The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-11-12
GOOD ADVICE
TO FARMERS.
AN OPEN LETTER TO TIE COTTON
PLANTERS OF THE SOUTH.
11cssrs, Middleton and Ieavenel Ad-
dress an Interesting ClEchiaf 10
their Correspondents.

Nessrs. Middleton g. Raveoel, the
well-knowu cotton brokers, OF Chsr5es-
ton, have issued very interesting clH-
cular on the cotton situation. The
open letter. says tie News and Courier
will be sent to all Of theis correspond
cnts throughout the South. 1t con-
tuins many striking facts and figures,
and it will be read with keen Interest
by the cotton planters and cotton men
in this and other States. The writes
say in substance that the great danger
which menaces the county is that an
enormous crop of cotton Will be plant
ed next season. They predict that Il
this is done that prices will not only
60 lower than they now are, but that
cotton next season will be a practical
drug on the market. The circular,
however, explains itself more fully
than i eau be explained. 1t IS as
follows:
TO the Cotton Planter: The condl-
tion of cotton at the present moment
is one that should give cause for deep
thought on the part Of the planter,
and he should pause before he enters
into any arrangement for planting an
other crop. To-day We see every IN
dication Of a small crop; receipts are
light and decreasing every day. The
great standby OF the English spinners
(Mr. NeilH predicts q small outturn OF
the present crop. All reports from
the action sections show the crop IS
shorter than it has been for years, and
the Government report confirms these
other reports. The business IN dry
goods is good, ad the demand is IN
creasiug, and everything on its face
shows that at least for this year the
cotton planter is to be rewarded for
his toll by getting q fair living price
for his cotton, but what are the facts?
We see cotton declining every day,
January contracts having been forced
down 81 of cent, or 81 peg bale
within two weeks. Of course, this was
only the natural result Of an overload-
ed speculative market, and if it had not
affected the actual cotton would have
passed by comparatively unnotlced,
but the foreign spiuners from that mo-
ment seemed to have dropped com
pletely out of the market, evidently
waiting for such another move to force
the spot cotton still lower and enable
them to buy cotton at their own sweet
pleasure and Drict.
Thus we see that the spectators IN
New York are playing directly into the
hands Of the natural enemies Of cot
ton. The situation seems now 70 be
narrowed down to q battle between
the cotton planter on one side and the
foreign spinner on the other. backed
up by the spectators and gold powers
OF the North. It seems that either
gold or cotton must be exported to
avoid tie issue Of bonds, and as uI-
other bond issue might imperil the
chances of the Democratic party, the
cotton planter must be sacrificed and
the price Of cotton beat down until he
is compelled to sell. This is all wrong
and can lie avoided by a little iudg-
ment and common sense.
One of the greatest clouds hanging
over the cotton market is the talk Of 4
tremendous crop next year. Some
predictions have already been made
that the next crop will be 1000, 600
bales. the enemies Of cotton forgetting
that the cotton planter has learned
lesson or two in the last five years. If
it was known and understood that the
cotton planter had been fooled into
planting tremendous crop for the
Inst time and that the crop for next
year would be only u moderate one,
cotton spinners would enter into the
market: VIC would see better prices for
the present crop and better prices for
the next crop. 4 large crop next year
means low prices for what cotton IS
rot already sold this year and lower
prices next year.
Let the planter plant his crop on the
SAME basis of this years crop; plant
plenty Of provisions and keep down
inc cotton acreage. The balance Of
:his years cotton and next years crop
nn,lcr existing circumstances should
sell at ? cents, at least, At the ports.
Keep down the cotton acreage and
save. yourselves from a repetition OF .
cents cotton and disaster.
Yours truly,
MIDDLETON & RAvESEL.