The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-31
COMBINE IN COTTON.
The Matter Proposed to the Southern Farm
ers-John T. Koddey, ofNew York,
Mover in the Scheme.

COLUMBIA, S. c., October 24.-Th'
State will print tomorrow the follow
ing from John T. Roddey, member o
the New York Cotton Exchange, ano
son of wealthy South Carolinlan
He has for some time been advocating
some concerted action by Southern
farmers.
10 the Thinking Farmers of the
South:-For the past two years l have
nsde cotton commissions my business
and daily have l witnessed the down
ward tendency of your product. If yor
will think for moment you will realize
that, though you are the producers o
this country, and should be the most
independent, yet you are the most de-
pendent people Of America. Why:
Because they are combinations on near
ly every article you use. The manufac
turers of the North combine on every
thing, and say what it shall bring
while you sell your products for what
ever they are willing TO pay you. Why
cannot you protect your cotton in the
same way. I should like, if it meets
your approval, to organize trust >n.
pany called the Southern Farmers
Trust Company, for the purpose oi
protecting your products from the de-
pressing Influence Of speculators, spin
ners and capitalists, and provide a
means by which you can name the
price for your products, instead oi
having the price dictated to you, as is
now the cese. I feel satisfied this can
be done by forming trust which
would be able to handle most OF. the
cotton you grow. Let the capital stock
be $50, 900, ,0Co to $1G0, ,0O0, 900, subscribed
entirely by the farmers of the South,
and divided into as. many shapes as
may be necessary, and small enough
for every cotton planter to subscribe.
Let each farmer take stock to his ut
most capacity, and support the Trust IN
every possible way. In case you re-
ceive 10 cents for your cotton, insteaed
of 5 cents, which you are now receiv-
ing, you save on crop Of 8, 900, 900 bales
about 50 900 600, at least twice as much
as the capital stock of the Trust Com
pauy. In case speculators should be-
come frightened, even at the mention
of trust, and advance the price of cot
ton, so much the better for you, but
very likely they would attempt to bluff
YOU. I think it is now time to act.
What benefits the farmer or laborer
unquestionably benefits all classes. II
such plan should meet your approval
I would be more than glad to meet
representative cotton grower from each
State or Alliance, either in New York
or in some Southern city, to see il
something cannot be done to bring
about some benefit to the South. Some
thug must be done, or your lands will
not 6e worth cultivating.
(Signed) JOHN T. RODDEY.
A MEETING CALLED TO DISCUSS THE
CAUSE THAT LED TO THE DEPRES-
SION.
Especial to Atlanta Constitution
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama October %
Hector Diane, commissioner OF agrl-
culture of Alabama, issued call to-day
for meeting of Southern cotton grow
ers, to convene at Montgomery. Ala,
November 18th, to discuss the causes
leading to the present depressed condi-
ton of the cotton market. The call be-
gins as follows:
"To the Cotton Growers: It is mat
ter of the utmost importance to the far
mers of the South that the reports now
being sent out by cotton manipulators
should be refuted. That the present
low prices are based upon fictitious re-
ports no intelligent man doubts; that
the private estimate sent out from
New Orleans to the effect that the pre-
sent cotton crop would exceed 1O,0OO,O ,OOC
bales has had a depressing tendency is
generally admitted, although not sap
ported by any previous statistics OF
predicate to 60 upon, but an unpreced'
ented delivery up to date, which argu'
ment can be answered with the undeni.
able fact that we have the most propl.
tious season ever known for gathering
the staple throughout the entire cotton
belt. l vouchsafe the prediction that il
the same weather continues two weeks
longer that every bale of cotton grown
in Alabama can be gathered.
"My calculations are BASED upon
personal observations, having Travelled
through North Alabama by private
conveyance for the last ten days, and
value is enhanced by the well-knoWn
fact that cotton raised in that section is
about the last to mature"
He then urges the farmers to hold as
much of their cotton as possible with.
out detriment to their creditors, and
holds that it will be advantageous to
all concerned ultimately. He comedies
that the resolutions without action are
valueless, but cites the farmers con-
gress held at Memphis, January, 1892
which decreased the acreage that year
and consequently gave the farmers
good prices for their cotton. His prin.
cipal fight will be upon false estimates
s.nt out by the cotton exchanges and
cities and the 10000, ,0O0-bale estimate
recently sent from New Orleans
marked "private." The cotton interests
of the South, be holds, can only be pro-
tected by concerted action.
The call closed with the following
pointed remarks:
"Now, in view of the meeting named
and the imperative demand upon the
Southern farmer to undertake prOtec'
tive measures along these lines, l in
woke the assistance of the press Of the
South in calling a meeting of the cot
ton laisers at Montgomery, Ala, Tues
day, November 13, 1894. BY that time
I will have gathered the official sta
tistics through the agricultural bureaus
that they may be presented publicly
not privately, for the benefit of those
interested. I hope all farmers who are
able to do 80 without doing an injustice
to creditors, will hold their cotton un'
til after the meeting, where we can
deliberate over the situation and de-
wise some means 20 give a fight to the
fnish.' inviting the hearty co-opera'
ton of the press and asking that the
farmers will give this important mat
ter a consideration and send intelligent
representatives at the time and place
ma med"
Coin AonuncIatior.