The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-29
ATTENTION FARMERS.
KEEP DOWN THE YIELD OF COT ON
AND RAISE SUPPLIES.

DER mere tulS mOSulES. ultJ oaS
thousand delegates were in the hall
at the time. Prominent planters from
every cotton producing State are in at
tendance. Delegates without excep-
| lion express the belief that the lesson
taught the South this season by the
. benefits derived from reduced cotton
production and the home production
of all supplies will not be forgotten
at planting time. .
"Hold down your cotton, said Mr..
Lane, 'and you will dictate the price,
but produce a 100000 bale surplus
and Liverpool will pay you what 1t
sees fit.
President Lane spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the American Cotton
Growers's Protective Association:
shall attempt to be as brief in my
remarks as possible, avoiding empty
Z pfatftudes, and bombastic theories,
combining myself to practical everyday
facts, in my effort to convince you OF
the inadvisability of the methods that
we have for the most part been pursu-
ing, and the suicidal policy OF its con-
tinuance in the overproduction OF COT
ton.
l appreciate the immensity of this
effort, to decrease the cotton acreage,
but apprehend that the Importance of
its accomplishment will only be COM
mensurate with the effort and as with
all our shortcomings and derelictions
the Southern man has never been ac-
cused of a lack of patriotism or OF re-
solution, and loving as we do our
Southland and our homes, it appeals
to our better judgment, our patriotism
and our manhood to face resolutely
this current, that is insidiously day by
day drawing us into a vortex OF pow
erty and destitution.
/ am aware that the consensus OF
opinion is with me; still T find others,
good and conservative men, who argue
1--WE had rather bear the ills we have
than fly to others we know not OF, !"
but ask in the name of reason. and
appeal to common sense, if greater ills
or disaster can overtake a country
than that it should be plunged ire
deemably into debt, the vitality smoth-
cred out of it with a weight of mort
cages, and the bone and sinew of the
country, the masses of our laborlng
people, reduced to the pittance of less
than 10 cents a day for their labor.
This is what cent cotton means,
and challenge any man, irrespective
of his greatness, his experience or his
qualifications, to successfully contra
dict the same.
I am also met with the argument
that comes for the most part from the
crossroad pessimist and that man who
measures his neighbor in his own half
bushel, that the agitation of the ques-
ton would likely cause farmers to in
crease their acreage of cotton, from
the fact that all would. use the same
channel of reasoning to the effect that
his neighbor would reduce and thus
cotton values would rise, and he would
be the beneficiary. This is an argu-
ment that savors of that dishonesty
and reflects that discredit upon the
agricultural classes of the South that
it should be Indignantly repealed, for it
is contrary to their history and general
character in that they have always
proved loyal, brave and true to any
cause whose banner they have ever
enlisted under.
I am met with another argument,
that it is the only crop that merchants
will advance supplies upon. This l
am prepared to again refute, for there
are hundreds of wealthy, intelligent
and patriotic merchants who are as
zealously and as actively engaged in
this movement as any other class OF
citizens that we have, approaching as
they do the true condition of affairs
and recognizing the remedy therefor.
they are strong in their advocacy of g
decreased cotton acreage, diversified
ton of crop, and especially the pro-
duction of home supplies; therefore
lay not your actions to your neighbor.
am impressed with the conviction
that this movement will have to be
accomplished as all other great move,
ments are through independent, indi
yidual action. This will encourage a
concert of action, which will accom-
plish the end in view and we will re-
ceive the intrinsic value of our main
staple, which will make us one of the
most prosperous and happy people on
earth; whereas, on the other hand, il
previous conditions continue and We
willfully persist in the folly of pro
ducing q 100000 bale surplus, We
simply subject ourselves and are made
willing victims of, to be caught by the
tricks and devices that are laid by
cunning and unscrupulous men to rol
us of all compensation for our homes
toll, enhancing the discord and dis
satisfaction that is now dominant il
the heart of the agricultural classe!
and developing daily into incipien
communism, a condition that is for
eign and unnatural in its tendency Il
the natural character of our people.
Under such regime no longer vii
the product of our toll be adequate Il
our subsistence. The cost of its pro
duction no longer the standard of it
value. The law of supply and deman'
will be displaced and in its stead in
terposes the result attained by the com
mercial mountebank the most insidiou
and merciless of which is the CONNER
cial fakir and fiimham artist, know
as the cotton ''bear," who by falls
prophesy, cunning manipulation an
wil1ful Misrepresentation robs us Q
our substance, pauperizes our poster
ty, leaving us nothing but poverty i
our homes and hatred in our hearts.
The animal surplus that we hav
been annually making is the most et
fective instrument used by the cotto,
"bear" to depress values. Wrenc
this Meannn AWAY from him an