The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-12-21

plan mapped out by w. G.. Bradley il
this article advocating the reduction O
acreage"
owe held the preliminary meetin
in November" said Mr.. j. G. Wilborn
who is prominent planter of Oh,
Point, 5. c., "and we discussed tn
necessity for forming an organization
at that time, AMI decided to call a meet
ing to be held in Atlanta for that pur
pose.
"Our object in so doing was that AT
lanta is central point and easy O
access to the planters of South Caro-
lima, Georgia and Alabama, the three
States which would naturally come
together on questions of this kind, be
cause of their contiguity and theil
community of interests.
owe have found out, to our cost
that the increased acreage planted in
cotton from year to year is proving
ruinous to our farmers, AMI our object
is to make an organized movement in
favor of the decrease in acreage and
the increase in price of cotton, and for
the encouragement of the raising OF
food crops, so that our farmers may
become more independent and self.
sustaining.
"Under the present regime spccula-
tion runs rife and thousands of dollars
arc made by those who gamble on the
output OF the crop long before a boil
has opened. The farmers, under the
rule of all cotton, are completely at the
mercy of the Spectators, who have it
in their power to raise or lower the
price of the staple, and reduction in
the price of cotton leaves the planters
high and dry, as they have not the food
crops to fall back upon.
"All these evils must be met square.
ly, and the proper remedies adopted,
and the only way in which to do this is
To effect an organization, for which
purpose we have met here today. We
arc in full sympathy With the work of
the American Cotton G:Owers' Pro.
Lcctive Association, and, the primal
objects being the same, to encourage
he reduction of the acreage and con-
the increase of the price of
he staple"
81 have just returned from a tour of
The famous cotton growing belt of the
West," said Hon. Hector ID. Lane,
president of the American Cotton
Growers Protective Association, who
has taken an active part in the Atlanta
"and l find that the plan to
'cduce the acreage meets with increas-
ng favor out there.
"I visited Indian Territory, Arkan-
'as and Oklahoma, and / tell you there
$ the finest cotton growing country in
he world. In the Mississippi delta
md the Brazos bottoms the only limit
o the amount harvested is the humber
IF bales that can be picked.
"Thc planters there have raised one
bird more cotton than they can pos
,ibly harvest and they are sick AMI
ircd of it. Farmers from Kansas h I'VE
given up raising dollar wheat and have
gone into Oklahoma and Indian Terri
5ory to raise 4 1-2 and cent cotton,
md they all begin to realize the ruin
,us policy of planting such a large
acreage in cotton and reducing the
,ricc through ovcr-production, yeal
lfter year, until cotton raising has
grown worse than Improbable.
They kept me there longer than /
: QUILL have been otherwise, because of
heir anxiety for relief, and / organ
Zed eleven branches of the association
n that part Of the country during my
tay. l feel very much encouraged by
ny trip and am more than ever i'm
pressed with the fact that in organizing
he planters of the South may find that
'esief of which all feel the imperative
leed,
81 was at Muscogee, Indian Terri
DRY, when issued the call for the
Memphis meeting, December 21st, and
t was mainly at the solicitation of the
planters of that section that I called
he meeting, as they are poor people,
n spite of the enormous crops of cot
on grown, ard that date would be the
pest suited TO their convenience in at
ending.
"Thcy appeared anxious to meet
with the farmers and planters of the
other cotton growing States so as to
in the discussions relative 10
he objects of the organization, and
expect large attendance of the dele
gates from those sections at the Mem
DnlS cOnVcnllOn.
Some of the most prominent planters
Of South CalOlina were present in re-
spouse to the call issued by Mr.. Will.
born, and the representation included
men from all the principal cotton grow
ing sections of the State.
The new county of Greenwood sent
a strong delegation, consisting of
Mcssrs. j. l.. Hughey, G.. M. Kinard
and w. j. Gaines and John A. Bradley
from the Third District.
Senator /. II. McCalla and j. II.
Blake, Jr.. represented Abbevi.le, botl,
men of prominence in that section, and
DR.. j. w. Stokes was from Orangeburg
and is most influential citizen.
Messrs. l.. w. Youmans, Barnwell;
j. Bolton Watson, Anderson, and M.
l.. Donaldson, Grcenvillc, arc also
prominent members of the convention.
Mr.. w. A. Strom represents Edge
field and from Aiken appeared George
G. Robinson, representing the Beech
Island farmers Club, the oldest or
ganization of the kind in the United
States.
"The Beech Island Farmers Cab, :"
said Mr.. Robinson, "was organized by
Governor Hammond IN IS47, and
therefore bears the proud distinction
of being ,.e oldest club of the sort in