The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-09-18
President OF the Cotton Growers AS.
ISOLATION Talks Sense.

Lane, president Of the Cotton Grow
ers' Association, has issued circular
to Southern cotton growers which will
appear tomorrow. He says;
New ORLEANS, Sept. Z, 1898.
To the Southern Cotton Gro,0ers:
In the discharge of my duty to you
as president of your association, l
have personally examined the cotton
crop in all the cotton States as far as
one man can reasonably do such
thing, and have received many COM
munications from entirely reliable
sources in every part Of the Southern
cotton region. The crop is now here
and in all save few localities is be-
low the average. All possible causes
except frosts have combined to pro-
duce this result, the causes varying
with the locality-drouth, rust, boil
worms, excessive rains and shedding.
1t is generally three weeks late and in
such a condition that frost at the
average date would be disastrous, and
before that time calamity. The
plant is notably deficient in fruit and
the bolls are small and badly devel
oped. I do not pose as statician and
no one can make any accurate forecast
of the size of crop before the crop,
but from my knowledge Of the present
crop conditions I venture the opinion
that this crop cannot in any event ex-
ceed 100000 bales, while 6,5OO,OOO
bales is by no means improbable.
The English and European spinners
consume the majority of the American
crop and upon whose necessities to
purchase we must depend, for prices
have been induced by their resident
allan professional crop-estimating
representative, Mr.. Neill, and his able
bear coadutors, to believe that the
official reports Of crop conditions and
acreage are ventures that the supply
of cotton will be ample, and that even
present prices are abnormally high.
In my humble judgement if the con-
sumers of cotton here and abroad be-
lieve that the maximum of this crop is
even strong probability of being be-
low 7 1000, 900 there would be material
advance in the price Of cotton. Clear
ly the situation in the presence of a
great trade revival and the Southern
farmer ought to capture his share Of
the harvest of high prices. No coun-
try can take the place of supplying
the world with the cotton Of the
South. He is not like the wheat
grower, wherever the sun shines and
the rain falls wheat can be grown.
The American cotton belt is sui gen.
eris and has no counterpart on the
earth. The combined spinning capi-
tai of the world-an aggregate FIVE
times greater than the combined
wealth Of the Rothchilds-is arrayed
against you, and under their banners
march blundering band of specula-
tors and gamblers whose trade it is to
lie and bear false witness against the
industry of 20, 100000 of people.
The Manchester Guardian boasted
last year that England did not care if
the farmer owned only the rags he
stood in as long as England bought
the cotton he produced cheap. This
guerilla band of spectators and esti-
matters would take even his rags away.
Their main hope and arguement is
that the South will make and sell the
bulk of its crop in four months. My
earnest advice therefore is to market
your crop with reasonable intelligence.
Do not rush it all forward between
now and Christmas do not press it
for sale except where absolute neces-
sity compels.
The spinners must have your cot
ton. Their mills are going with profit
and the loss attendant upon stoppage
is too great for consideration. Hus-
band your cotton and sell it as they
need it and then you will get what
it is worth according to true and un-
disturbed operation of the laws Of po-
litical economy.
All newspapers in the South are re.
spectfully requested to publish thi.
address. Your obedient servant,
HECTOR D. LANE,
President American Cotton Growers
Protective Association.