The Louisiana populist., 1896-09-11
Circular to The Alliance anGl
Cotton Planters

Will you please publish the en
closed circular which / receive
from j. ". Reid of Reidville, Sec
retary of the Farmers State Ali
ance of South Carolina. The cir
cular explains itself, and | would
ask the attention of all cotton rals
ers, be they alliance members or
not, 10 the fact that they are t.
be mulched of about 100 per cent.
on the price of cotton ties over last
years prices. A few years ago
the bagging trust essayed similar
feat and by united action On pal5
of the Alliance it was defeated.
therefore ask all members of tue
Alliance, and indeed all cotton
planters to take some steps to de
feat this infamous attempt at rob
berry by the cotton tie trust, which
at time when the cotton planting
industry is in most depressed con
ditiOn, is attempting to add another
burden to the already. oyerburdcn-
ed shoulders of the planter.
This action on the part of the
trust is the most infamous as it is
taken, like a highwayman, at Il mo-
ment when you are in most help
less condition, at the beginning OF
the harvesting season when your
cotton is being prepared for mar
ket, and when you are in the midst
of political campaign in which
you are in a life and death strug-
gle with the ''money trust" But
you are not entirely helpless, for
you can yet hold your cotton in the
seed, until such time as you can
make arrapgsn is to adopta wire
tic, which 1 feel quite sure will be
found entirely practible.
Such delay in the marketing Of
your cotton will enhance or at least
hold up the price, and thus you
will be compensated in part for the
loss, upon an 5000, 900 crop of
81 $50, 900 of wich the cotton tie
trust is endeavoring to rob you.
The question now is will you take
the ''bull by the horns" or will you
alloss yourself to be run over and
be further crushed to earth,
Iappeal to old Alliance members
and indeed to all cotton planters to
rally to this farmers organization
and make a fight against monopo-
listic and corporate greed. Sub
nit now and you invite other cont
bines to prey upon you, and render
yourselves Jess able 10 resist other
and further encroachments in the
future.
Fraternally,
JOSIAH KLEINPETER.
Pres. +. q L, y. of La.
Extract from minutes Of Farmers
State Alliance of South Carolina,
1896.
The committee on Cotton Ties
made the following report:
Whereas, The manufacturers
and wholesale dealers in cotton
ties have advanced prices of ties
about 95 per cent. over last season
while the market price of steel on
ly justifies an advance of ten per
cent, thus furnishing us with an
other evidence that this is a day
of trusts and combines against all
producers and whereas suitable
wire can be had at q cost of II cents
per bale against % cents bale for
ties, thus effecting a saving of Is
cents per bale on the crop, which
amounts to a saving to this State
alone of $12S,000 on one years
crop; therefore, be it
Resolved, That we ask all Alli-
ancemen and farmers interested in
the baling of cotton in this State
to cooperate with us in breaking
down this new formed trust by
placing their orders at once for
wire 10 be used instead of ties in
baling the present crop of cotton.
And your committee further re-
commend that our State business
agent be requested to at once OBJ
tain all information as to the sup
ply and cost of using this wire as
a substitute for iron ties and report
to all sub-alliances, and that our
agent also be directed to CORES
pond with the agencies of the 9th
or Southern States.
(Signed) j. b. DOUTHIT.
ATNTAN