The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1893-10-18
Holding Cotton,
a Contempora,y's Comment Upon Pres,
ident Evans.

The president of the South Car
DINA Farmers Alliance has issued
an adress to The farmers of the
state urging them to hold every
bale OF cotton they possibly can
without serious harm to them,
selves or wrong to their creditors,
he sets forth that the crop is a
short one and that if there is any
thing in the law ofsupply and de-
mand prices must 90 higher. We
sincerely hope that il Mr. Evans
advise is taken it will prove to be
good advise. 1t is certainly very
dangerous to advise people, whom
one can influence, about a matter
go vital to them, when advise Civ
en- based upon mere human judg-
ment and is without the warrant
OF absolute knowledge. 1t would
appear that the cotton crop will
be short; it would seem that pri>
ces would 60 higher; and yet we
ehould fear.to take the responsi>
bility of advising a farmer to hold
on to his crop, lest the price should
decline or of advising him to sell,
lest it should advance. We recall
that two or three years ago the
Alliance leader in this State urge ed
the farmers to hold their cotton
and that those who were governs
ed by his advise lost a great deal
OF money. 1t is not given 10
many ofus to peer far into the fu-
ture, One of the leading and most
sucessfull cotton buyers in Char
lotte remarked yesterday that
talk Of short crop is heard every
year that it is founded on no bet,
ter reasons this year than it has
been heretofore, and that prices
are as good now as they are likely
to be. We should be sorry to be-
lleve this, yet We know this is an
honest man, and we do not doubt
that the president Of the South
Carolina Alliance is equally so. 1t
is the business of the cotton buy er
to study the conditions and infu-
ences which regulate prices, and
there can be no reasonable doubt
that President Evans studied them
carefully before he issued his let,
ter. Of the two, whose judgmen,
as TO future prices do we believe
to be the most accurate2 That we
are not going 20 take the respon-
sibllity Of saying.
The letter of Mr. Evans conclud
ing in this language:
l Il take the opportunity of ap'
lpealing to the press throughout
1.-the cotton States to help the
\ farmers in their righteous effort
to procure living price Tor theil
cotton before it all gets
out of their hands. I take thi
opportunity of appealing to ou,
creditors to do what they can t.
help US in this effort to prevent tn,
sacrifice of our years labor"
i This is an appeal which deserve,
the most respectful confederation
and most gladly would this pape
contribute something to the re-
suit which the aid of the press j
invoked to help bring about. 1
Charlotte business man who 10 no,
in New York, wrote, q few day
ago, letter, a part of which wa
read to the Observer yesterday
He said it i, estimated in Ne,
York that 81 per cent. (the figure
are amazingly of the mills OF tn
country are shut down, and /"
will not oreSnsy ola Iaps" tney
its! I tbs tG%-@sGme Dsme operation, he 10
G5fd, until the repeal bill passes
the Senate or the 6uapces of the
country are. by some other legis-
lstion, placed on q safe basis that
goods are being sacrificed in New
York for whatever price they will
bring, and many of the leading
h,1nnaaa hnnaaa Of ihak nifr ara