The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-01-26
The Farmers Must crganiS,.

The Farmers Must crgan!Sa.
Some Vigorous Comments on the
Situation.
J. w. Stokes, in Cotton Plant.
confess tardiness in fulfilling my
promise to you and myself to write
something for the columns OF the
Cotton Plant. My tardiness has not
been wholly without excuse, however.
Ny time has been full, as you may
we'll imagine with an energetic cor
test for my seat to fight, several cot
ton growers conventions to attend as
delegate and an Alliance warehouse
matter in my own county in addition
to my regular Congressional duties.
Then, tco, there has been no lack OF
wholesome and seasonable matter III
your columns to suggest need of con-
trihution from me or any one beside
your regular contributors. Not only
has there been abundance OF good
matter suitable to the needs and
tastes of the special constituency you
cater for, but there has been matter
suitable for people generally-for IN
structiop, for suggestion, for enter
tainment. Under these circumstances
is it surprising that there was little
difficulty in persuading myself into
postponement Of what assumed al
most the aspect Of duty?
Now, that I have started, you may
have to invoke The sense of duty to
stop. In most of us, particularly
those who write only occasionally,
the starting sense is clearer and more
actively assertive than the stopping
sense. Whatever may be lacking in
my other senses, however, [ have
sense enough to take friendly hlns'
without offense, when I am talking
too much, so you need not hesitate
to give me the wink when it seems
timely.
I said that the paper had been
filed with good, seasonable reading
matter-not only is this true but its
appearace has kept even pace with
it's thought. It is as neat and bright
as a new pin; and, like the pin, it also
has point.
I wish particularly to congratulate
you upon the enterprise displayed in
respect to the several cotton growers
conventions held recently. So far as
nv observation goes the Cottop Plant
is the only paper in this State that
thought these meetings OF sufficient
interest or importance to pnbiish the
proceedings in full. Tie Georgia and
Tennessee and other State papers
reported the proceedings in full and
were full of the matters engaging
the attention of the convention. Ia
South Carolina, where the movement
began, the reports were very meagre
and not representative of the true
spirit of the conventions. The re-
ports which have been most widely
published in this State gave most
prominence to a letter from MI.
Roddy to the Atlanta meeting-ln
fact published it in full, with
only a paragraph of the actual
proceedings Of the meeting. There
were some dozen or more let
ters or propositions, yet the Roddy
letter alone was accorded this dis
tinction. Why? This, too, in spite
of the fact that the Roddy idea was
dintinctly and vigorously condemned.
Had not our efficient and ever watch
full chairman and State President, }.
C. Wilborp, given out an interview
stating the true attitude of the con,
vention he presided over, 1 suppose
nothing more would have been pub
lished. I sent out copies OF papers
containing full reports to a number
of daily and weekly papers of the
State. and had it not been for the
Cotton Plant I should have bad nc
full reportto file away. 1t is but
Just to sa, that your report is due tc
your own energies as I did not serd
you copy, but I was relieved and
delighted when I saw your first page
illed with full report Of the two
meetings-both at Atlanta and Mem
phis.
don't understand the apparent in