The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-29
ATTENTION FARMERS.
KEEP DOWN THE YIELD OF COTTON
AND RAISE SUPPLIES.
Ho, Hsctor ID. Lane, President of the
American Cotton Growers Protective As
ISOLATION Makes Great speech--Sensible
Resolutions arc Adopted--Permanenr
OrSanizarion.

)
der here this morning. Fully one
thousand delegates were in the hall
ct the time. Prominent planters from
every cotton producing State are in at
tendance. Delegates without excep
ton express the belief that the lesson
taught the South this season by the
benefits derived from reduced cotton
production and the home production
of all supplies will not be forgotten
at planting time.
"Hold down your cotton, " said Mr..
Lane, land you will dictate the price,
but produce 100000 bale surplus
and Liverpool will pay you what it
sees fit.
President Lane spoke as follows:
GensleMen Of the American Cotton
Growetss Protective Association <
I shall attempt 20 be as brief IN :-5y
renaark4 an possib3ey avoiding empty
platitudes, and bombastic theories,
combining myself to practical everyday
facts, in nv effort to convince you OF
the inadvisability of the methods that
we have for the most part been pursu-
ing, and the suicidal policy OF its con-
tinuance in the overproduction OF cot
ton.
I appreciate the immensity of this
effort, to decrease the cotton acreage,
but apprehend that the Importance of
its accomplishment will only be COM
mensurate with the effort. and as with
all our shortcomings and $derelictions
the Southern man has never been ac-
cused of a lack of patriotism or of re-
solution, and loving as we do our
Southland and our homes, it appeals
to our better judgment, our patriotism
and our manhood to face resolutely
this current, that is insidiously day by
day drawing us into vortex of pow
erty and destitution.
I am aware that the consensus of
opinion is with me; still / find others,
good and conservative men, who argue
1--WE had rather bear the ills we have
than fly to others we know not OF, "
but I ask in the name of reason. and
appeal to common sense, if greater ills
or disaster can overtake a country
than that it should be plunged ire
deemably into debt, the vitality smoth-
cred out of it with weight of mort
cages, and the bone and sinew of the
country, the masses of our laboring
people, reduced to the pittance OF less
than 10 cents day for their labor.
This is what cent cotton means,
and challenge any man, irrespective
of his greatness, his experience or his
qualifications, to successfully contra
dict the same.
Il am also met with the argument
that comes for the most part from the
scrosHoad pessimist and that man who
measures his neighbor in his own half
bushel, that the agitation of tie ques-
ton would likely cause farmers to in
crease their acreage of cotton, from
the fact that all would use the same
channel of reasoning to the effect that
his neighbor would reduce and thus
cotton values would rise, and he would
be the beneficiary. This is an argu-
ment that savors of that dishonesty
and reflects that discredit upon the
agricultural classes of the South that
it should be Indignantly repelled, 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 uron. This I
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, appreciating as
they do the true condition of affairs
and recognizing the remedy therefor.
s they are strong in their advocacy of 6
decreased cotton acreage, diversified
ton of crop, and especially the pro-
duction of home supplies; therefore
lay not your actions to your neighbor.
= I am impressed with the conviction
that this movement will have to be
accomplished as all other. great move
ments are through Independent, indi-
vidual action. This will encourage
{ concert of action, which will accom-
plish the end in view and we will re-
ceive 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
willfully persist in the folly of pro-
ducing 100000 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 unscrupulous men to rob
us of all compensation for our honest
toll, enhancing the discord and dis
satisfaction that is now dominant in
the heart of the agricultural classes
and developing daily into incipient
communism, condition that is for
eign and unnatural in its tendency to
the natural character of our people.
Under such a regime no longer will
the product of our toll be adequate to
our subsistence. The cost of its pro-
duction no longer the standard of its
value. The law of supply and demand
will be displaced and in its stead in
terposes the result attained by the com
mercial mountebank the most insidious
and merciless of which is the CONNER
cial fakir and flimfam artist, known
as the cotton "bear," who by false
prophesy, cunning manipulation and
willful Misrepresentation robs us OF
our substance, pauperizes our posteri-
ty, leaving us nothing but poverty in
our homes and hatred in our hearts.
The animal surplus that we have
been annually making is the most ef'
fectiye instrument used by the cotton