' : torn. No one can doubt who knowts the oreigti situation thai at the close of the war here will be a sensational ad.ance in the price of cotton. 1 never advise anybody to hold cotton. That is a question for a man to decide for himse'f. Cut 1 am going to keep mine until ;he war ends. i As to the insurance suuauun, wc parties who have been handling our cotton expressed themselves as entirely satisfied with ;he sitation. and 1 feel no uneasiness. The Laney-Odom bill has been passed in other States, and every time this action has been t'nret'f] it< repeal by 13 l\ l~U. hivj iiu ? x. . _ the same methods that the Southeastern is adopting in South Carolina, it seems that they wish to . orce the c a 11 ins of large loans, and through this I ^ bring; sufficient pressure to bear on the governor to get him to call an ex* tra session to repeal the act. Times are different now from what they have been and so far as 1 am concerned, j I am not willing to see a corporation dictate 'he policies of the State of ' South Carolina. I have heretofore l suggested to the general assembly a system of State insurance, and i' the legislature were ca'led together T should advocate this policy. The is sue i45 made, and ccrtainly the State or South Carolina has sufficient resources ! to take care of her citizens. / After having talked with government i ! officials in Washington and with the i governor of the Federal reserve board in Richmond, and seeing the interest, wliich the government is taking in the j S welfare o the people, and what a, ; | ; great blessing this new Federal re- j serve bank is, I feel a new love for a ! ; Democratic form of government and ! i that it justifies the hope that in this i insurance situation there is ample ; power in our State government to protect our people against "malefactors of great wealth." The people with whom I am dealing say that they can place all of the J large amounts of insurance in case j withdrawals are sufficienr to threaten j citizens of the State, and while It Is nnt strietlv a nart of my duties as | State warehouse commissioner. I am j in this fight and am perfectly willing to give .freely of my time and energy, and am placing insurance now for parties ^'ho are uneasy over the situation. The insurance commissioner. Mr. McMaster, has issued a circular ad vising the farmers to organize mutual insurance companies, and I heartily second the suggestion. I have been looking into this matter myself, and will make a statement c'.iong this line shortly. I do not see why, through the S ate warehouse association which we formed in January, we cannot oriranizo mutual insurance companies to carry the country property, and I am today issuing a call for a meeting of the excutive commit-ee o this association. 1 lie Southeastern is trying to strike a blow at the Sta.e warehouse system by advancing tne rates on country property. I did not begin this fight, but I do not propose to quit, now that it has been forced, and -c l Kor>L' mo ac T Tr.nnw li tllC Idl UlCl 3 IYUI uav/ii uiv, MO ?. uuv | they will, and -with Mr. iMoMaster's aid ana his long experience, we can organize those mutual insurance companies in every county in !South Carolina. The farmers of 'Anderson, Oconee. Union. Newberry, Cherokee, York, Chester, Fairfield, Marlboro and Darlington are now getting insurance on their dwellings and tenant houses at less than 15 cents per one hundred dollars, while the farmers in the o"her counties o: the State "have been paying one dollar and twenty cents per hundred dollars. I find in looking over ray mail this morning that in the county of Lee orders have been issued to ra.-e the country insurance from one I i dollar and twenty cents to two dol- [ I lars. ? Now. I have been for twenty-five years trying to better the industrial condition of cur pccuic. and if they will organize and make up their minds ' to stick, wo wi.l win this battle, which will only be a fore-runner o-: greater victories. Another rer,von why insurance is so high in South .Carolina is that there are tco many companies and too many j agcn:s. It looks to me as if when a , m;:n has failed to mke a li\ing in any i other line of business, he either goes into polities, selling books, or trying { to write insurance. It would be a ; 2 )Cd tiling if a large number of these t companies would withdraw and aboi: j ; two-thirds of the people now writing i insurance to earn a living had to go j to work at some useful, productive occupation. In the hearings before 'he1, legislative committe es the agent of h '<'if of ;iie large companies said that ; the expense of pitting insurance Into i thp home offices of the companies was j v about orty-one and eight-tenths per j cent. This is caused by the number \ , of useless agents, all of whom have ro j , <ret a portion of thp premiums. It does not cost but ten per cent, to , any insurance is handled in large handle the S<atc warehouse insurance and should not cost over that whereamounts. Of course small amounts | o insurance, widely scattered, are j much more expensive, but if we can ! place the large, amounts, through the j channels which I now control, and ' then will follow the suggestion of Mr. ji M-Masier and organize those mutual? ( in every county, with a central office r . in Columbia, we can save around fifty ( per cent, of the amounts paid in prem- 1 iums to useless insurance agents. 