The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-07-15
AMERICAN COTTON TRUST
Promised to Be More Graspins and Dangerous In Its Operation
Than the Standard OIL Trust.
An omni'erous Concern Designed 10 Rob and Plumber the Cotton
Raisers In the South ard TO Control the Products of
Their PlantatIons

nun '" INV n''l'hH ''f'H company VI WV i'N f"' '' '
nete patent for packing cotton in cylindrical bales where" h" announces that
the company will place three presses in the New Orleans field t'for" the new
crop Is harvested
a Ind mn application today. Mr. Hi nd, from New Orleans IA for
ont of them We have placed the presses rapidly in the last three weeks in Tex
~, Indian Territory, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi md Alabama and now
propose to place them in Louisiana Arkansas Georgia and the two coroIinas in
time fr this -caonr crop The progress Wa are making Is rapid and athfac
tory We find the merchants and planter NIL anxious for the revolution that il
assured We lease them and We protect parties who u~ them by bidding on
cotton at he station at Il price that viii more than repay the operator. Of the
presses fT the amount they have invested
when the Irv7ounottc process for packing cotton hrt made it, appearance
long before it gained It's present notorety % fell into the hands # the American
Cotton Company The Times Democrat investigated it and found it decidedly
superior to the old system, and We published several columns on the subject
with illustrations showing how the new press worked We found TINT it de
creased the danger to the bale from fire lcspuol the injury it received in
transit made it easier to handle and allowed closer packing go that n ar or
Steamer could carry n larger amount in pounds In cylindrical bales than in the
old fashioned cubic ones and W found further that the cotton reached the
mills In far better condition than if gnn"l and boIo1 MS Of old
Fully approaching the merit. Of the invention which promised almost as
nsh for The cotton industry of the south rs Whitney gin did n century ago,
Mo Times Democrat welcomed he ucw invention and patent We had no ida
At the time that the patent would fall into the hands Of II trust well organized
md backed with capital md that this valuable improvement instead of being
an Md aud an assistance to the southern cotton grower threatened to become n
mems Of i"p"ling him, and that u new trust to prey On The cotton growers was
ODE uddcd to t" cotton tie and cotton hagging trusts which have in the past
.ttncd ON the south and robbed it Of SO many millions
Senator MrEncr n few days ago in his speech ON the tanH attacked this
latest trust which proposes to ve1 and worry the farmer and which hs in nd
vncc announced hs puioe" I" more" or less control the cotton market He
pointed ont That it proposed to go even further than the Sugar trust md that
several millions of people farmers and lalorrrs would be completely Mt its
mercy, ii was nlc to carry out its conspiracy
Senator Jones i Afkhn%i7W who hh@E been na0'h director in this trust de
Tended it, but the deien" was not a happy one II" was prompt enough in de
nmncug the Sugar trust mud all other trusts except TINT in which he va per
sn ally Interested lie pointed nut that the American cotton trust was in 10
wise favored by the tariff Blu. the Times Democrat has already shown that the
hrn 1, not the breeder of trusts that it is popularity supposed to be In that the
worst and most grinding mes are those like the STANDARD OIL which we their
existence to other legislation The American Cotton company senator, Iones
declared. "h asking no legislation from congress He vas correct ns not
Legislation, because the legislation already exists under which it can plumber the
cotton farmer
A, Mr. George Fred wiliam. showed the other lnv in hiss speech nn,o, H.,
Louisiana State University or patent laws intended fer the noble purpose of
r.arapg and protecting the inventor hive become the source If ONE Of tha
greatest evils of the present day the foundation stone upn which he most in
iquit"u. trusts are built Senator Jones trust is ms of them; and he and other
owners Of the American Cotton company propose under n perverted use of our
patent laws to squeeze as many million dollars a year nj of the hard working
southern farmer a. The cotton industry can stand
Mr. 'co Fred Williams hit til" very nail on the head when he xti of the
r,t.m to which the American Cotton company owes its origin.
