The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-01-08
COOPER
Letter from Past Master VIM.
Maxwell, of the Tennessee State


Grange.
OFFICE S. w COOPERATIVE Assn.
New ORLEANS, Jan. 4.
E1ftOr Patron. Letters come to
our office with statements of this
character: 1--WE can get more for
cotton at home" or "our neighbor
got more" or 1--WE sold one bale at
home for more than the one we sold
in New Orleans" or 1--WE sell for
more than the quotation prices. :"
How is this?" they ask, 1--WE don't
understand it,
There is but one answer to all
such questions, and that is, men in
the mercantile business want your
trade, because there is money in it to
them, and no one can fall out with
them for wanting it. You, the peo-
pie, have but ore way to prevent the
merchants from getting your money,
and that is 10 establish a co-opera-
tive store, where it is not, for your
retail business, and make it large
enough to sustain itself, and patron
ize those already established, or send
your cotton to T. J. Carver and order
your supplies from him until you
can start. And you must make up
yout minds to stand by and support
your business upon that plan in the
face of the deception there is in those
offers of higher prices for cotton.
The tendency of any other course by
you is to drive all who would do
business for you on the co operative
plan into the competitive system of
business, and thus force them to
seek for and do business with the
regular merchants. You have some
who have worked long and hard
and earnestly for you, not for them
selves
In the Southwestern Co opera
Association, the business for this
season is within a few hundred bales
o. its entire business of last season,
and eight months Of the season yet
to come, and its order business
shows large increase over any for
mer season. Still it ought to have
tens of thousands of bales, that the
farmers through it may become a
bOzUer in this city. You, the people,
must become power in the central
cities and in centres of trade at
home. You can only gain it by con
trolling produce and merchandise,
and you can accomplish no good
until you become power. A Van
derbilt or a RothsChild is a power,
each in himself, because be has
money.
The people must look at facts as
they are. They must not be infiu-
enced by the one-sided statements
made by interested business men.
See here, the man who pays you a
large price for Your cotton, though
he may pay you the cash, he or
some other man near by you gets
that money hack for goods. He or
they at once send that same money
and cotton to the commercial cen
tres to by more goods to sell to
YOU. Let your own observation de-
eide whether he is doing that for
vour accommodation and benefit or
for his own. Stop and consider,
and YOU will be convinced that you
can send the cotton where he does
and get goods as he gets them, and
save to yourself what he makes out
Of YOUR taade.
Some merchants are doing bust
ness with this Cooperative Associa-
ton. They never complain when
their cotton does not bring as much
in the city as thew paid for it. Why
Because they expected to lose at the
price they paid; they paid it because
they sold goods at large enough
profit to -ose on the cotton and yet
make money.
1t is the business, the principle
we cali on you to sustain. not us. Ii
it fails, YOU sink. We are not, ano
never have been, dependent upon
It. We are engaged in it because
we are confident it is right, and thai
it is your best interest, and oul
hopes for its success are being fas
realized. w. MAXWELL.