Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-05
PLEA ID COTTON PLANTERS
Against Planting for the Biggest
 Possible Crop |
AS INDICATIONS NOW ARE
.s. Address to. Growers by President Reynolds of the Alabama Association n-StilI lm- meaSe Preparations Are Making.

E 2 r [.
 Hon. Hector D. Lane, state commisz3 s!oner of Agriculture ana president of the Americane Cotton Growers association. spent yesterday. in sRirmingham. Mr.. Lanes efforts have been constantly di rected to Restricting the acreage of cot- ton, but he appfehehds that there will be planting this year for a large crop. This is largely indicated by the unusual trade now going on for farm stock and fertilizers
 The State Herald has received the fol- lowing, which is pertinent to the cotton growing problem:
 .. .e MonteNallo, Ala, Feb. 8, 1896. To the Cotton Growers of Alabama:
 Having been appointed president of the Cotton Growers association of Alabama by the recent conYention held at Mem phis, Tenn, and accepting the honor which has been conferred upon me and desiring to further the objects of this association. I shall proceed to appoint a president for each county, whose duty it will be to appoint committee in each beat in his county for the purpose of bringing the cotton growers and all in- tereSted together. 1 also appoint the third Saturday in February the day for our assembling. to be known as cotton, growers day" and request it's observ ance throughout the state. "' It is by thorough union and order that we may hope to make this organization a success. Furthermore, we should not allow ourselves to become discouraged by any apparent lack of success in the past, for the necessity of this organ ization was never more patent than it is at the present day.
 From all quarters of the state we hear of the immense preparation being made in hn sAF alNnS .f fArt mules and supplies beyond precedent. Should these efforts. together with the promised increase. of acreage, prove suc-i cessful as we ordinarily have reason te believe they will. what but disaster can we expect? Shall we go blindly along and through lack of unity of action allow the speculators to grow richer and richer. every year through our own follies and mistakes? The indications are now that. we will grow anywhere from a 10,O0O,eQ0 to f2,000 900 bale crop this year. Should this occur predict cotton will be sleE' sale at from to cents per pound. This. of course, with the immense expense the making of the crop will incur, means bankruptcy to the country. Can we not alter this condition of affairs? I say we can if we will. --~-----' rt <
 The solution of this matter lies entirely in our own hands It is by organization, and that only, we can hope to accomplish
 
 profession has it's organization, which controls and directs the action of ..the whole. The farmer organizes least def' all and so becomes the easy victim of the capitalist; rC nisF .Ia. ga -t t .' ts" 44ah
 We have it in our power to make .otrs.i selves the most independent and pros porous people on earth. We should be masters of the stua tien, instead of slaves to it. We can fix the price of cotton for the world if we only will. We delude ourselves with the. vain thought that pos sibly others may not help to over-produce and in the end deplore our folly and damn the speculator,' when we should condemn ourselves alone.
 Why was it that. cotton sold for from 25 to 50 cents pound at the close of the war? Did not that fact demonstrate the law of supply and demand?
 Is 1t not fact apparent to all that the crop of 1895 of less than 70O00O0 bales will sell for more than the crop of 1894 of near ly 10000 900 bales?
 The decline of the price of cotton daily taking place is freely commented on by the leading journals of the day as caused by the prospective over-production of this year.
 In our desire for money crops we are too apt to underestimate the importance of first of all producing an abundant sup ply of provisions for home purposes.
 Again, I beg the farmers of Alabama to give these matters their serious attention before it is too late. Let us all meet on the day appointed and organize, with a view of preventing our own ruin.
 . H. c. REYNOLDS, President Cotton Growers Association of
 Alabama. '''
 State press please copy