The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-06-10
MAKE THIS A STRONG MARKET.

MAKE THIS A STRONG MARKET.
Again we would urge upon our
business men. and especially our
merchants, the necessity Of or
ganizing a board of trade with a
view to take immediate steps to-
wards securing an equitable
freight rate, and to make buying
connections with cotton mills for
the purchase of the product OF
this market. If concerted action
is taken, we believe an arrange
ment can be made by which an
agency will be established here,
and which will be in active COM
petition with what we have here
tofore had. It is lamentaole
fact that Manning is not the cot,
ton market it ought to be, ana nd
the cause is so plain, none Will
have the hardihood to dispute it
our market is controlled and
managed by a non-competingEset
of BUYERS, who virtually have a
monopoly, and who are driving
cotton away every year.
Anv man Of common sense
knows that Sprunt has had a mo-
noply of this market for a number
of years. True, he has had a
BUYER here, but when did the
buyer buy, and who from: Is
it not a fact, that the buyer
would bid lower than the mer-
chant and at night buy from the.
merchant at a profit to the mer-
chant? The farmer has been
aware of this trick, but because
of his dependence he has sub
mitted, not however complacent-
ly, but with a determination to
change his market if there is no
change. He proposes to take
the results of his anxiety, his
sweat, and his toll where he can
get its full market value, and
where there is no collusion be-
tween buyer and merchant. Ii
by the system we have hereto
fore had in this town, the farmer
feels that there is collusion, and
that he is not getting what is
Justly his. we ask in the name of
reason, is it not time our mer-
chants were taking hand in the
fight, and see to it that the
farmer shall have no further
cause to complain. We further
ask, would our merchants sub
NIT, and deal with a wholesale
firm if they had reasons to sus-
pect imposition? It is our earn
est desire to see Manning the
cotton market the environments
demand, and it is CALLING to US
to see the bulk of what is raised
in this county going to another
market. and it, in another county.
When we realize the cause, and
that a measly profit made by a
very few under the cover of
night, we are amazed at the bus
mess sense Of our merchants in
permitting this injurious condi-
ton to continue without taking
active steps to remedy the evil,
for it is an evil, blighting to our
commercial interests. Some
thing must be done and right
away at that; merchants get
together organize a board Of
trade, appoint a committee OF
one or more to visit the cotton
mills and arrange to buy, also
get in communication with num-
erous exporters, open up an out.
let, that this market will not be
dependent upon the Sprunts,
Inmans or any other firm, but
that the competition for the pur-
chase Of our product will be
sharp and active.
Have a committee to have a
Hheart to heart" talk with the
railroad commission, and the
Atlantic Coast Line, also have a
committee to talk with the Sea-
board, do something for your
selves and in doing something
for yourselves you do something
for the town. Any set of mer-
chants that will permit their
principal money crop to be taken
away without an earnest effort
to stop it, are not deserving of
the peoples patronage.
Manning has reached a stage
when her business men ought to
be up and doing. If there is a
merchant in this town who wears
glazed seated breeches, and
whites white pine he ought to
move out to a cross roads where
his patrons will be snuff stick
chewers; and his companions
coon 0OSS, Sucn a mercndnG is III
danger living in a living town:
he1s liable to have his stock of
goods carried off by moths in a
single night, because where pro
gress sets in, it is liable to per-
meate anything, even the insects
will be acquired to drive out old
methods, and especially old
goods. We therefore urge any
merchant who has been content
edly sitting down glazing the
seat of his pants on a dry goods
box allowing our cotton market
to drift away from here, to do
one of two things, sell out, and
clear out, Or get up and keep