The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-02-18

Is nOE0 pO41b4CS oAoA ONS4AOSS O-O
man who is afraid of the name of
the Association. I do not wish to
catch any man with sentiment, and
will confine myself to the business
side of the question.
Every industry has it's organ for
recording its affairs, and promoting
it's progress. The farmers have theirs
also, but agricultural papers usually
cOnfine themselves to how to live
economically, and how to grow the
different products of the soil. From
the amount of the cereals and cotton
that come to market, it looks like
they had succeeded in showing them
how to farm and from the way
most farmers live, it looks as If they
had also impressed them with the
idea of economy. But l tell you
they have never taught them to
like it, and never will.
You may talk about the independ-
emit life of the farmer, and that the
country is a bigger place than any
CITY in the worlo, but you cannot
make him contented when he has to
deny himself of the things of life
that 7 worth living for, SAY this
is SO, because the price of his prod
uots are too low for the necessary
expenses to produce them. No one
will deny the right to set down all
necessary expenses for producing a
commodity, whether it be from the
soil or work shop, with a reasonable
profit to the producers, and make
that the basis of value. That is all
our Association asks.
Did any of you ever think that
the only uncertain quantity in the
COST of cloth or yarn is the price of
cotton? Why should manufacturers
submit TO the prices being made for
machinery, fuel, labor, etc , and OBJ
ject to a stable price on cottonP
Ihsve no doubt many OF the man
ufsoturers will say they cannot con-
troll the prices of their products and
must have somewhere to save them
selves. So they demand it of the
farmers, because they are the only
ones not strong enough, OF united
enough to resist their demands
They say the farmers can stand it
any way, as they a stay at home,
wear their old clothes and sit by log
fires that don't cost anything.
Is seems to me that if the only un-
certain quantity in manufacturing,
(thst is, the price of cotton) were
made stable, the fluctuations of
their goods of which they complain,
would be reduced to a minimum, and
only the occasional out of some ire
sponsib ole dealer, or poor manager,
who Is forced to place his goods on
the market regardless of cost, would
be to contend with.
l appeal TO you to help on our AS
ISOLATION which is struggling for the
welfare of the whole South, and not
do the suicidal thing of thinking the
farmers of this State IA act as they
please, without the assistance of any
other State. When 1 see a man so
impressed with the magnitude of our
State, l always thtnk,Of a citizen OF
our county, JUST 81 years of age, who
had never been to a larger place than
our town. He concluded to see
something of the world, 80 took a
trip TO the beautiful city of Raleigh.
When he return d, he told his friends
that if the world is as big in every
direction as it is the way he went, it
certainly is a big world Gle must
have fallen into the hands of some
of the Raleigh politioians
We do not wish to antagoniz4
other industries this is not neces
sary. Each has its duties to per
form, and is as necessary to the sue
CESS of this country as we are. But
we DO need organization within our
selves for the promotion of our
special industry" We must gather
information for our ownssbenefs, ans
not depend upon the STATISTICS as
tDeY r nov gathered for the gub
lilo. While you are waiting for she
report the dealer has gotten it, and
used it so change the market as best
suits his interests.
The fee is very small, and should
ba gladly paid, when you think o.
the great benefits involved. There
are many dealers who spend thou
sands of dollars every year to gather