Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-07
COTTON GROWERS
Called by President Lane to Meet for the Pur- pose of Discussing the Acreage
 for 1896.

Athens, Jan. 6.--Hector ID. Lane, preS1- dent of the American Cotton Growers association, has issued the following:
 The time has arrived when next years acreage in cotton should receive your most serious consideration. Our enemies, the cotton bears are anticipating mat ters by industriously circulating reports that 1t is the intention of the cotton growers to enormously increase the cot ton acreage and double the use of com mercial fertilizers the coming season, which will result in the production of a crop of from 100000 900 to 120O0, 900 bales.
 Information comes from Texas that New Orleans bears are reporting that Texas will plant for 100000 bales. Thsse reports are circulated to induce the southern people to sell the balance of this small crop at present low figures.
 According to official data, America has exported to Europe 1,323,000 bales less than last year. The northern mills have taken 45000G 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
 On the other hand the mills of Eng land, America and the continent are run ming full time, and if they keep up the present prices until next September they will need all your cotton; they cannot wait for the next crop. What, then, pre- vents your obtaining remunerative prices for the remaining portion of this crop?
 This is easily answered-the specula- tive bears of New Orleans, New York and Liverpool. They are thoroughly in different to your condition and reckon little of your welfare. They would be glad to see cotton selling at cents, and T,,11 f,.;r l,ai, ,pt1 In cintr down to the lowest point, regardless of the Restitution and sorrow that would ensue throughout the south under such conditions.
 The southern planter has the power to depose these reckless despots and whole sale despoilers of our prosperity. De stroy the annual surplus, their able CO., adjutor by judicious decrease of acre age and these gentlemen will be out of a job. Plant only moderate crop and you will be better off with 100000 to a 7,500,000 crcp selling at 10 to II cents than 10, ,000, GOO bale crop selling at to 6 cents.
 DO not be led into the error that you can deceive the great firm that buys your produce. They have their agents in ev- cry town and village; they are scrutniz- ing your actions, and know more in re- gard to the general acreage than you can possibly find out yourselves.
 Conceiving this to be matter of par amount importance to the material inter- ests of the south, and being impressed that this question in it's most compre- hensive form should be considered grave ly, therefore deem it advisable that the cotton growers meet in convention that we may formulate and adopt some intel ligent rule of action through which we may be enabled to combat these agen- cies, whose pernicious methods are so destructive to our prosperity.
 On account of the general accessibility I hereby name Memphis as the place, and Tuesday, January 2l, as the time or meet ing.
 | earnestly invite all classes of our cit izens that are directly or indirectly inter- ested in protecting the values of our main mmodity-cotton-to join with us in our deliberations. The invitation is ex- tended to all agricultural societies, alli- ances, granges, cotton exchanges, com mission merchants, factors associations, etc.
 The movement is strictly non-poitical but essentially industrial, therefore no man should say nay on account or pollt' ical affiliations.
 I respectfully invoke the aid of the press. Recognizing the demand for he- roic action, and the disaster that is to fol- low without it, I appeal to all patriotic people to join in this struggle to eman- cipate our people from bondage that is as oppressive and gnominious as was ever inflicted by the czar upon serfdom.
 No longer can we live prosperously and happily under so tyrannical system. The demand of the occasion is for honest. earnest men, who have the intelligence to appreciate prevailing conditions and encourage to "take up arms against sea of troubles and by opposing end them HECTOR D. LANE, President American Cotton Growers
 Protective Association