The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-10-08
LET THE FARNIIIItS STICK.

LEI THE FAItMIGIsS STICK.
Charlcston's Refusal to Handle Wire
lSnlcd COtton--'The Alliance EX-
change Can Make Other Arrange
IncntS.
Col. d. u. Duncan, who through the
Alliance Exchange has been waging
vigorous warfare against tho cotton
tie trust, is not discouraged by reason
OF the rGfusa! OF Charleston and Will
mlngton congresses TO handle tho wire
baled staple. He believes he can make
arrangements elsewhere in the inter
est OF the farmers, and all lie asks is
that they be not weary in the fight
He talked as follows to Il reporter:
" am sorry the Ncws and Courier
can't sec It's way clear to help us out in
this fight. AS this is Il amattcr Of much
liuanc!Hl Importance aS well rs OF some
principle, it may not be umiSa TO again
state some Of the facts connected wich
this cotton tic business.
AS is now known, in tho early spring
the entire production Of HAT hoop cot
ton ties passed into the hands OF one
and the same parties. Ii was impOssi-
bic to obtain prices from any manu-
facturcr or importer OF hoop cotton
ties until tho last Of July, when cotton
was rapidly being harvested. The
prices then given were i 80 per hundlc
by the car load at thcports and juno
| tlonal or compctit We points, This
meant at least 81 80 per bundle to the
average consumcron ON the cotton farms OF
| South Carolina. These same tics were
sold lass season ut from ca cents TO ::
cents per bundle. Every ono knows tha
there WAS no business reason why th,
CXOrbitnnt advance should have bccl
made in the price OF these tics. IL wa
simply well devised scheme to rol
the cotton farmer out OF Il certain
sum OF money by taking advantage 0
Whist they considered lis dire ncccssi
ties.
| The Alliance organization decided
that they would not submit to this rob-
| berry if they could possibly avoid it,
and they went TO work to find some
substitute. AS their business agent, [
was instructed to sec what could be
done. Now, | am well aware that
there are certain rules and regulations,
also customs Of all trades, that have 20
be respected. | knew tho matter Of
comprcasing the exported cotton was IL
very important factor in tho market
ing OF the cotton crop and must be
given due consideration. With this
view in mind, | had bale packed with
wire and shipped TO Charleston.
won't myself to sec it. compressed, and
while tho wire was not worked Us easily
or AS rapidty as the hoop tics, it was
used and the superintendent Of the
compress said ii tho wire wns made
larger and softer and some better way
OF fastening the tie, he thought it
could be uscd. ! was officially notified
40 u - nSt ',,f ,,,l
that the cotton balcd with wire would
be considered Il good delivery. On the
faith Of this announcement have re-
comm undcd and urged the use Of
tho wire ties instead Of the cotton
tic trusts Hat hoop tic. In addition to
the action taken by the Cotton ex-
change, Mr.. r.. F. Bremcr notified me
that his old firm, F. w. Wagcncr & Co.,
would receive and handle all the cot
ton balcd with wire ties at the same
prices paid for the other cotton.
Now, | suppose, we arc notified
that Charleston will not receive the
wirc-packcd bales except alta discount.
am also notified that Mcssra. Sprunt
q Son Of Wilmington will not not ac-
ccpt the wired bales. I desire to say
this to the farmers OF the State, 90
hope you will not allow yourselves to
be bulldozcd out OF your position in
this matter by the action OF either
Charleston or Wilmington. Don't ac-
ccpt any deduction or discount on yOur
cotton because it is balcd with wire
and If you will hold your cotton long
enough to give nc time so make ar
engagements ] will guarantee that we
Will got every bale handled without
any discount. / have written to some
business friends | have in Norfolk,
Portsmouth and Baltimore, and | he
licvc We can get oar cotton handled if
Charleston ana Wilmington cannot
afford TO do il.
IAN ask OF you farmers who have
entered this fight and instructed me to
act for you, is TO now stand by me.
Don't give up at this juncturo. have
ordered for YOU all $500 bundles up to
today. This means tho bailing OF 50 900
bales OF cotton. The Cincinnati Wire
company has sold several thousand
bundles, | don't know exactly how
many, but | am satisfied that there has
been al least ties enough ordered to
bale -, 600 bales. Now we will turn this
cotton through one railroad channel
and to one port, and we can make it
interesting for some people who can
be induced to handle ovr wire. balcd
| cotton ! repeat, don't got ratified be
| cause you see it stated in some paper
| that tho wire tics won't DC accepted.
In 1893 Norfolk cotton exporters
sent man to my farm in Union county
and bought my crop and that OF my
ncighbors, $50, bales weighed at our
gins, and wc delivered il st thenearcst
mate tho arrangements and | AGAR