The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-22
President Lanes Address to the
American Growers.
IN SESSION AT MEMPHIS
An Appeal to the Southern COT
ton Planters.
rue Evil s OF ovER-PRODUCTION
The Size of the Crop and not the cost
of Production Has Now Come
to be the Standard OF
Value.

Growers Protective Associations
shall attempt to be as brief in my
remarks as possible, avoiding empty
nIatitudes. and bombastic theories,
combining myself to praticai everyday
facts. in my effort to convince YOU OF
The inadyisability of the methods that
we have for the most part been put-
sniug. and the suicidal policy OF It's
continuance III the overproduction OF
cotton.
| aDDreciate the immensely OF tins
effort To decrease the cotton acreage,
but apprehend that the Importance OF
its accomplishment will only be com
mensurate with the effort and as WIN
all our shortcomings and dereilctlolis
the Southern man has never been ac-
cused of a lack of patriotism or OF reso-
luton. and loving as we do our South-
land and our homes, IL appeals TO our
better Judgment, our patriotism anu
our manhood, to face resolutely TINS
current. that is insidiously day by day
drawing us into a vortex OF poverty
and restitution.
am aware that the consensus OF
oninion is with me; still | find others,
rood and conservative men. who ar
que. I'VE had rather bear the ills than
fy to others we know not OF, but /
ask in the name OF reason, ana appeal
10 common sense, if greater ills or DIS
aster can overtake country than that
it should be plunged irredeemabiy INTO
debt, the vitality smothered out OF 1t
with a weight of mortgages, and the
bone and sinew of the country. the
masses of our 1aboring people, reduced
to the pittance of less than 10 cents
day for their labor.
This is what ) cents cotton means
and I challenge any man, irrespective
of his greatness, his experience or his
qualifications, to successfully contra
dict the same.
| am also met with the argument
that comes for the most part from the
cross-road pessimist and that man
who measures 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 Ell
feet that his neighbor would reduce
and thus cotton values would rise, and
he would be the beneficiary. This is
an argument that sayors OF that dis
honesty 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.
| am met with another argument,
that it is the only crop that merchants
will advance supplies upon. This ]
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
a decreased cotton acreage, a diversifi-
cation of crops, and especially the pro
duction of home supplies; therefore
lay not your actions to your neigh
Dor.
| am impressed with the conviction
that this movement Will have TO be
accomplished as all other great move
ments are through independent, iDdi-
vidual action, stimulated by intelli-
gent, argument. This will encourage
a concert OF action, which will accom-
plish the end in view and we will IRE
ceiye 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
wilfully persist in the folly of produc-
ing 100000 bale surplus, we sim
ply subject ourselves and are made
willing victims TO be caught by the
tricks and devices that are laid by
cunning and INSCRIPTIONS men 10 rob
MS of all compensation for our honest
toll, enhancing the discord and dis
satisfaction that is now dominant in
in the heart of the agricultural classes
and developing daily into incipient
communism, a condition that is for
cign and unnatural in it's tendency to
the character Of our people.
Under such d regime no longer will
the product Of our toll be adequate to
our subsistence. The cost of it's pro-
duction is no longer the standard of its
value. The law of supply and demand
will be displaced, and in its stead in
terposc the result attained by the com
mercial m0untebank, the most insidi-
Gus and merciless of which is the com
merciaI fakir and hmflam artist,
known as the cotton bear" who by
false prophesy, cunning manipulation
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 ef-
fectiye instrument used by the cotton
bear" to depress values. Wrench this
weapon away from him and hence
forth while he hibernates he will have
TO lunch on his paws.
OVerproduction fosters manipula-
ton. Without a surplus being pro-
dnced above the actual demand Of con
sumption, there would be no such
thing as the manipulation Of a market
The law of supply and demand, which
is the natural and honest regulator oi
rices, would control Competition
would intervene, and the Cost of pro
duction of an article which is the fair.
- NJ 20 YrT Inc ,vprtTI ha fte