The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-08-20
DOWN WITH: THE JuTE TRUST
The Battle Cry of the Alabama Farm
ers' Alliance.

An Interesting TaM aOiA Dr.. ". C. Nc
81 Cune, Preside { of the National AM-
NICE, ON the Subject of Covering
4 for COtton-The Fight Must
be Made NoD
AUBURN, Ala, Aug, 6.-This has
been a royal day in Auburn. The
Farmers Alliance of Auburn, through
its accredited delegates, representing
1856 Sub-Alliances met in regular
convention here to-day. The meeting
was rendered notable because
of the presence of DIR.
w. G. McCune, the President
of the National organization; Commits
sioner Kolb, of the State Agricultural
Department, and many of the leading
agriculturists of the State. When
your correspondent reached the city
he found that there was eminent pro-
priety in the selection of Auburn as
the meeting place of the State ALI
ance. Here is established the State
Agricultural College, which last year
matriculated two hundred and fifty
pupils. These young men, represent
ing every county and almost every
community in the State, have returned
home to scatter the information which
the generosity of the State had given
them. 1t is safe to say thatithey rep
resent two hundred and fifty farms
which were titled this year as they
were never titled before. Here also
is located the
ALABAMA EXPERIMENTAL FARM,
of which Col. Newman, formerly of
Georgia, is the head. When 1 reached
the station l found Col. Newman
showing his experimental crops to the
Alliance delegates, and thus became a
personal witness to the good of which
the farm is capable. Here was an
experiment in grape culture, which
was an abstract lesson to every farmer
present. There was an experiment In
grating which solved a difficulty some
had thought insurmountable. Such a
farm is worth n hundred dollars a
year to every farmer in the State who
takes the trouble to visit it.
DIR. cCUNE INTERVIEWED.
The meeting of the Alliance, IS a
matter of course, was secret, but a
special interview accorded your or
respondent by DR.. McCune, the head
of the Order in the United States,
contains information of more than
national Importance. The first point
settled is that Alabama will let her
cotton rot in the fields before she will
pack it in jute. The second point is
that upon the ruins of jute, cotton
looms up as king, more prominent
than ever; and the third point is that
the Alliance has come to stay and has
already proven the "a of turning
agriculture into profitable channels.
Said DIR. McCune: "The most import
ant question now before the farmers
of the South and the one which
claimed the attention of the Alliance
here to-day was the request of the
Liverpool Cotton Exchange to the.
New York Cotton Exchange, request
ing them to use their influence in
favor of the continued use of jute as
cotton bagging and to discourage the
use of cotton for that purpose. Some
of the newspaper misstate the circular
entirely by saying that Liverpool had
refused to accept cotton wrapped in
cotton bagging, and their editorials to
that effect are calculated to mislead
the people. The fact is that the
Liverpool communication is a care
fully worded document, expressing
the jute argument in it's most favor
able light, and recommending thatthe
use of cotton be discouraged, but, in
no sense of the word, taking a stand
against cotton as bagging. These
articles were read before the Ala
bama Alliance today, fully discussed,
and a resolution was adopted unani-
mously expressing the renewed de-
termination of the farmers to wrap
every bale in cotton, and under nc
possible circumstances to use any
other.
THE QUESTION OF UPPLY
"Turning from this point" con-
tinued Mr.. McCune, ".the question of
supply of cotton bagging was also
discussed, and it was proved to the
satisfaction of all that the supply
would be adequate. The card recent
ly published by the Hon. w. J. Nor
then, president of the State agricul
tural society of Georgia, IN regard to
the supply of cotton bagging and
recommending the Alliance to be CON
tent with small orders, frequently re-
newed, is both timely and important.
It shows that the Alliance will not be
able to buy cotton to wrap the whole
crop before the crop is picked, but it
shows also that their wants will be
supplied according as they gather the
crop. This assurance I can vouch for
as an absolute surety. Several new
o:11o -ora ron0rFod to dow oc ho-i1o