The Monticellonian., 1895-03-08
He Exhorts the Planters to Organ
 ize on Systematic Lines.
The Tennessee President of the S0uth- ern Cotton Growers Argues That Only by such Action Can the Fleecy Staple Ever Be Made Profitable.


 To the EIit3r of The Commercial Appeal:
 In an article recently published in your paper promised to under take to prove by facts and figures that no future cotton crop would be produced and marketed profita- bly to the grower without thor ough organization and systematic effort on the part Of those who own and control thls great crop.
 am not unmindful of the mag nitude of this undertaking, nor am l vain enough to think I can un- fold and eIucidate some hidden problem that the world, with all its brains and figures, has hitherto overlooked or failed to under stand l dc, however, telieve, in decd 1 feel confident, we of the South have gone along planting cotton, clearing up new rich lands, buying horses and mules end planting more cotton; in truth, we have bent all our energies and de- voted most of our means to the extension and development of agricultural interests, greatly to the neglect of other things, until we arc much stronger and our ability to produce large cotton crops is greater than we have taken the time or trouble to inves- tigate. We have made cotton a speciality and have pushed it's cul- ture and production beyond the needs of the world, or the ability of the spinners to buy and pay prices that are remuneratiye to the producer.
 Now 1 maintain and insist that the only effectual remedy for tbis condition of affairs is to plant less cotton, produce no more than the spinning world requires and will pay reasonable compensation for it's production. This reduction, to be permanent and lasting, must be by concert of action. The time for depending on Providence to send some calamity in the shape of drouth, frost or insects to dam age and shorten the crop has passed. We have spread out too much and taken in too many fine farms of rich virgin soil, so widely separated that no disaster would affect but comparatively small portion. Therefore, if we would make sure and certain of a profita- ble return, we must have carefully arranged and concerted plans and purposes extending from one end of the cotton belt to the other.
 All agree that this is the proper thing to dc, but some are discour- aged, others doubtful and still oth- CTS are almost appalled, at the bare idea of organizing all the cotton growers in this broad land for any single pnrpose. One says, you had as well undertake to measure the depths of the ocean, survey its wide surface, or account for the ebb and flow of its tide, as to at. tempt to carry out this proposi- tion. It is true that we could not descend to the oceans bottom, ex- cept in limited way to view its beautiful coral fields, explore its deep, dark eayerns, or give phil osophical reason for the coming and going of it's waters; but this is a physiea imposslbility in the one ease; in the other no such ob- stacle confronts us. We can visit on foot, on horseback. or in vehl cle, every cabin, farmhouse or ru- ral mansion from Georgia to Tex as. We could measure with chain and rod every cotton patch. field i or plantation from Tennessee to Florida, If it were necessary, which it IS not, nor will it ever be A simple pledge, agreement or promise will be quite sufficient from tho proud, high spirited peo- pie that constitute the great body of Southern cotton growers.
 Especially will this be so when 1t is made clear to them that to continue blindly, stubbornly or reek lessly the all cotton policy, to he utter neglect of other crops md interests on the farm will ,urely and certainly bring a glut- ed cotton market starvation