1 ( do not Uiink the companies themselves are getting too much, but it is -he : cumbersome and expensive machinery 1 ihiougii which they have to work. If i they would look at it sensibly and co- I operate with us, we can gei along I i without the S. E. U. A. If they do not, j then we will provide an insurance i system o.' our own. i j Incidentally I will say that I know 1 of counties in South Carolina tha\ j 1 have to borrow money for current county purposes. I have in mind one 1 rmnitv that has been navins: eight pel 1 cent. I-oans of this kind can be placed readily at from three and one-half to 5 "four and one-half per cent. T realize ] that this is none o" my business, as < State warehouse commissioner, hut ^ 1 f have this information, and I feel that 1 it is ray duty to let the people know it ' The truth of tlie business is that 1 our whole fiscal system in 'South Car- t olina, both public and private, needs 1 overhauling and if we lay down in this : figh I see no hope of the future. I am standing pat. t ^ STORE OR STAGE? "" 1 O A Word to Ambitious Young PeopI? \ Cool/inn o Pi if 11 rf* ! r There is just as much demand among store owners and managers for high class salesmen, buyers and nfanagers as there is among the theatrical and * movie producers lor :i< tors. Merchants c want t<> employ ambitious youni: men r am! women who can raise themselves a above the ranks of the ordinary. The 1 work is no harder, hours 110 longer and p:iy ijuito :is pmil in the stores lor Help ~ of .-ill (-hisses ;is it is in film or stage 1 productions. ^ The "stars" in business are just as v well paid as are those whose names grace the billboard. Where there i* one tilm favorite who is paid $1,000 a month there are half a dozen merean 2 titri mnnaiMM's who receive as much or s more. There arc hundreds who receive [ $200 a month to where there are five g movie actors who receive the same. ? And there are ten dollar a week places anions the members of the mob 1 ???? 4. A i. /, scenes, as mere are ieu uoiiar a ?t-eh < vjobs among the "mobs" in the stores, j a Once a year or so some one graduates j1 from the chorus or the "supes" to a place as an understudy or star, while in business many are promoted from ? the ranks to positions of trust and good n salaries There are better opportunities foi ? omKifi/?nc tta/\tvln ni mnr/wj fiolrTc ? auJL/iuu.i.- 111 .uw.iu.wic ? rti.iii as actors. The demand is many j times greater. Owners are always on the watch for some one who will jus j tify a promotion. But positions can I li not be had without effort. They must j k/s irmi In- Iki t*<1 XT'* >rl* wtnili* o i?il on I wii i f \ iiti i ' i u u? oiuu i aiiu u 11 overwhelming desire to set ahead. At all events we say. Stick to fhe store.? n Farm Machinery. 1 n ? JPHOLDS 1HE PRESIDtNT IN IMPiESilVE tASHION UTION OF (OXiKESS PERMITS WILSON TO WOVE FItEELY. tfueh Apprehended Revolt Does Not Materialize?Democratic Speakers Praise Executive'^ Handling. Washington. March 7.?Prsident .Vilson today complete'y and decisivey won his long and sensational fight to compel congress 10 acknowledge hat it stands behind him in the sub liarine negotiations with Germany. To tho rallying cry of "Stand by :lie presidfiii."' and. "It is Lansing am] W'ilson. or von P.ern-storff and tho uiiscr."' a bi^ Democratic majority md nearly half of the Republicans in he house three times rolled up o. er* ivhelming votes against the movement .> warn Americans off the armed merchantmen o ftho European belliger-; .'lits. The MeLemore resolution, around ivhieh anti-administration forces cenv A _ K 1 . .1 _ . 4 u :ereu tacir nsui, was lauit-u. a-> ui<^ liantment of the European belligerivcck. From the very outset of the fight oday the president's supporters, without regard to party, swept over the opposition. On thf> firm vntp which was a lire- ' 'miliary preparation to prevent opening the iilcLemore resolution to uiundment. the administration forces carried the day. ur.6 to 160. On that; l!