The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-01-02
The Cotton Problem.
A Plan for the Cotton Grow
ers' Consideration.

NEW ORLEANS, Ooo'
lowing open letter to Governor Stone ct
Mississippi. who is president of the
Cotton Growers Association. will
appear Friday morning in number of
newspapers in the cotton belt. 1t IS a
practical letter from one of Natchez
most prominent. practical and success
ful business men.
NArcHEz. Miss Dec. 26, 1894.
Hou. John NJ. Stoue, Jackson. Miss;
NV Dear Sir: learn through the
nublic press that there will be meet
ing of the Cotton Growers Association, !,
of which you are the bouored president,
at jackson, Miss. on January 9. |
also learn that the object of the cooven-
ton is to promote the welfare Of the
aericultura! class, particularly the cot
ton farmers, and to devise some way by
which his product may be enhanced in
value and made remuuerative.
Some weeks ago. convention OF this
kind met at Montgomery, Ala, passed
resolutions and adjourned without max
ing any progress towards the desired
end. If the convention to be held
January 9th is for the purpose Of listen
ing to windy speeches of advice to the
armers. telling them what each and
everv one already knows aud to pass
resolutions. it might as we'll not be
held. What the farmer wsnts Is not
advice, but some plan presented oy
which the price of his product will be
increased by the time bis next crop::ls
ready for market.
Nothing cao be done so tar as the
crop is concerned it is so large as to
have become uuwieldy, and even If
there could be, it would be OF little
benefit, as i, has almost passed out of
the farmers hands, or will have by the
time the convention could take action
With middliug cotton selling to-day in
New Orleans at FIVE cents per pound,
the farmer at many interior points does
not net more than four or four aud one
quarter cents. and unless material re-
duc,iop in acreage is brought about,
this price will largely shrink before
another year rolls around, bringing
with it inevitable bankruptcy to the
planters. merchants and all others con-
cerned, if dependent upon tie crop to
paw their debts
While many Of US last spring talked
Of five cents cotton this fall and winter.
still very few really believed it. but We
find the staple nearly one cent per
pound lower at many interior points
and With declining tendency, and no
one knowing how much lower it will 60.
Many Of our conservative merchants
think ,h~ cotton acreage of the coming
wear will be as great ss the past. Far
mers have the land and the mules and
saw that cotton is the only staple crop
and the only one upon which they cao
get advances. This may be all teue.
but if it is true aud We should happen
to have a. favorable season as the
past one, the South will certainly be IN
a wretcbed condition.
Cotton sold on our streets several
different years before the war at three
and a halt cents per pocod. aud |
know of entire crops that only netted
S14 per bale.
Now there is remedy aud it can be
worked out by your convention, pro-
vided they will undertake the actual
work aud not reply apoo resolutions. |
would sugges, that the convention ap-
point committee to draw up charter
for the organization Of an association
throughou, all the cotton States, also
the bylaws for the government of clubs
to be formed in every county through
out the cat,on belt. making eligible not
only farmers, but merchants and
bankers. Let the cardinal principle be
reduction Of cotton acreage to the ex-
ten, OF oue-,hird Of last years acreage
Let the bylaws provide that the
planter or farmer shall pledge himself
by oath tha, be will make this reduction
that the merchant will ouly advance
uooey to those who will agree to this
basis, and tha, the banker will only ad-
vance to planters aud merchants who
will carry out this obligation in good
faith
Let supervisors be appointed BY the
various county clubs, say ooe for each
police district. to see that the obligations
of each are carried out, or bring the
offender before the grand jury tor per-
jury.
/, will be necessary for bureau to
be established at once to organize these
clubs in the various counties, aud as
money will be necessary, | will guar
an,ee this county to pay at least sou
to carry on this work.
Some people may say that the under
taking is too great, but it is no greater
49, m,e tho oroonjzino Of the w Whlte