The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-09
CAN FARMERS GET EIGHT CENTS FOR
COTTON?

We published yesterday the reSoiu
tons of the farmers, merchants ana
bankers of Troup county, Georgia,
declaring that they would not
sell pound of cotton for
less than eight cents There is NO DOUBT
that the manufacturer can pay elght
cents and still make a good profit but
how can the Troup county farmers COM
pel the buyers to pay them eight cents
If they can do it, all the farmers OF the
South can do likewise. The Atlanta
Constitution has very wise and sealsh-
BILE article upon the action of the Troup
county farmers That contains much food
for thought. 1t says:
.sThe action of the farmers OF Iroup
county on the cotton situation shows
that a crisis has been reached in the
marketing of the South's staple crop.
after several years of low prices, ac-
counted for on various commercial real
sons. a change has come, and we are
again i'm the midst of an era OF hlgh
nyices. Orders for iron have to be
placed ON tile awaiting opportunity for
consideration, and even future prices
are refused Wheat and meats have
increased IN price. Wages IN all the
large cities have been vastly increased
.vIhere is a rise i'm sight for every
botly save the cotton farmer, who Is
forced to go to market for cents
pound.
SIS it true that of every product of the
earth. cotton alone stands sta
tiorary in price? III that Were fact
it would argue that the cotton crop
would be "a good one to abandon Ell
tirely, hut when it is stated that the
spinners could afford TO pay cents Il
pound for the lint and still have a
good profit in the manufactured goods,
it will be seen that the fault is not ~
the product, but in the market. BY a
skidlful handling Gf the market, the
bears succeed in holding down prices
to ) cents during the time that the
cotton belongs to the PLANTER, letting 1T
go to its normal price of 5 cents when
the crop has become the property OF
the manipulator, and cheating the pro-
ducer out of more than one third of the
value of his Labor.
1.-The action Of the farmers
of Trolrp county, while it may
not be effective in changing this
in an opportune time, and should ~
eeive full consideration. Every pound
of cotton Icing sold this season Is
worth cents to the planter, and We're
it not for surroundings, he should net
sell it for less. BY the time that Il
mas been demonstrated that cotton is
worth cents, it will go to tGhe manipu-
lator and not to the farmer. WHAT
should be done to remedy such a sit
uatlon as this?
with the beginning of the present
year The Constitution took up this
question of the farmer and his wotk
in a vigorous spirit, hoping to arouse
such feeling that reform would BE
certain The Southern farmer is "a debt
or to the west for his food and TO th.
town merchants for the money which
is to carry him through to the next
year. The seed in the ground is
mortgaged and a part of that mGrl-
gage is certain to lap over into the
year after. The first duty of the
farmer, therefore, was to get himself out
of debt, to force ont Of the earth, hard
though it might be, one years living,
and then starting even with the word
to let cotton be his surplus crop That
is drastic remedy, hut it is a sure one.
J.
position where no merchant can force
him into an unfavorable market in order
to pay off a bill, and mo bear can hold
down the prices so Icing that he cannot
wait until they get better.
This DIS condition of things, however.
which will require time for development,
and we must deal with the emergency as
it presents itself. Here are our farmers
with a crop en- hand worth one-rhird
more than the price offered for at. The
farmer owes the merchant and the BANK
CIR. probably, and will be forced to sell
unless he can devise some community
of interest with him. All are IN the
same boat for a poverty-stricken farm
er will have Tor his neishbors AN equally
poverty stricken merchant and ban:Se.'.
The more money which is brought into
the country, the better viii business ne.
'"rhe question is intricate and compl
Gated but surely the various interests
which are so dependent upon each other
can discuss it and develop some meas
ure of relief. The prize is worth trying
for The margin which the hears are
today trying to hold back from the South
is not less than S100.000,000 To bring
it here where it belongs, to scatter it
abroad among our people, would be IL
more than we are entitled to. Helm the
farmer to hold back his crop, as far as
possible. and with one mighty effort we
can smash the iniquitous CONSPIRACY
which exists to rob us of our just dues.
The Democrats will not hold a "snap'
National Convention in 1900 to please
the penny-a-liners. 1t will have nothing
to do when it does meet except to nom
-.
NAL language the platform that the peo
pie will have virtually written when il
elects delegates to the National Con