The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-02-27

and material interests of the country
by corporations and foreigners is your
concern, or we may have the labor OF
this country like that of Mexico, where
the best of it realizes but % cents a
day.
Mr.. Terrell contended that it was
all right for the farmers to combine
to raise the price of their products
and all wrong for manufacturers and
other fellows to combine to raise the
price of their products. He argued
that farmers combine increasing
prices of agricultural products would
benefit the whole people, but he for
got, or neglected to state just how the
vast army of laborers who are not
farmers would be benefited by higher
prices for cotton, clothing and bread
stuffs. He then calmly sailed into the
newspapers. "What is the press of
our country" he asked. at has been
said that the press was the safe guard
of the people upon the watch towers"
But how was it? Three-fourths Of
the newspapers were under the direct
control Of the National banks and
railroads and purposely misrepresent
facts. He admired free press but
had contempt for a suborned press.
You remember the newspapers pur-
posely misrepresented the facts last
season about the prospects
of the cotton crop by declaring
the crop would be enormous
and they made this misrepresentation
through the cotton spectators for
money. They were paid for it in an
advertisement.
[NoTE,-The largest papers published in
America have their special reporters in
Austin. Early in the season they were in
structed to obtain from farmers an accu-
rate estimate as to the probable amount of
the cotton crop. They did SO,
| and one of them, the writer obtained his
| in formation from the late Hon. Felix Smith,
President of the Travis County Alliance,
and Mr.. James Hamilton, a prominent
member who was present yesterday and
heard Mr.. Terrells wild assertion. The
| figures obtained were telegraphed to pa
and Chicago and were sent out by
| the Associated Press and published
exactly as received from the gentlemen
| named without the change ola single fig
ure. If there was an exaggeration in the
estimate of the crop it was due to the Ali
| ance men and farmers who furnished the
reporter with the figures. But there was
no eXaggeration, as the crop actually gath
ored and reported so far shows the news
paper estimates were very nearly correct.
Reporter.
Mr.. Terrell continuing said the
newspapers urged farmers in the
interest of spectators to sell their
cotton early instead Of holding it as
advised by the Alliance.
[NorE.-The newspapers all over tie
South freely published the notice of the
Alliance to the farmers to hold their
cotton. Every daily paper and nearly
every weekly paper in Texas published the
notice without comment or advice one way
or the other, yet the farmers hurried their
to market more rapidly than ever known.
REPORTER.
The papers published such stuff for
money. If not why didn't they tell
you they goG it from the cotton
buyers. But for the Alliances own
sources of information you would have
been deceived and sacrificed your cot
| ton.
AS a Democrat, though not speak
ing as partisan, he argued that
Democracy consisted in working and
voting for what was best for the peo-
pie, and farmers, whether Democrats
or Republicans, should do what was
for their interests and the general in
terests of the country regardless Of
ClanNa-Gael cries that this or that
measure was not Democratic or Re.
publican.