The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-11-16
FARMERS ADVISED TO HOLD COTTON
President Jordan Says the Grow.
er's Duty is Plain. Asks
Holders of Cotton to Fix
Price at Twelve
Cents and Await
Results.

Macon, Ga. Nov. l3.-Hon. Harvie
Jordan of Monticello, Ca, president
of the Southern Cotton Growers
Protective association, has issued an
address to the cotton producers of the
south in which be says, among other
things:
"The producers are to be congratu-'
lated for the firm stand they have
already taken to market the crop slow
ly, and that fact alone has prevented
the price from falling to eight cents
during the month of October. The
crop is about gathered, debts general
.ly are paid and it is no longer abso-
lu tely necessary to sell the balance
Of the crop. The ginners' report re-
Gently issued from the United States
census bureau indicated that up to
Oct. 18th only 6,400, 600 bales of cot
ton had been ginned This report
clearly indicates that this crop will
not exceed II, 900, 600 bales, if it reach
that figure. The spinners can well
afford to pay the producers 2 cents
per pound for every bale of American
short staple cotton made this season
and to a profitable business for the
stockholders The price of yarns has
advanced three cent per pound with
in the past 80 days and an unpreced-
ented demand for cotton goods exists,
while stocks generally are lower than
they have been for the past 20 years.
The duty Of the producers is plain
and simple. They have crowded the
markets for the past two months, con-
gesting every facility for handling
cotton and playing into the hands Of
the bear spectators and spinners.
The thing to do now is to give the
markets and shippers a rest during
the next go days aud all"w present
stocks of spot cotton to be gotten out
Of the way. Let the spinners who
are living from hand to mouth run
short of cotton and force them into
the markets as active buyers. Let the
bear spectators begin to feel the lash
of the bull operators when the latter
call for the deliveries Of spot cotton
which the former will be unable to
deliver.
"Let every holder of cotton absolu-
tely stop selling and sit down at nome
and quietly contemplate results. Let
G6Cu ltC1UCI OClOImiuO W pIG ~ uOA .
cotton on the market until prices ad-
vance and never sell a bale on re-
pressed market.
Let county meetings be held all
over, the belt and strong and active
steps be taken to defend this most val
uaple agricultural product from the
rapacious greed Of the selfish specula-
tor. Let every man who still holds
bale of cotton in his possession Join
in these county or local meetings and
agitate the Importance of this step
among his neighbors to the end that
success in the near future will be as
sured. We have held-our own we'll so
far, but we can do much better and
easily advance the price from two
to tree cents by persistently refusing
to sell and Tightening up present re:
ceipts. We fixed our minimum at 40
cents for this season and maintained
the price within half a cent Of that
figure through October. the heaviest
month. Now let the price be fixed at
12 cents for the remainder OF the crop
and the world will accept it at that
price, which will mean an additional
gain of nearly $50, 000,O 900.
GA determined stand will bring
victory