The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-08-15
Al LETTER ISSUED BY HECTOR D.
Lame TO THE COTTON
GROWERS.
BEWARE OF THE MAN WITH THE
BEAR" NAME.
A. Systematic Movement ON Foot IN
Bear" the Cotton Market-Esti-
mates the Cotton Crop at
Mott More Than 100000
Bales.

letter sent out by Hon. Hector d. Lame
president of the American Cotton Grow
ers' association, and who is also commits
sioner of agriculture of Alabama. from
here today:
Galveston, Tex. Aug. 10. 1895,
"1'O the Cotton Growers of the Sonth.
las president of THE American Cot
ton Growers Protective association. co%-
INFANT of the great wrong that has been
perpetrated upon the masses of NV fellow
farmers, 1.-THE COTTON growers of the South,
it becomes my duty as far als my limited
ablity extends, to warn you of the dam
gers THAT environ you and of the devices
and PLAINS THAT are being made by cum
ming and INSCRIPTIONS men Ito rob Won
of your honest toll, to further impoverish
you and ito enhance THE discord and dis
satisfaction THAT lis now dominant in the
heart of the agricultural classes in a
knowledge of the fact that There is some
thing radically WRONG in our systems.
No longer rs the product of honest toll
adequate Ito our subsistence. No longer
is the cost of production of an article
any standard of its valuation and the
law of supply and demand has been dis
placed and in its stead intervenes the ne
suits attained by the commercial mounte-
bank, the most insidious and merciless
of which is he who, with the tongue of
an Annanias and the heart of the Malta,
is numbering the material prosperity of
our country and making paupers of our
people. L refer to that man who wears
deServedly the british name of "bear;"
he wlho by false prophesy and willful mis-
representation robs us of our substance,
imperils our prosperity and leaves us
nothing but poverty in our homes and
hatred i'm our hearts.
1.-The warning note has been sounded.
Let 'forewarned be forearmed.' That
There is q powerful and systematized
movement to again depreSs the value of
our staple this season is patient to intelli
gent men, and it rests with the planter
of the South individually as to whether he
will submit ito be Sheared again like
sheep as he was last season. And | would
advise all farmers who cam do so, with
out violating q contract, to market their
crop as slowly as they can, or at a ratio
of one-third less than last season The
equilibrium of prices can thus be fairly
maintained and we will come much near
er receiving the commercial value of our
product.
1T will be remembered by many that
previous to our civil war, on account of
lack of transportation facilities, it re-
CURED from seven to nine months to
market the cotton crop. We now sell the
bulk of it, which is three to four times
the size, i'm about three months, thus con-
gesIting the market and making compei
tors of ourselves in the mad rush to get
rid of our product, while upon the other
hand q judiciOus, gradual distribution
of the same over u greater number OF
months would he conducive to cOmpeti-
tion between manufacturers who are
obliged to have our material, and they
would.be running after us to buy our pro
duet instead of our having to run after
them to sell it to them And | desire to,
impress upon the cotton growers the i'm
perative necessity of organization for the
accomplishment of this purpose, and all
Observation-Disclosures should be engaged in
the achievement of this consummatiOn de
Youtly to be wished.
There never was a more cruel and re-
lentless war waged upon Il people than
upon the South by England, her emissa-
ries and Tory allies, reducing her people
from affiuence to the pittance of III cents
day for their labor, which cotton, at
5 cents per pound means. Mr.. Ii. NJ.
Neill, one of her majesty's subjects, some
DAYS since issued an edict which has since
been characterized by his foreign brothers
as an impartial expose of the cotton sit
nation. intimating thus that all others
'are liars and that he is the pretty boy.
Mr.. Neil reports a decrease OF acreage
in Texas of only per cent and an entire
crop of between 100000 and 9,00O,OOO
bales. In the face of this, is it not little
that Neill Bros. should ad-
wise spinners not to be in too great hurry
to make large purchases, which would
bring about an advance in prices and
would be against their interests
stimulated by Neill's reckless asser-
tions of July 20, accompanied by two
practical cotton men, have made tour
of the cotton belt of Texas. l have made
a thorough and careful investigation OF
conditions. l have interviewed bankers, !
merchants and farmers. | have riddenl
through their fields with them and eX- !
amined personally, as practical farmer, |
their crops, and [ am now. prepared to
raise my former estimate of IL per cent
to % per cent decrease of acreage. Hon.
A. J, Rose, commissioner of agriculture
of Texas, summarizes all the reports he
could secure through the official medium
ship of his office and reports decrease
of acreage of p per cent.
"My conclusions were not based upon tIe
eX parte statement of farmers, but all
classes of citizens. l find a small per cent
cent; worms, i'm sections, doing consldera,
BILE damage. The crop in a large and
most productive section of the State was
injured by excessive rains in the spring |
and by drought for the last five or SIX
weeks. The planting was retarded in the
spring, and crops upon an average were
at least three weeks late. The drouth |
still continues. do not believe that Tex.
as could, with the phenomenal season OF !
last year. from now ON produce more than /,
2 go 600 bales. Suffice to say that the |,
indications are that we can not, under |
tRe most favorable conditions, from now
ON eXpect more than a Z, $50, 900 bale crop, |
and i predict that by the first of January
our farmers will realize 8 cents for good
grade. provided they will not fall over
each other to dispose of their crop IN the
early months. Europe will this year take |
6 800. 900 bales of American cotton; North
and South America, Canada and Mexico
will take 100000 bales. With mpr0V-
ing trade America will surely take 3,300,1
900 bales, which will leave only 4,a00,000
bales for export, even were S,O0O,ooo
bales raised, which is now practically IN
possible If the crop is only 12oo,V0o'
then less than 100000 would be avaiIa-
BILE for export. Europe is decidedly, de-
pending upon the South for her supply Oh
raw COTTON, as statistics show that net !
from India, Egypt, Brazll:
etc, are only equal to 100000 bales OF |
American cotton