The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-07-27

hourlshlng condition OF the country
would so much increase local freight and
travel as to compensate for deficiency
in bales of cotton. A crop of three and
half millions would mean good prices
at home for the planter and such a de-
mand on the part of European and North
ern spinners as would laugh at the addi-
tional tax of dollar or two more to be
paid 10 railroads and steamers for trans
portation. Again, three million and a
half would mean such a. lively competi-
ton, to get it from all quarters, that our
Southern ports would get as good prices
as New York could. This would tend to
break up the New York system, by
which, for some years past, the short
sellers there have been banking up cot
ton to use as depressing influence in
bearing the market. With three and a
half million bales cotton would be too
scarce to allow of heavy accumulation at
any ors point, and the only benefit they
would realize in banking up would be in
the increasing value of their accumula-
tions, which the farmers would not grudge
them, having themselves been properly
paid for their labor.
The question then recurs, how is this
state of things to be brought about?
Ireply in this way: Let a number OF
influential gentlemen in our State, with
some such good organizer and speaker as
Col. D. w. Aiken, meet together for con-
sultation. Let them issue call TO all
the planters of the State to elect dele
gates to general cotton planters con-
Yention, to be held, say, LIST September,
at Columbia, S. G. Let them advise the
calling of primary meetings at each
township for the purpose of electing one
or more delegates to the State Conven-
ton at those primary meetings. Let the
objects and benefits Of the association be
clearly set forth, and let the planters of
every township form themselves into an
association, pledging themselves to abide
by and to act according to the DEGREES OF
the general State association, and ulti-
mately of the general association of the
Cotton States, in reference to all matters
that may. be suggested and advised by
such association regarding the acreage of
cotton to be planted. Let the Columbia
association meet and elect delegates to
meet conventions of other States, Ia call
having in the first place been made by
the originators of the movement on prom
inent gentlemen of every other Southern
State for similar action let that general
convention be called to meet, say, on lst
October, at Atlanta, Ga, or Montgomery,
Ala, and when so met let the delegates
form themselves into "Cotton Planters
Protection Association" perpetual as
long as may be necessary, such powers
having been delegated by the respective
State Convention. Then let the dictum
come from this central body as to the
amount of land to be planted in cotton
each year, the convention meeting yearly
for that purpose. would suggest this
as the "modus operandi" of procedure.
upon the assumption that in
fairly average seasons the'yield of cotton
is about half bale to the acre, the con-,
vention would simply have to decide
what number of acres must be planted to
produce given crop; and then decree
that each and every planter, a member
of the association, must decrease or in
crease his planting, just in proportion as
it is desired that the crop to be planted
should be made more or less than the
crop Immediately preceding it. To make
it more clear | will suppose case.
IF such convention, and so empow-
cred, had met on the first of last March,
with the knowledge that the current crop
would be over four and half million
bales, as the product with favoring sea-
SONS of nine million acres of land,s and
that the price of cotton was thereby too
low for profit to the planter, at least three
cents per pound, the necessary action
would have been to decide as to the num-
ber of ba.es to be made for the. coming.
wear. Now, suppose three and three
quarter millions was fixed on as the out
side figure, as being likely to stop any
farther decline and put prices up to-
about IA cents at the ports for the COM
ing wear, the convention would have de-
cided that not over seven million FIVE
hundred thousand acres should be plant
ed in cotton, and have decreed that each
planter should lessen his cotton acreage
IN percentage just in proportion to the
decrease in percentage between the ag-'
yregate acreage of the two seasons-this,
IN the case stated, being. about II per
cent.-each planter would be expected
BY this pledge to plant that much less in
r otton than the year previous.
This course, if carried out, would in
evitably reduce the crop within q calcu-I
culable approximation Of any given
The objection will arise that it
is impossible to get men to act together,
20 as to produce such results, and that
many who pledge would not act in good
faith. Now, I don't see why, when such
interests are involved, men
cannot be got to act together, as we'll as
in getting up conventions for political
purposes, instances of which have only
lately passed in review before us, and l
think that course which would save to,
the cotton States so many millions every
year is of more Importance than what
particular individual shall be President
or Vice President. Again, on the matter
Of acting in good faith, 1 have enough.
confidence in human nature to believe
that in matter of this kind, where men
would pledge themselves to certain
line of action, that nineteen out Of twen-
ty would stand up to their engagements,
and by making a moderate allowance for
the faithless and such as might refuse to
Join in a pledge. and also allowing for
possibilities of new acreages from new
farms being opened up, the aggregate
acreage necessary to produce a certain
result could be fixed upon with compare
tive accuracy. .-.t<.fE
I verify believe that if such an associa-
ton as I have suggested could be formed,
and meeting called for the 1st of Octo-
Der or November, to decide upon the
of the next year-in view of the
low prices promised for the growing crop
that it would have such an immediate
effect on prices as to save to the South
during the next fall and winter fully fifty
million dollars, which will otherwise 60
into the pockets of spinners and short
sellers Of cotton, who have become the
u.