The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-12-16
HOLD YOUR HOLT .
Farmers the South Advised to
Held Their Cotton

Farmers q the South Advised to
Held Their. Cotton
UNTIL The PRICE ADVANCES.
This is ttss Advice Given Them by
CottcR King Brown OF New
Orleans and General
Butler.
w. P. Brown, of New Orleans the
great cotton king, has issued an ad-
dress oyenhis signature as follows:
To the Planters, Merchants and
Bakers Of the South: Cotton has
declined to q point below the cost Of
production. Are you going to sell at
present prices, or hold until you can
get the market value for the balance
of your fildirgs? The decline is un-
.warrantca. To be conservative, I
will say that the balance OF this crop
should bring at least 10 cents at the
ports, ard, according to my Judgment
the only ray to obtain an advance ls
for thesplanter to keep his cotton on
his plantation until the actual demand
is sufficient to enable buyers to pay
the proEar value for the stuff. The
merchants who are carrying cotton
should moi force what they have on
the market, but stand firm and de-
mand higher prices, or not sell.
The fibanks all over the south
should stands by the merchants and
planters and not force them to sell
their cotton at present prices, which
they an know is below the cost OF
productien. These prices mean ruin
to the south. 1t affects every branch
of tralesand the only>~thirg to do is
for every man that is interested in
any manner, shape or form to stand
together.
'For5the sake of argument, admit
the crop is 100000 bales (though I
do not believe 1t is), the consum ption
at thess prices will be at least H.
500, ,00Gbales, and the other 500. 600
bales will be small quantity to go
Into mil reserves The spinners OF
American cotton throughout the
world should, at least, add this year
to their depleted stocks 500, 900 to L.
600, ,00o bales. The visible supply at
the emu Of the season, In order to pre-.
vent slueezes' and corners should
be at least l ,25o, 900 bales. Any we'll
postedscottOn man knows that this is
practically correct, hence I see no
reasonifor the holders of cotton to
get seized and sell at anything like
present prices.
.Sitce the bureau report was Is
sued oa Saturday we have seen a great
manystelegrams from some of the very
hestI Wton merchants scattered over
the g ,aas;ii te the effect that they be-
lieVedj the estimate was too large. l
mention this to show you that l am
not the only one who thinks the esti-
mate too large. However, it has the
effect of putting middling cotton
down to 1-2 cents in the New Or
leans market,
The South went broke raising cot
ton at s5 2 cents, and 6 cents per
pound In l897-9S, and during that
period everything was cheap, as we'll
as cotton, and the cost Of raising cot.
ton was small, as compared to the
present crop, which Is the most ex-
pensive one ever grown. 1t would
pay the farmers to sit still and not
market another bale Of this crop an
til be can get above 10 cents and re-
duce his acreage another season at
least Is per cent and instead of rails
ing another bumper crop, raise only
enough to supply the world. The
last crop was only 100000 bales,
aud 1T brought more money than any
crop ever raised-much more than
this crop Will bring, unless the bal.
ance left brings much higher prices
than those ruling today. With cot
ton at ] 2 cents at tine ports, cotton
plantations are worth today jlst about
half what they were at this time last
year. Now, every man that Is inter.
ested In the south, regardte OF the
character Of his business, should be
interested in keeping up the price OF
cotton. Clifton is one OF the few
things that the world must have, and
the south has monopoly on the ter
rltory where it can be grown, yet
they won't take advantage OF the sit
uation.
There are so many things that
can be raised in the south profitably,
why not turn your attention to other
things and raise less cotton? We have
been told that we needed O twelve
million bale crop this year, and, now
that you have raised one close to that
figure, they say you must sell 1t at a
give away price.
Stand together, both merchants,
farmers and bankers, and you will
come out all right, but If you throw
your holdings on the market you may
rest assured that the spinner will buy
1T just as low as he possibly can, and
| don't blame him for doing 80. 1t
isn't the spinners Of the world at this
time who are forcing the market
down, 1t Is the bear speculators
Spinners In every country Of the
world, with a few exceptions, are
do ng the best business In the history
OF the trade. They can afford to pay
from 8 to 10 cents per pound and
make q good profit at the present
prices goods are bringing. The con
Stunning world is In position financi.
ally to pay higher prices today than
they have beep for a great many
years.