The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-12-10

dollars in America and plasteriug our
land over with mortgages, runp The
lanswer is returned. all of them by fixed |
laws of government. Mark you, not
by legal enactments of state and feder-
lal governments. but BY laws and
/ governments of their own.
These systems bring IN immense
| profits and bind their several organiza-
lions with bands Of gold. All this is
accomplished by brains, push. energy |
and money; some of their officers reap |
ing salaries of $4,000 per annum.
Yet the farmers in their unorganized
condition toll year after year and |
sweat their lives out raising 43-cent |
cotton, while they hold their own des- |
tiny in the hollow of their hands. Can
they rise out of this prison of their
mean estateP" BY an organized sys-
tenn of government they can do so.
! Let them organize a cotton congress;
have regular seat of government
domciIed in the central portion OF the
cotton growing states; have 1t organ
Lied upon the same basis as our lower
house of congress is organized as to
representation. Say take North Caro-
lima, South Carolina. Georgia, Florida.
! Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana. Ark
lansas, Texas the Indian Territory and
Oklahoma. Have six congressman from
each state, one for the Indian Territory
and one for Oklahoma--56 in all.
These congressman must be men OF I'M
questionable integrity, brains, push
!. and energy, possessing the full conf
dence of the people. Pay them $4,000
per annum each to attend to the inter-
ests of the cotton growers. Their duty
to be the curtailment of the acreage
and see that no fraud is practiced and
to keep the acreage within bounds so
that we cannot raise over 100000
, bales of cotton.
. How is this to be doneP By organ
: izing the farmers by wards, precincts.
parishes and counties until we get
! every man who grows cotton from one
bale up to 5000 bales. to join this cot
9 ton planters union, binding themselves
to plant only SO much. SO many acres
+ in cotton, as stipulated by this cotton
r congress. IN order to produce 9,00O,-
. 900 bale crop.
How is this going TO be done?
Easily enough BY making a canvass
r from house to house and finding out
!. how many acres each farmer planted
!. | last year or this year. Submit these
i figures to the cotton congress and let
them reach the aggregate in acreage.
= After making careful calculation OF
a the acreage, and If they find il too
r much and liable to produce crop OF
100000 900 or 100000 bales, at once
adjourn this congress and let each
81 member of said congress return to his
district AID interview every cotton
planter in bis district, aud have him
bind and obigate himself, under pen
allies that can be enforced il not COM
nc Piled with, to cut his ratio of acreage
!, 10 such a figure as TO reasonably bring
~ the crop 10 100000 or 5000 coo bales.
=. The president of this congress recon-
- yenes il and the several congressman
~ make their report. If the desired
~ result is attained, they can adjourn and
" 90 home and, until it is time for The
n congress TO convene again, they are
- expected to remain among their coll
. stilueuts in their respective districts
:, = and if they learn Of any suspicion
~ against any planter or farmer. investi.
:. gate the suspicion and force the mau
- who has violated his contract 10 keeI
-. it. Laws and contracts can be made
!! that will be binding.
How are we going TO raise The
~ money 10 pay These congressman!
we tax each farmer three-and-a-quar
20 ter cents per bale gu every bale OF cot
- ton he makes, aud a crop of 9,o00,0O'
bales is made, we have cash fund o
"s 1922 500, or $12500mor than enough
nu to pay all expenses. What have W.
= gained? Take 10,500.000 bales OF cot
no ton at $40 per bale aud The net resnl
= is S2i0O0O,000 Take 100000 bale
" " of cotton al $40 per bale. net result
w $3.50. 900, 900. We make 100000 bale
~ less of cotton, yet we get ST 10000
-. more money for il. This only cost q
~ $292,5O0 TO do il. Take The case o
~ one man, who makes ten bales unde
-. the present system and gets 5000 for il
PIC Under my system he makes seven AM
VI a half bales and gets $500 for il, an
~ lii does not cost him over rs cent
~ more to do il; yet be saves the work
no will take 10 make two aud hal
&c bales.
70 Let us pursue this idea further.
~ said that the south could become 10
'u richest country under the sun. l wi
81, prove il, if the farmers will be bu
-. true 10 themselves.
raj Say this cotton congress should b
,ov perfected and become a success, the
rat we tax ourselves ST. per bale. Al th
nd end of The cotton season We w0ul
ct have S9.OOO,000. We would owe on
congressman $280,0O0. We woui
Of have $8,720,0 00-enough money
yo- build, in one year, 81 cotton fsctoris
ON at about cost of 100000 each.
mr. ten Years we could manufacture cotto
ms goods for the entire world and contr'
nd every gallon of cotton seed oil mad
lIv We hold the situation in our hand
,yp What we need, as said before, is GO
/. . ernmeut, brains. energy aud none,
to We have all these commodities, II
md will follow The creed of four hit
I'M. words: "Be true TO ourselves"
to Through the organization we al