"our constitution grants power to congress to create a limited monopoly, by
giving to inventors Al exclusive right to their discoveries The monopolaic
system adopted by M congress in granting letters patent to inventors Ia. NOT
only failed o' its Salutay purpose to promote the progress " science and usaful
arts, but has become ne of the most potent factors in the creation Of co1dto1is
tic monopoly Such monorol, was nccr contemplated by the founders of our
government 1t was intended merely that the inventor should cap the lust
""ard OF his genius and should have the assistance of government in obtaining
that reward But rs our patent system has developed the inventor has ndecd
'rcomc the first victim Of false system, and letters patent have been wrystcd
."m his hands D. '"yi"'" mud exploited at the expense of the whole people The
development Of inventions has become a part of trade but the more valuable III,
discovery the NOR" helpless is the inventor II the development of his invention
Upon the simple project of assisting genius have been built mp the great systems
{" monopoly which have contributed more than any other cause to the ruin of
competition i" the staple trades These combinations have become tyranuicol
I'M eS'ortonate and by devious methods have been able to pcrrttuatc their
monoGolHs far beyond the periods limited by law They absorb Improvements
aud through oppressive litigation are able to make their W terms with genius
iseN, Indeed, it may he said that the patent systema rs it % exists stands IN
The way of human improvement instead of facilitating it."
Mr. Williams intended to include the American Cotton company in hi, list
OF TRUSTS and monopolcs founded on on patent laws
Within n few days W e have seer" said he. the announcement Of ne for
nation Of = trstw With capital stock of 49, 900 OO formed for the rxrl,iotI,, 90
sratent cylindrical bale This bale It is claimed, will revulutionize thu hand
ling OF cotton, The announcement of the prospectus of the trust is sin th,~,
words 1t Is almost solely upon the new laHrg machinery that the rms do
tends to show its superiority Owe an independent dealer Instead f selling ,
products as the inventor intended, it is the plan to buy the rw cotton lir,t
from the panter, The trust therefore attends to the entire mnnippotic, i
Prominent railroad mngnats ire memtsrs of this trust and the lealiug shirt of
the American Sugar Refining company Is its principal promoter IL the rror,
oths trust succeeds the cotton planters Of the south will eventually cor,s -.
nny subject to the control as are ow the sugar producers to the sugar trust "
The interview with Mr. Hill shows the sane facts as those brought mt by
the prospectus We do not sell onr presses he explained we lease hem :"
Hnny opposition or hostility is shown to it, it can follow the tactic. of ua stand
the state II district that refuses to yield to its demands and AIRY, N 4, w.ru
persecution and crush ont all opposition
Thus under tn shadow of the patent laws not the tariff. a great rust prn
poses TO fasten itseho n the cotton industry and suck it as dry a>itsb brother trusts.
ave sucked thu oH and sugar industries The inventor of the ratept for whose
bnehth the law va passed, has We believe, long since sold mt and the rro,sr
ton and rcwariw which the law gave him under III patent system will INIT ,s IN
means OF enr1chinE the milionaires and politicians who control tins trust
be seen that this new trust proposes not only n comphte mcnorelv of
the packing and baing otth he cotton, but announces that it will by II, raw co,
ton itself We ear easily snrnic what this mcans and what it will lead Ia Tn,
miac'onS grasping Oil company willing to spend a million dollars to ruin n ri
vale " punish n dealer who darrs sell any oil except its product is mild hammered,
initsp prospectus compared with the new octopus The latter has cbou, II,
"mthh oritsd Held and M industry from which those engaged lin it have MAJ.
ut n m'aS living during the last few years, With the prices of cotton f,re5
down they have with difficulty and only by the greatest economy M industry
got through the depression which has prevailed in the cotton market One world
imagine TIM here vas very little picking here for the trusts and monopcles I'm,
they are wholly mcrciles sraring one squeezing out the last cet tia, can ~.
lhe American Cotton company has not yet begun its campaign svoips, tho
rblOu bNp and wa tkary,r, ,.. II