The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-12-23

States.
''Thc Beech Island Farmers Club. ;
said Mr.. Robinson, "was organized b,
Governor Hammond IN 1917, an,
therefore bears the proud distinction
Oh being the oldest club of the sort il
lhe lnl"n. It was organized at Bcrcl
lslaLd, Just across the Savannah river
III the famous Sandbar ferry, and was
then in Edgclicld District, but has
since been cut of into Aiken
"lt's oblccis were to promote the in
tcrcSt OF the agricultural class cS and
to promote Il closer bond of social union
among the planters and farmers of that
historic section of the proud old State
OF South Carolina.
| "pohihS were entirely eliminated
from its deliberations, and although,
some OF the most important movements
lhan have ever agitatcd the country
originated the e, the traditions of the
club have been handed down from
| tathcr to son.
"Onc OF It's provisions was to have
! twelve dinners every year, one on the
first Saturday in each month, and the
club has not missed dinner in fifty
years, this being its srmi. centennial
year: and The Beech Island Farmers
clllb Is III 4 condition as ilOurlshing rs
1t was the day il was organized with
the wealthy slavcowncrs and cotton
planters rs its chief promoters half Il
century ago.n
The meeting Of the cotton growers
resulted not in the organization Of Il
separate association. but in the endorse
mcnl OF the American Cotton Growers
Protective Association, which IS alreHdy
in existence and has accomplished il
great deal OF the same lines aimed at
by the meeting of the South Carolina
planters. The conclusions arrived at
and the resolutions passed by that
notable body of rcprcscutatlv" men
are all such as promise relief for The
planter and the inauguration Of many
reforms in the business OF: growing and
marketing cotton.
The leading idea discussed was the
reduction of acreage SO rs TO relieve
the congestion Of the markets of Tho
world and enhance the value OF thJ
staple, and supplemental to that idc;I
were the resolutions condemninr in lh)C
strongest terms the pcrnicious practi;L,
Of gambling in cotton futures and tlkt
permitting Of politics TO enter into such
associations as arc formed with q view
20 protecting the farmers.
There IS a great display Of forensic
efforts among the delegates during the
afternoon and evening sessions, and
some very strong speeches were made
|
comb. w. j. Gaines anil others from
South Gnrotina, aut, the Delegates from
the Old North State took prominent
part III the debates, while Georgia was
in nowisc behind hand in The oralorical
efforts of the delegates
Col. r. j. Rcdding, director Of the
experiment station, presented Il report
of the market price Of cotton in New
York On the first of every month, OF
every year since lSSl-5, and his Sta,is-
tics, which had beer prepared with
great care, are valuable addition
tJ the informrtiOn evolved from the
meeting of the cotton growers.
Prof. j. J.. IIunnicutt made one OF
the most telling addresses OF the scs-
sion when he stated that the farmers
would get toy, ,thcr and pass resolutions
looking toward the reduction of the
cotton acreage, but, at the same time,
they were secretly making up their
minds 10 plant more than ever.
Prof. llunnicutt proposed the follow
ing resolution
"Rcsolvcd, That each delegate to
and mcmhcl of this Convention do
pledge and obligatc himself TO reduce
| the number nf acres planted in Gotten
in 1897 not less than 20 per cent. for
lS9S. Also, that each delegate and
member will use his influence among
and with his nrighborS to accomplish
the same ends
Continuing on the same line Of
thought he sad the most sautarv
! reform that cou!d he iuauguratcd would
| be the correction Of the evils resulting
from gambling in futures among fac.
tors and brokers'. lie went on to give
the unintclliyc:i class roast for not
being able to discern the remedies that
arc apparent to all but themselves.
He said that the landlord could do q
great deal toward reducing TIE cotton
acreage by requiring that his tenants
plant a sufficient acreage in provision
crops every year to insure 4 support
after which they might plant as mucl
in cotton as seemed wise and ju,licious
lie said that he was weary of hear
! ing the complaints of men who did MOI
seem to have disccrnmcnt sufficient t(
conduct their own business on business
principles.
I One of the most conspicuous figure.
in the Convention was Hon. j. VIM
Stokes, Congressman from the Seventh
Nistrict Of South Carolina, and hr was
made chairman of the committed OF
rules and order. ... ...
| The committee on resolutions sub
miltcd report, which Was adopted
aftcl an interesting discussion. T. Tho
report of the committee is given in ful
elsewhere III our columns.
There was a stirring debate on the
proI oscd adoption Of the resolutions
and some were i'm raVor of q snnorot, ,