The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-01-23
COTTON GROWERS MEETING.
SIX HUNDRED DELEGATES AS
SEMBLED AT MEMPHIS
YESTERDAY.
WISE WORDS BY HECTOR D. LANE
A Forccful and Logical Speech in Behalf
of n Small Acreage Resolutions
Adopted in Accordance With
His Sensible Views.

Memphis. Jan. 21.-The American cot
ton Growers Protective association was
called to order by Col. Joe Il, Goodwin.
| About 600 delegates were present when
the convention convened and nearly 300
visitors, mostly cotton growers from
neighboring States were also present. On
the stage were: Col. w. W. Stone,
Mississippi; Maj. J. X. Goodwin. Tenncs-
see; NJ. A. Stovall Mississippi; Col. G. G..
Swope, Alabama; Col. Il NJ. Castleman,
Texas; Ex-Governor j. +. Eagle, Arkan-
sas.
Mr.. Robert ID. Eckberger of Huntsville.
Ala, acted as secretary.
The speeches made this morning were
logical, forcibe and to the point and the
gentlemen listened with great interest.
The 10-bale man was as welcome as the
1O0-bale man and all seemed to have the
good Of the cotton growers at heart and
believed that the best and most expedi-
tious manner of bringing about day of
| better cotton prices was to reduce acre
| age.
1t was 1870 o'clock when Colonel Good
win introduced Hon. Hector ID. Lane of
Athens, Ala, president of the American
Cotton Growers Protective association.
President Lane was greeted with ap-
| plause by the convention.
He addressed those assembled as fol-
| lows:
Gentlemen of the American Cotton Grow
crs Protective Association:
shall attempt to be as brief in my re-
marks as possible, avoiding empty plati-
tudcs and bombastic theories, confirming
myself to practical everyday facts, in my
effort to convince you of the inadvisabil-
ity of the methods that we have for the
most part been pursuing and the suicidal
policy of its continuance, in the Overpro-
duction of cotton.
| appreciate the immensely of this eff
fort to decrease the cotton acreage but
apprehend that the Importance of its ac-
complishment will only be commensurate to
with the effort and as with all our short
comings and derelictions the Southern
man has never been accused of lack of
patriotism or of resolution, and loving as
we do our Southland and our homes,
II appeals to our better Judgment, our
patriotism and our manhood to face res
olutely this current, that is nsidiousy
day by day drawing us into vortex of
| poverty and destitution.
| | am aware that the consensus of Opin-
ion is with me still find others good and
conservative men, who argue ''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 over
take n countryman than that it should be
plunged Incidentally into debt, the vi
tally smOthcred out of it with weight
of mortgages. and the bone and sinew of
the country, the masses of our laboring
people, reduced to the pittance of less
than 10 cents II day for their labor
This is what J-cent cotton means, and
challenge any man, irrespective of his
greatness, his experience or his qualfi-
cations, to successfully contradict the
same.
| am also met with the argument that
comes for the most part from the cross
road pcssimist and that man who meas
urcs his neighbor in his own half bushel.
that the agitation of the question would
likely cause farmers to increase their
acreage of cotton from the fact that all
would use the same channel of reasoning
to the effect that his neighbor would re-
ducc and thus cotton values would rise,
and he would be the beneficiary. This
is an argument that savors of that dis
honesty and reflects that discredit upoi:
| the agricultural classes of the South that
1t should be Indignantly repealed, for il
is contrary to their history and general
character in that they have always prov
cd loyal, brave and true to any cause
whose banner they have ever enlisted
under.
| am met with another argument, that
it is the only crop that merchants will
advance supplies upon. This / am pre-
pared to again refute, for there are hun
drcds 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 rs they do the true condi-
ton of affairs and recognizing the rene
ny therefor they are strong in their adj
vocacy of Il decreased cotton acreage.
u divcrsiiication of crops, and especially
the production of home supplies there
fore lay not your actions to your neigh
hor
am impressed with the conviction that
this movement will have to be accom-
Pushed rs all other great movements are.
through independent, individual action,
stimulated by intelligent argument. This
VIII encourage Il concert of action, which
will accomplish the end in view and we
will receive 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, if
previous conditions continue and we will
fully persist in the folly of producing II
3OOO,OOO 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 unscrupu-
lous men TO rob us of all compensation
for our honest toll. enhancing the discortl
and dissatisfaction that is now dominant
III the heart of the agricultural classes
and developing daily into incipient COM
munism. a. condition that is foreign to
the natural character of our people.
Under such n regime no longer will the
product of our toll be adequate to our sub
sistcnce. The cost of its production no
longer the standard of its value. The
law of supply and demand will be dis
placed. and in its stead interposes the re-
suit attained by the commercial mounte-
bank. the most insidiouS and merciless of
which is the commercial fakir and film
liam artist, known as the cotton bear"
who by false prophesy, cunning manipu-
lation and willful misrepresentation robs
us of our substance. pauperiZes our pos
terity. leaving us nothing but poverty in
our homes and hatred in our hearts.
The annual surplus that we have been
usually making is the most effective in
strument used by the cotton bear TO de-
press values Wrench this weapon away
from him and hencefOrth while he hiber-
mates he will have to lunch on his paws.
Overproduction fosters manipulation
Without Il surplus being produced above
the actual demand of consumption there
would be no such thing rs the manipula-