The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-12-07
OUR EAnMEns MUST COMBINE.

Price of Cotton at Fair and Legiti-
mate Figures.
Mr.. w. L. Bradley, Of Troy, S. c.,
has received the following letter from
Gen. M. 9. Butler, which he has sent
to the Columbia State for publication,
and we take pleasure in transferring
the letter to our columns:
WASHuNGTON, d. c., Nov. 26.
My Dear Sir: | am in receipt OF
yours OF the 23rd instant. 1t is very
much to be regretted that u larger
number of men throughout the South
do not pursue UGH u course rs you are
adopting and contribute, il in ever SO
small q degree, 10 the emancipation OF
cotton ~raisers, from the state Of thral-
dom in which they voluntary place
themselves. lnveighing against "Wall
street s~peculators' and reviling every
man VINO handles cotton after IL passes
out of the hands of the producer, will
not mend matters. Those who are
the loudcst in their denunCiations OF
SPECTATORS would speculate themselves
If they had the opportunity.
The only way to beat the spr ula-
tors, dealers in futures is to make our
selves absolutely Independent Of them.
This can or y be done by becoming
self-sustaining on the farm. Debt is
one form OF slavery, and no man can
control what he earns or produces so
long as another has u claim on it, but
let this slave OF debt oncc get q years
supply of food for himself and family,
we thereby brake the first lin; Of his
chains and emancipation is 10 sight.
Now | know how difficult it is to get
men engaged in farming to coop 3rate
about anything. Men accustomed &c
living 70 themselves, thinking and
ac0,ng for themselves, acquire q habrt
of Independence and scli-reliancc not
found in any other calling, besides
they live far apart AS u rule, and 1T is
always difficult TO get them to turn
out aud meet for consultation. They
may for u while, but interest soon
Tags and finally nothing short Of q fire,
famine or epidemic can get them to.
gether. We all admit the truth Of
this: we all deplore it. We all see the
necessity for unity and concert OF
action, and yet is it not done.
The original object and purpose of
the Alliance was to bring about this
very concert Of action, but the politi-
clans got hold of it and made it the
ladder by which they could climb into
office.
Mr.. John r. Roddey, formerly OF
Rock Hill, 5. C., now in the cotton eX-
htth6S Vi y Vi N, ploIoSSo SIlSS
an organization of cotton ~raisers, and
insists he Is going to do it whether we
help him or uot. I do not know what
his plan is, but | do know he can have
my assistance on whatever line 10 may
adopt.
Every trust in the United States, the
sugar trust, tt tobacco trust, the beef
trust, each ard evCiS one Of them have
the best bus Wess l.uLs in the wOrlt
pmnlOva1 in hnir r.,,,,iva tinns nnC
management.
What We want is an examination
call it hatyOu will, trust PLANTER
union" or hat nol, OF the best bust
ness talent wl can get to handle this
cotton quse.'vu. They can organize
something / IT we can support anG
play one C IL If business IL en- againsI
the others The first step Is to try
AID limit tla acreage and production
n Nt is to ut control of u million AND
a half or TWO million bales OF cottor
AID corner them so the speCulatol
can't reach them without paying fol
them. This would not be a trust in
the legal acceptation OF the term, il
would not be in restraint or trade OF
commerce, and, therefore, not obnoX,
io.s to the rule which denounces what.
ever does restrain trade or compete
u.
suppose, for instance, every mar
10 maxi four bales or upwards
tgrees TO withhold from market every
fourth bale, and place it in the hands
OF a body Of shrewd, faithful business
men backed by sufficient capital to be
held until remuneratlve prices could
be realized. This would secure W or
three million bales. How could the
bears deliver If they sold short? The
visible supply would be in our hands
and MIR. Bear would have to pay for
his cotton or go to the wall. He would
go TO the wall and stop hammeripp
down the market. The bears are
the fellows that depress the market
when q fu crop is made. They can
sell short fifty or a hundred million
bales and by having an understanding
with the spinners, who want to buy
spot Gotten che, p, keep the market
down; the producer is the victim.
But, If the producer, through an or
ganiZation of his own creation, can
mold back the visible supply, the
spinner and ~speculator must pay for
1t. believe sue an organization can
be effected, and we may as we'll let
the world know we have sense enough
and pluck enough to do for cotton what
has been done for almost every other
commodity. | know that | have not
that kind OF business experience which
would enable ne to make such an
organization, but | hope Mr.. Roddey
has, and that he will be able to asso-
clate with him other business men.
Now, there is no great mystery or
legerdermain about this so-called
business" 1t requires some training
and experience, but at last, like every
other calling, it also requires as it's
foundation principle, good common
sense, honesty and fidelity, good ex-
ecutive ability. To know how to manage
men and take care of money is what is
wanted. The first thing we will all
nave to learn is to surrender some
thing of our own opinions and pre-
conceived judgments and extract wis
dom from u multitude Of ~counsels and
experiences. We will have to trust
somebody If we expect to win. All the
Dest OF us can 10 Ia to exercise due
caution and judgment in selecting our
agents and then give them faithful and
cordial support. One thing Is very
certain we can't be much worsted |
Whatever may happen, and may be i'm.
mensely benefited.
L nope something practical will be
evolved at the Atlanta convention ON
the second Tuesday in December, and
that we may be put in a position to
nave something to say about what
price our cotton shall bring. AS it is,
we have no more voice in that matter
than an inhahifon NJ tho ro..o ~ |