The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-04
EQUAL TO SERFDOM
COTTON GROWERS UNDER THE
YOKE OF CRASHING SPECTATORS.
President Lane Asks Southern Plan
tiers to Take Up Arms and Free
Themselves from Bondage.

ATHENS, Ala, Jan. 3.-Hector d. Lane,
president OF the American Cotton Growers
Protective Association, has issued an ad-
dress in which he says:
1.-The time has arrived when next years
acreage in cotton should receive our most
serious consideration. Our enemies. the
cotton bears are anticipating matters by
industriously circulating reports that IL is
the intention OF the cotton growers 10 enor-
mously Increase the cotton acreage and
double the use of commercial fertilizers the
coming season, which will result in the pro-
million bales fnformation zen comes no from from
Texas that New Orleans bears are report
ing that Texas will plant four million bales.
These reports are circulated TO induce the
Southern people TO sell the remainder OF
the years crop at the present low figures.
According TO official data America has ex-
ported to Europe l.323 600 bales less than
last year. The Northern mills have taken
10000 bales less than last year. Stocks OF
cotton at American ports and interior
towns are about the same as last year, but
as the season progresses the stocks at the
ports will daily grow less as compared with
last year.
ION the other hand. the mills Of America,
England and the continent are running
full time and If they keep up rhe present
consumption until next September they Will
need all of your cotton; they cannot wait
for the next crop. What, then. prevents
your obtaining remunerative prices for the
remaining portion OF this crop? This is
easily answered. The speculative bears OF
New Orleans, New York and Liverpool.
They are thoroughly Indifferent 10 your
condition. and reckon little Of your well
fare. They would be glad TO see cotton SELL
ing at cents, and would contribute their
aid in pressing IL down 10 the lowest point,
regardless OF the restitution and sorrow
that would ensue throughout the South I'M
der such conditions. The Southern planter
has the power TO depose those reckless des-
pots and wholesale despoilers Of our pros
perfty. Destroy the annual surplus. their
able coadjutor; oy judicous decrease OF
acreage, ana these gentlemen viii be out OF
you will be better off with a seven to a
seven and a half million-baie crop, selling
at lO 10 IA cents, than ten-milliol-OaIe
crop selling at 10 cents. Do not be lei
into the error that you can deceive the
great firms that buy your product. Thew
have their agents in every town and VIZ
lage; they are ScrutiniZing your actions and
know more in regard to the general acre
age than you can possibly find out your
.'Conceiving this TO be a matter OF para
mount Importance TO the material Interests
OF the South, and being impressed that this
question In its most comprehensive form
should be considered gravey. l.. therefore,
deem ii advisable that the cotton growers
meet in convention that We may formulate
and adopt some intelligent rule Of action
through which We may DE enabled TO COM
bat these agencies, whose pernicious meth
DDS are so Destructive TO our nTSsnerffv
On account of its general accessibility. I
hereby name Memphis as the place and
Tuesday, Jan. q, as the time OF meeting I
earnestly invite all classes OF our citizens
that are directly or Indirectly interested in
protesting the values OF our main commod-
fty. cotton, to join with In our delihera-
tions. The invitation is extended to all az
ricultural societies. alliances. oranges cot
ton exchanges, commission merchants ac-
tors, associations. etc. The movement 3
strictly nonpolitical. but essentially indus
trial; therefore, no man should saw US nav
on account OF political affiliations / re-
specially invoke the aid of the press
Recognizing the demand for heroic action
and the disaster that is to follow without
IL. / appeal 70 all patriotic people 10 ioin in
this struggle to ema ncipate our people from
bondage thati is as oppressive and igno-
minious as was ever inflicted by the Gar
and happily under so tyran-
nical a system. The dens nd of the occa-
sion is for honest, earnest men. who have
conditions and the courage 20 take M
arms against sea OF trouble. and. by OPP
posing, end them"