Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-10
COTTON PICKERS.
Interview With Col. r. M. Hum
phrey at the Head of the
COTTON PICKERS' LEAGUE.
The Organization Exists Throughout all the
Southern States.
Memberships Rolling IN at the Rate of 3d.
900 a Day. and now Numbers Fully
Eight Hundred Thousand-Its
Growth in Texas.
COTTON PlCKERS' LEAGUE.
Cotton Pickers' League.

| Special TO the Gazette.
| HoUSToN, Ten. Sept 6-This being the
| headquarters of the colored Farmers Ali
| ance by reason of the residence of Col. H.
! NJ. Humphrey, its president. who is white
| man and u preacher, he was sought out to-
| day for the PURPOSE OF ascertaining
| the magnitude of the movement among
| the cOlored people to organize for higher
| WAGES for cotton picking. Nh. HUMPHREYS,
who has just returned from a trip through
| the CottOn-producing states, told your rr
| porter that the dispatch published to-day
was correct, 50 far as it went but it did
not state that the organization exists
| among the cotton picEerS in all
the Southern states. He declared that it
| now has a membership of 100000. and
| within a week it will be
100000 STRONG.
| The names are rolling in at the rate of
| 10000 and 80 900 day. That such a move
ment, which is called the cotton-pickers
| league, could have been kept quiet. not
| to say secret, SO long is the wonder of the
| land and will create a profound surprise
| throughout the South.
when WIS the movement undertaken"
was asked by the reporter.
The first information that had Of it was
about July l. The matter did not interest
| me, and l thought it was well known.
They placed me at the head OF the organiza-
ton, and | have done the best l could to
further its interests
What is the leagues membership"
There were over seven hundred thou
sand names enrolled Saturday night, but 1
suppose by this time there are fully eight
hundred thousand. 1t is growing very rap
idly, especially in Texas. The league is
strongest in Mississippi, where the natter
has been talked of more than here"
Are only colored cotton pickers permitted
to john"
There are great many whites as well
as blacks ia it, but the reports which are
sent to me do not say which of the members
are white or colOred, and
1 CANNOT TELL
the relative strength OF either race. | re-
ccived a report from Mississippi yesterday
with Il list of $1,000 names. but | could not
tell whether any of the members are white
or not. There is nothing in the league to
prohibit any one who is a cotton picker
from being Il member"
Have you issued secret circular to the
league, speaking of the Galveston dis
patch?'
have never issued a secret circular in
my life, and never will. / abhor anything
of that kind, and there is nothing in the OBJ
jects or aims of the league to warrant such
action. l was in Galveston Saturday, and
while in my room at u hotel l was called
upon by a Mr. Zimmerman, who
ASKED NE MANY QUESTIONS.
! answered him as best | could, and sup
pose it was he whom the press agent in
about the league, and L wish THE GAZETTE
would say 500
What are the demands of the cotton
pickers?"
I'VE demand 81 hundred and board"
''When will you make your demands
known?'
lon the 18th of this month"
I.H NV will if he dNup2''
every member of the league will quit
work on that date and remain out of the
fields until their demands are granted by
the planters.
Mr.. Humphreys produced a copy of the
National Alliance published in Houston, of
which he is the editor. 1t is the organ of
the colOred Farmers Alliance and the Cot
ton Pickers' league. In the edition Satur-
day appears the following proclama-
ton, which no doubt is the
secret circular spoken of in the dispatch
from Galveston:
THE PROCLAMATION.
OFFICE OF THE CoLoRED FARMERS Nal
TIONAL ALLIANCE AND COOPERATIVE
UNION HOUSTON, Ten, Sept. 8, 1891.
To the Members Of the Colored Farmers Ali
ance ana the Cotton Pickers' League, Greet
ing:
Whereas, the planters and spectators are
firm in their demand that you pick at
them, and leave your families to
suffer the fearful consequences, thus plac-
ing to your account the present low prices
Of their cotton: and
Whereas, above 100000 pickers have al
ready bound themselves together in a sacred
covenant to pick no cotton for anyone ex-
cept their own before about November l at
less than 81 per 100 pounds with board and
Whereas your success depends upon yaur
united action, now therefore, l. R NJ
Humphrey, by virtue of authority in me
vested. do issue this, my solemn proclama-
ton, and fixing the
TWELFTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 1891,
it being Saturday, as the day upon which
all our people shall cease from. absolutely
stop. picking cotton except their own, and
shall pick no more until about November
wages shall be sooner acceded to
by the planters and others interested For
the furtherance of these objects, and that
the greatest good may result to each one
let all leagues and unions:
l. Unite more closely and stand firmly
together.
.. Use all peaceable and lawful means to
secure the sympathy and hearty co-opera-
ton of all pickers in every section.
3. II any are so mean as to continue to
pick and thereby defraud their brethren
and injure their race, mark such and have
no communication with them.
1. Avoid all gatherings in public places
and all insolent displays; show your
selves TO be men who seek peace
and desire justice.
Further steps will be taken about October
90 unless recognition of your just demands
shall have removed the necessity thereof
before that date. Very fraternally
ISigned,I r. NJ. HUMPHREY,
General Superintendent Colored Farmers
Alliance and Cotton Pickers' League
INTERVIEW RESUMED.
The interview was resumed as soon -