The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-12-08
HOLD YOUR COTTON.
Overproduction Not the Cause of the Low
Prices--Resolutions Adopted by
the National Alliance.

Ff1CeS~ NGSOIuLlOuS 61NOPiCO ~
the National Alliance.
During the late session of the Su-
preme Council OF the National Farmers
Alliance and Industrial Union the fol
lowing resolution was offered by Marion
Butler, of North Carolina, and unani-
mously adopted:
Res0lUed, That a committee consist
ing of one delegate from each cotton
State be appointed to take under con-
sideration and if possible formulate
some plan by which the worlds great
est producers Of the SOuth's greatest
| staple, cotton, may be able to some ex-
tent at least to regulate the quantity,
consumption and marketing time and
| price of said crop.
By motion the committee vas made
| a standing one to make a final report
at the next annual meeting.
Several resolutions relative to acre
age, marketing, etc, were introduced
by L. f. Livingston, of Georgia; r. +.
| Rogers, of Florida, and others. The
| committee made a partial report by
Offering as a substitute the following
resolutions:
REPORT OF COTTON COMMITTEE.
WHEREAS, The cotton growers of the
| South are greatly oppressed because Of
the depressed price of the raw mate
rial, caused, in a measure, from com
bines and speculatiOnS in futures, but
mainly from an unjust, oppressive and
discriminating financial sy stem and a
high protective tariff on manufac-
tured cotton materials; and whereas,
it is now alleged by spectators and
combines that OverprOductlOn Is the
prime cause of depression in prices,
when in fact we have reason to know
that the cause is not OveTprOductlOn,
but underconsumptiOn caused by ina
bility to buy resulting from advanced
prices of manufactured articles OF cot
ton and other causes as stated above;
| and whereas, it has been recommended
| by members of the Farmers Alliance
in several States in the cotton belt.
that the acreage be decreased One-third
| by the growers, and knowing, as we
| do, that the price of the raw material
cannot be affected by the loyal Ali
ancemen alone of the many thousand
growers decreasing their acreage,
while, in fact, the effort to thus reduce
the quantity would actuate thousands
of growers to increase their acreage in
cotton;
Therefore. as one of the remedies to
secure an advanced price in raw cotton
material by cheapening the manufac-
tured products. and thereby increase
the ability Of the masses to consume;
be it
Resolved, That the National Farmers
Alliance and Industrial Union, rep e
senting the best interests of the pro
duCers and consumers of America alike,
do respectfully ask that Congress n
| tirely relieve manufactured articles of
cotton from any tariff duty whatever,
and place the same on the free list Of
American products.
2 That a copy of these resolutions
be certified TO the Speaker of the House
of Representatives and President of the
Senate of the Fifty second Congress of
America. duly atteSted by the PresI-
dent and Secretary Of the National
Farmers Alliance ana Industrial
Union unnder seal of the Supreme
| Council.
Marion Butler Chairman, North
| Carolina; w. d. G Gibbs, Mississippi;
H ID. Greer, Tennessee; $, NJ. Adams,
Alabama; r. +. Rogers, Florida; L. P.
Feather8tJn, Arkansas; T a. Clayton,
Louisiana; Harry Tracy, Texas; d. L.
Duncan, South Carolina @. NJ. LOTden,
Missouri; L. f. Livingston. Georgia.
MIR. Butler, Of North Carolina. on be,
half Of the committee, made a further
report as follows:
ResOlred, That being in possession
of facts that are thoroughly reliable,
which warrant us i'll IL belief that a
false estimate has been purpOsely made
of the present crop of cotton, we feel
safe in guaranteeing better prices if
| cotton can be held for sixty DAYS.