<2 Democrats, 63 Republicans and! >ne Progressive voted to support the idministration. Twenty-one Demo134> Rpnnhlir?an?! five Prosrres ;ivcs. oik- independent and Represen-1 atle London, the lone Socialist of the} louse, voted against it. The Crucial Test. i This was the crucial vote of the j ight, the one 'point on which administration leaders were uncertain. With j victory in ihand they moved on to the idoption of a special rule after four lours* discussion o-f the McLemore "esolution. Again tliey carried the day?this :ime 271 to 138?and then pushed their victory to a conclusion by tabling the UcLemore resolution, 276 to 142. In seven hours of tense, turbulent session, n which the administration opponents charged that the president was confiding for a doubtful legal right and vac c.Vi i ft inc thf> re-cnnnsihilitv of liplomatic negotiations to congress, j he house swayed "back and forth In he most sensational congress specacle of a decade, probably not equaled since the eve of the declaration of war )n Spain. President Wilson, calm and confllent, heard the early results of the roting in the cabine. room at tne rVhite House with some of the cabinet ;rouped about him. He told them he vas much gratified with the support of ongress. ('{in Continue Efforts. Released from the bonds of embarassment forced upon him by the dls:crd in congress, which have been epresented in foreign capitals as m[icating that he was making his de( nands on Germany in direct oppo- . iticn to tilie sentiment of the elected epresentatives of the people President iVilson now stands prepared to go on villi tlie submarine negotiations with he central powers. The next step probably will be an nswer to Germany's last proposal to ett.e the Lusitania case, in which the "nited -States probably will ask for uch additional assurances as it coniders sufficiently broad and complete o guarantee that the new submarine ampaign which, 'began on March 1, im in which notice has been given hat all ships carrying guns will be link without -warning, will no; endan;er Americans traveling the seas on nerchant vessels. (The president and his advisers re;ard the action of the house today as i ufficient answer to the report circu- ; ated in Berlin, sent from Washington, hat congress stood two to one against lim in the crisis. How the Administration Won. Three votes were taken in the house ] in the question of sustaining the presftont'c nrvcifirvn On sll fhrpp tTle 2<3 ninistratiou forces had large majori-j' K. A. COOPER ENTERS !l RAPR PAR GOVERNOR! 1U1VJU A VII UV f U1U < Vlt j MAKES AW0UXE3IEM AFTER CONFERENCE WITH FRIENDS. Had Not Intended Running, Hut So Many I'nrd Him He Couldn't Refuse. .News and courier. Green wood, March 8.?The Hon. Robert A. Cooper, of Lauren?, an-1 nouneed here tonight that he would be a candidate or governor in the Democratic primary this summer. Mr. Cooper's announcement was made after a conference with friends from many sections of the State, who had come to Greenwood for the purpose of considering nis amy m mc campaign. Mr. Cooper lias been here all the week attending court as so.icirrr or this circuit and Greenwood i> easily accessible, heace its selection as a meeting place for his friends, in maL-intr thr annnimeement. Mr. Cooper stated that his platform would bo given in due time. Those close to Mr. Cooper say that he makes -he announcement now so that his position will be known. He has been ur?cd, it is claimed, by men in all sections of; tiio fur thp nast six months to i offer as a candidate for governor this summer. Although missing the nomination for governor two years ago Dy a very close margin, around two "hundred votes, if was not Mr. Cooper's int?r.t?on to thrust himself" into the political situation in South Carolina this year. He at first declined all sugges tions to this effect, but it is said that the requests for him to offer as a candidate have become so frequent and so insisent- that he feels it a duty to .yield to the judgment of his friends i? this matter. It is stated that he has never sough- public office on anything other than his own merit and does not' 1 - - - " . 1 > * - rvfirtrtinlo I intend 10 uev.aie iiu-iu mi? t"i now. Winter Swimniincr Fine Sport, Columbia. March 8.?When asked tonight if he bad any comment to make on the announcement o Mr. R. A. tr\r* rrArurnAr fnrmpr fiAl PmOr VUU1/C1 ? IVi QU'VIUWJ, t.VAM.V. J Cole L. Blease said: "The more the merrier. Thel water is fine, come on in." Mr. Blease some davs ago announcer! his candidacy -for governor. >1 * WING IN THE RACE FOR A SECOND TERM Columbia, iNvarch S?Governor Rich- j ard I. Manning tonight announced his J candidacy for reelection. On being asked by the correspondent for The NVws and Courier if he was going to run for re-election the governor said: : "I will stand or reelection to continue the work I have begun. I "am J in the race to the end for clean gov ernment, law and order. I will let ' the Democrats of the Siate "hear from ( me more in detail later." 1 The governor has received a great many letters in the past few days 1 commending his administration and ^ telling him that he can easily he re- 1 5mnnnnn#?ri toniffht that 1 he was prepared to wage a vigorous ( campaign. W. F. C. j J < ties. The first vote?considered the i crucial test?came on the previous < question., a parliamentary manoeuvre i designed to prevent amendment of the ' McLemore resolution. Of this the ] vote stood 256 to 160. { The second vote, that on the adop- j tion of the rule for four hours* discus- j sion, stood 271 ;o 142. i Throughout the South Carolina del- s egation?Messrs. 