Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-09-26
FARMER AND PLANTER.
COTTON PROSPECTS.

President Lane Of the American Cotton
Growers Protective Association Ad-
dresses n Letter OF Advice to the Cotton
Farmers
The following is the address recently
promulgated by Hector d. Lane, presi-
dent of the American Cotton Growers
Protective association:
To THE COTTON Growers OF THE SOUTH
As president Of The American Cotton Growers
Protective association, cognizant Of the great
wrong that has been perpetrated upon the
masses OF my fellow farmers, the cotton grow
ers OF the south. II becomes my duty as far rs
my limited ability extends to warn YOU OF the
dangers that environ you and OF the devices
aud plans that are being laid by cunning and
INSCRIPTIONS men to rob you OF your honest
toll; TO further impoverish you and TO enhance
the dlscordant and dissatisfaction that is now
Dominant In the heart OF the agricultural
classes in knowledge Of the fact that there Is
something radically wrong In our systems No
longer Is the product OF honest toll adequate to
our subsistence and no longer is the cost OF the
production OF an article any standard OF It's
valuation; and the law OF supply and de-
mdnd has been displaced, and In its stead
intorvenes the results attained by the Com
mercal Mountebanlt," the moss insidious and
morciless OF which is he who with the heart OF
malta, murders the material prosperity OF
our country and making paupcrs OF our peo-
pie.
refer 10 that man that wears doservedly the
name OF the Bear" He, by false prophesy and
wlllful misrepresentation, robs us OF our sub
sistence, imperils our posterity and leaves us
nothing but poverty In our homes and hatred
10 our hearts,
The warning note has been sounded. Let
"foreyarned be forearmed" T..:.t there is o
powerful and systemzed movement to again
depress the value OF our staple this season is
patent to all intelligent men, and II rests with
the planter OF the south, individually rs to
whether he will submit TO thus be sheared
again like sheep as he was last season. The
time has arrived for heroic action The alter
native is left TO either renounce the growing OF
cotton entirely as o profitable crop or Ito take
up arms against sea OF troubles, and by OPP
posing, end them"
False rumors of the immensely OF the coming
crop have already been widely and recllessly
circulated to intimidate the farmers into push
Ing their crops upon the market, hoping TO re-
celve better prices before a decline This
action upon the part Of the farmers will accom-
plish the intention OF the manlpulators OF the
market and is to be deprecated as suicidal Ia
their interest. The crop, to bring fair values
should be iudiciously distributed over the SELL
Ing season, without allowing the deliveries 10
be too great ut any time And would advise
that all farmers that can do so without viout-
ing contract should market their crop MS
slowly as they can, or at ratio of one-third
| less than last season, the equilibrium Of
prices will be thus fairly retained and VIC will
come much nearer receiving the commercial
value OF our product
1t will be remembered by many that previous
TO our civil war, on account OF the lack o
transportation facilities, II required from sever
| 10 nine months to market the cotton crop. w
now Sell the bulk OF 1t, three or four times tn,
size, IN about three months thus congestinl
the market making competitors Of ourselves
In the mad rush to get rid OF our product whit
upon the other hand iudicious gradual dis
tributon OF 1t over greater period of month
would be conduciveto competition between tn
manufacturers, who are obliged to have on
material, and they would be running after u
to buy our product instead OF our having to ru
after them to sell II.
And desire to Impress upon the cotton grow
ers the imperative necessity of organization 70
the accomplishment Of this purpose. Doubles
this ondeavor will meet with strenuous oppo
sition at the hands Of those that recklessl
speculate upon the labor Of the farmer {
the south. He would be offered little NOR
than the market price to bring his crop II
The argument Of risk, OF fire, loss In weight
would follow with the usual denunciation {
advice, but implore you for the sake of you
families, rendered destitute by these despoi
ers, and for the love you bear for our "sunn
southland for all that Is sacred to our home
TO resistthls current that is insiduously draw
Ing us into an impoverished condition, sham
and dopraving our manhood, and increasir
crime.
There never was q moro cruel or relentle:
war waged upon the people than upon Il
south by England and her emlssares ar
allies, reducing her people from affluence
the pttance of ten cents day for their labo
which cotton at five cents per pound means.
Mr. II. NJ. Neil, one of her majestys subject
some days since issued an edict which hi
since been characterized by his foreign brotl
, ers as an impartial expose of the cotton 81
uation, intmating thus that all others "a
, lars and that he is the pretty boy"
| fail to see the fairness In this stateme
: and its implication, impartial expose" WI
should Mr., Neil be more impartial than other
1t is well known fact that nc Is an interest,
, person OF the bear" persuasion ut prose
and that he is fitting the shoe to his own foe
and II his own words go for anything, and tn
, seem to go Especially with his English co
! ferees), he is quoted by reliable parties as sa
ing, when upbraided for the damage that
was inficting upon the south, that he had 1T
satisfaction OF knowing that he had made m
. lions for Manchester" thus adding insult
> injury. Millions Of dollars by facetio
b. methods, making the rich richer and the pc
poorer.
| .tstt..
not see."
S Liverpool and Manchester do not intend
h see any other figures than those fabricated
, their own people. Mr.. Neill reports decrea
. of acreage in Texas Of only per cent. and
" entire crop Of between 100000 and 1000 o
K And in the face of this, 1t is not little par
Q doxial that Neill Bros. should advise spinnt
n mot to be In too great hurry to make lar
purchases, which would bring about an
vance in prices and would be against their
e terests."
@ AS a guesser Of crops Mr.. Neill has be
a known to make four guesses at o crop, the Ii
one after 70 per cent had been marketed a
y then miss 1000, 000-bale crop 100000 but J
x Neill says Texas has decreased her acres
only per cent, and "Brutus Is an honora
man"
|, challenge Mr.. Neill to substantiate
!, statement with any legitimate evidence.
IL can never do 1t, and he will be handed down
!. history as wide guesser and reckless S
!. tistician.
y Stimulated by Mr.. Neill's reckless pro-
, ganda Of July 20, accompanied by two pr
=, tical cotton men, / have made tour of the c
% ton belt OF Texas; have made thorough
l. careful investigation OF conditions. l have
N terviewed bankers, merchants and farmers
/ have ridden through their fields with them
examined personally as practical farm
- their CROPS, and l am now prepared to raise
re- former estimate of l6 per cent. to % per CO
decrease of acreage.
d Hon. A. j. Rose, commissioner of agricult
"a of Texas, summarizes all the reports he co
~ secure through the official mediumship OF
III office, and reports decrease Of acreage OF
t, per cent My conclusions are not based u
q. the ex-parte statement of farmers, but
Ia classes OF citizens.
find a small per cent of cotton land alb
doned, say 2h per cent Worms in secti
n doing considerable damage, The crop Il
III large and most productive section of the ST
Ia was injured by excessive rains in the SD