The Colfax chronicle., 1898-01-15
fARMERANDPLAN
AhTI-cAsH RENT CRUSADE.

Question that IL AgItatinr the Lam,
wncs and Tenants of Texas--The Stu
on from the Tenants' Standpoint.
DALLAS, Tex, Nov. 2s.-No mutua
protective movement in Texas ha,
grown more rapidly or spread to large
Limits In recent years than that nov
-, aa0rming among the farm renters
nis statement came from one of tho
leaders OF the movement to substituts
crop shares for cash rent. This leader
speaking Of the movement said
these men have a lesser proportion
OF prosperity to show for their year'.
WORK In 1897 than any other of the pop.
uiation OF this state. More than one.
naii the cultivated farm lands in Texas
are under the rent system. The Gus.
TOM has been To lease the lands on the
Sssn-rent basis at a certain price per
acre to be paid in money bv the
tenant to the land owner. This svs.
tenn has proven disastrous for the
tenant this year. Not one renter in
my has SO much as dollar left to
snow Tor his years industry. No mat
yer now much land he may have culti-
s"'ed, or how bountiful may have been
inc yield in his crops, the land owner
ana Tue merchant who has carried him
,os supplies have taken practically all
"e possessed in settlement of his debts.
ana perhaps they have not been fully
settled at that When the tenant states
ms SIDE OF the causes for this condi
c'on' conscientious, disintercsted minds
uo not hesitate to conclude that his
:'oe is the only one there is with merit
~ anu no one is surprised at the
widespread agitation that the CASH
rent system has SO suddenly precipi-
tated In Texas.
Take this years experiences of tho
renters as an illustration of a cond;-
slon that has long existed in the agri-
cultural sections of the State. with un-
satisfactory results for them at all
.imcs' but absolute disaster this wear.
ihe tenant farmer contracts with the
iand owner in the winter or sprino at
'iu agreed price per acre, to be paid
wnen the crops are harvested and mar
keted, The date Of settlement usuallv
oeing fixed for not later than October
or November.
Ihe bargain is clear and safe one
Tor the land owner, but the tenant |
Inrmer is going it bind.' This vear.
when contracts were made, the pros |
perity promises were ringing in the |
tenant farmers ears. lie had Wis
IONS OF the high-priced cotton
mot less than seven cents. and
perhaps us much rs ten cents per
pound-for the crop OF 1897. He con
eracted his cash-rent promises on the
oasis OF this mental calculation. In
tne spring he pictured himself q man
with bank account to his credit in
tue fail; now he finds himself on the
verge OF pauperism, although he has
oeen industrious and practiced self
uenial III the matter of home economy
all the season. lie is desperate. The
'en-cent cotton vision of the spring has
changed TO fye-cent cotton reality
~ the fall. The profits Of his crop
nave not neeted him more money than
ms casii-rent contract with his land-I
lord calls for. and having paid his
aebt he finds himself broke /,
Collectively, the tenant farmer in
.eNas' during the last 60 days. has ,
'tarted on gigantic crusade. lie an
'ounces himself as a reformer. lie hns {
'aisea the banner of anti-cash rent.
lie mas taken on his platform the time {
IGNORED aphorism: .Self-preservation | i
The hrst law OF nature" Acting on
MS maxim. he has become active to {,
nc point OF dangerous aggressivrness 1
certain instances. These instances q
re the individual exceptions 10 the
Curse pursued by the collective ten
ntry. They have been claractenzed
y whitecap outrages, In which q few
len nave been whipped. one or two c
not and numerous threats made in v
'riting to poison wells and cisterns o
SOW lands in johnson grass and to
urn buildings. in the event of CASH b
snt contracts being made in tl,l fu- j
lre. But the bu TX Of the agitation in r,
us tenaut-iarmer crusade has been
,nductcd on higher and broader meth d.
Is II has been given the character it
living issue. movement to ut- in
act puDiic attention and enlist pub o,
sympathy. Mass meetings have
sen held in fully 100 farming COM 4.
unitses. Organizations have been i,
'riccted on the anti-cash rent founda- :,
on, the general name adopted being ~
70 Cotton Growers Protective asso-
alton. The policy generally adopt q.
has been to indorsc substituting the ~ i,
op-share system for tile cash-rent ~,
stem. This woald make the land
vner proit-and-loss partner with -
. tenant fariner. The rental terms
Iered ure one-tlird the grain and -
e-iourth the cotton raised. This ~
'uld make the land owner directly 70
tercsted with the tenant farmer in w
occurring a top-notch nr;ca far ~, i'm
Oduets when mn rlxaf..d 49,, .. -,