The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-03-10
The Vile Trusts.

Most of the readers of the Enquirer
remember the effort that was made by
Mr.. John T. Roddey, of New York, a few
years ago, to secure the organization Of a
big trust for the protection Of the cotton
growers Of the south. They rem ember,
among other things, that convention of
York county farmers discussed and en-
dorsed Mr.. Roddey's plan, and asked
Governor Evans to call a convent ton in
Columbia for the purpose of perfecting
State organization in the hope that from
there the movement might spread on to
success over all the. cotton producing
regions Of the south.
Governor Evans, it will be remem bered,
ignored the request of the York county
convention, and unable to proceed any
further, the people up this way were
forced to let the matter drop. Every
interested farmer who understood the
Roddey plan believed it to be the very
thing, and all hoped to see it developed
into q practical reality. Had Governor
Evans acted more intelligently. it is pos
sible that the situation of the cotton farm
ers of tho south to-day would be very
different. However, that, we confess, is
mere matter Of speculation.
But that Mr.. Roddey,s idea was feasible
there is no longer any doubt. The great
est "fnancier" of America has taken hold
of it, and he proposes to work it for all it
Is worth, not in the interest of cotton pro.
ducers as pro posed by Mr.. Roddey; but
in the interest of himself and associates.
He is into scheme whereby he will'be
enabled to squeeze the life-blood not only
out of cotton producers, but also out of
cotton consumers, and although what he
| proposes to do is, as some people said of
the RodGey plan, contrary to law, in
view of the manner in which laws on the
subject have been and are being enforced,
we fail to see where this will make any
difference. The plan of the proposed
new trust, as outlined by the Chicago
correspondent of the Charlotte Observer,
is as follows:
"Searles, who is now under investiga-
ton by the Lexow committee, at New
York, has formed combination Of all the
patentees of cylindrical baling machinery
and number of the presidents of south
ern railroads. The scheme is not to put
these machines into the hands of the gin
ners, but to own the plants throughout
the south themselves and buy only seed
cotton. They claim that there is saving
of nearly 50 per bale in their method; that
this margin will enable them to command
the trade, both in cotton and cotton seed,
and practically to control the market II
there is ary such saving in their method
as they claim, you can readily see that
the small ginners would soon be thing
of the past, and the planters would only
have the Searles mbinaticn to deal with.
I think another suspicious part of the
~, s, I,off f1,n h 10 Nr.
ganized in New Jersey and has its offices
in Jersey City favorite resort of trusts
and other schemes that won't stand
probing"
Now, suppose these charges are true,
and we do not doubt it tor minute, what
will be the result? Controlling the patents
on cylindrical ballng machinery, and
standing in with the railroads, this new
trust will be in position to levy tax
that will be com parable only to the reve-
nues Of the general government. Take
for instance the scheme of buying only
seed cotton, and think of the possibilities.
The trust will be able to dictate the price
at which seed cotton must be sold, and it
will also fix the price at which it will sell
lint cotton. The difference in price be-
tween seed and lint cotton will be of no
interest to farmers, for that, no matter
how great, will be the profit of the trust
But the farmer won't patronize the trust;
he will stick to private gins! How? Here
is where the patents on the cylindrical
bale comes in. This bale being so much
more compact and smaller, will be hauled
over the railroads for less money, and it
will serve as lever to force the farmer
to patronize the trust.
The Enquirer does not desire to unne.
cessarily alarm anybody; but 1t honestly
believes that unless something Is done to
prevent, it foresees just such condition
of affairs as is outlined above. And if
anything is to be done tc prevent, it
should be done without delay, for once
this trust gets hold on the principal in
dustry of the south, there is no earthly
power of which we have any knowledge,
that can possibly shake it loose.-Iork-
UiWc EN1Mii.er.