'Aiken, Byrnes, Fin- f ley. Lever, Nioholls, Ragsdale and i Whaley?stood solidly by the presi- I dent. t On the first test 192 Democrats, 63 t i Republicans and one Progressive supr>r\ rfn A 4- Vi rv o r? m inicfro flAn Trhll A ? pui itu mc auiiiiiiicii utiuu, t? ****v -* Democrats, 132 Republicans and five t Progressives, as well as the single in- t dependent and the lone Socialist, voted f a-gainst the administration. All the t Democdatic leaders voted with, the ad- d ministration. Republican Trader e YTann anH T?nrm??r 5nAatpr PannOn H were among those voting against the a president. On the final ote 182 Democrats. 93 e ReDublicanR and one Progressive vot- i 1 ed to sustain the administration dv I j ' J H'LAURIN SENDS REASSURING WIRE NO REASON FOR UNEASINESS ABOUT INSURANCE. * _ 1' ?l C* _ *5 !> ? Message irom Miy\ ion* says 11 i>Hf Loans Are Called in Other Ar rangements Can Be JBuie. Xevs and Courier. Columbia, (March 7.?That there li no reason for uneasiness as to fire inc?n vo n/>o r> A n ^ i f i rv r? c in -CAiif ^ rAli,nO olu aiivv. V/UiiuxLivno iu vjv/utu vai vimv* resulting in the calling of loans upon large investments, and that the insurance placed through the State warehouse continues undisturbed in its satisfactory shape, is the purport of a telegram from John L. MeLaurin, State warehouse commissioner, sent from Xew York on Monday night to hit secretary, .John K. Aull. "The insurance on S.ate warehouse cotton has .'"elt not the least disturbance," said Mr. Au'l, "and Senator McLaurin's wire, which was in response to a wire I sent to him in Xew torK on Monday, says tnat mere i* no reason to be uneasy either about a disarrangement of insurance placed through the State warehouse or about the cancellation of insurance on large investments upon which loans are out-y standing, which might result in A'he calling of the loana. If the insurance V/C*lI^/v. I 1\ V/U LHV^O*. lu > LCI IIIvl. lO ** can be placed with high class companies. McLanrin in the North. "Senator McLaurin has been In Washington and New York in consultation with officials and financiers in regard to the financing of the next cot' frm /->rrm T-To loft ffir WocViin,<yt/vn rvn ?.vr?* V4 vp. AV,*W " uciiiwgvvu v ia^L Thursday a ternoon and v.'ent over to New York on Saturday. Since hie has been out of South Carolina there have been a great many rumors In connection with the fire insurance situation circulated doubtless jfor the purpose of creating uneasiness in business circles. New York being the centre of the financial and insurance interests, and the State warehouse sys tem being the storm centre around which this insurance fight has raged since the Southeastern began its fight upon the State warehouse system, it was felt that the people of the State would like to have a statement . rom Senator McLaurin while he is in New York and in close touch ' with the financial and insurance world there. It was with this idea in view that 1 informed him by wire of the situation which has been attempted to be created by rumors intended to alarm. T?a..i,A_ J < jiisuimice lur tuuuu, r* "The State warehouse system is amply able to take care of all the cotton on storage in the State, and to keep it insured in high class companies UDder the greatly reduced rates which ' Senator McLaurin has been able to secure, as shown by his annual report to :he general assembly, and the system will be able and ready to take care of :he cotton crop of South Carolina this faII. And not only that, but L" 'Investments upon which loans are outstandirr arp Arid sneered br a threatened ?*-? ~ Gf ?. ? cancellation of the insurance can t>e landled, notwithstanding the alleged conspiracy against the State by cer:ain companies. The telegram receiv-' ?'J from Senator McLaurin, toucning .pen this phase, to the effect that there is no reason to be uneasy.' will v.- received by a great deal of satisfac:ion by the people of South Carolina, ,n uew of the .act that the anti-compact bill, in refusing to hamper the ivarehouse commissioner as to the insurance placed by him, does not conine this insurance to cotton in State svarehousee, but refers specifically and broadly to insurance placed by or hrough the. State warehouse commissioner^ " W. F. Caldwell. abling the McLemore resolution. T&iry-three Democrats, 192 Republicans, ive Progressives, the independent and he Socialist voted against the presi[ent. Again the leading Democrats. >tood with the president and again Messrs. Mann and Cannon voted against him. Speaker Clark took no part in the lebate and did not vote. The speaker rotes only in case of a tie or when he jarticularly wishes to do eo. I