The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-25
Says Corners Are Good for the
 Planters of Cotton
THERE ARE NO "GAMBLERS'
Persons So Malionsd Are Business Men" and Will Stand Comparison With MT. Wilson or Any
 Other Official.
BY PATTERSON srEALEY.

Washington, D. C.. August 24-(Special) Secretary Wilson of the agricultural de- partment. has preeipitated big contro- versy In the cotton world by his assertion that the present high price of the staple Is due to the corner made by stock gamblers"
 Gen. M. c. Butler. formerly senator from South Carolina, takes issue with the sec retary sharply today in a column article in the New York Sun. General Butler holds that the so-called gamblers are repu- table business men and are doing much for the farmers
 When shown General Buffers statement today Secretary Wilson said; T have read ex-Senator Buffers criticism on my interview regarding the corner in cotton and its effect upon the country generally and the cotton growing and manufacture ing industries particularly.
 "I hope that the business men of whom he speaks will see 10 it that these prices continue until the cotton grower sells the coming crop. If that should be done I will make trip to South Carolina. find General Butler if he should be there. take of mS1zAt to and say to-him that regar6sfif treat public benefas.- who has to see further ahead into the an we poor fellows of the depa, l agriculture
 sli Soston Drops.
 "Bdt if, .oh the other hand, 1t should occur that the price of cotton is dropped, when the farmer gets ready to market his new crop, down to cents or cents. in- stead of 15 to 12. then, of course, I shall still adhere to my opinion that the man lpulation of the present cotton corner by gamblers of whom I spoke Is doing in- finite mischief"
 iv fSs Bsys i''', SsnssST s aR''sr xas' The gYhtlenseu 10 whom he refers as gamblers, Messrs. Brown x Hayne are not only among the most reputable busi- ness men in the country, but are gentle men of the highest character One of them. Mr. Hayne. is from my own state and I think he will stand fair compari- son, will Mir. Brown, from Mississippi, with Secretary Wilson or anybody in of- ficial or business life. 1 must say I was surprised at what appeared to me to be a very reckless charge, one which was not Justified by the facts.
 'The fact Is that Messrs. Brown and Hayne have done more for the producers of cotton. the farmers, in few months than the department of agriculture has done In ten years. I was somewhat sur prised at Secretary Wilson. for he did not appear 10 get into n frenzy of indignation when certain other gentlemen in the west were making a corner on wheat and corn. which enhanced the value of these two commodities and from which the far mers got the benefit.
 Mill Situation.
 "The secretary seems to be particularly concerned about the operators and the cotton mills that the cotton mills have had to shut down and put out of employ ment large number of employees and that therefore it's a great wrong upon the cotton mills. Now, in regard to that. Messrs Brown & Hayne simply bought cotton from the bears in the cotton mar ket and required them to deliver the cot ton, and of course the price went up.
 As a rule. the managers of the cotton mills all over the country are bears and sympathize with the bear operators. Very naturally. their interest is to lower the price of the raw material and they heed ed the representations made by the bear operators. exaggerated the last crop of cotton and failed to provide themselves with the raw material to keep their mills going. That is all there Is in that