The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-18
Also Agree to Reduce A.
creage One Fourth.
THIS WAKE COUNTY
Vigorous Speeches in Which Farmers
Are Fxhorted 10 Show Their Man
hood. Township, County and
State Meetings Are
Called.


cotton next season % per cent. OF this
SEASONS acreage.
.. We will hold the cotton we now
have on hand Tor ten cents pound.
3. We will hold township meetings
on December 81; a county meeting on
january Z, and State meeting in Raj
eigh on the 11th OF aIuary.
That is the sum and substance of
the great meeting of the coctton far
mers Of Wake county held in Raleigh
court room was crowded, between
three and four hundred interest men
being present.
1t vas a deeply stirred meeting and
every speech made was a call to the
farmers to show their manhood, to
stand firm for d better price for cot
ton, to defeat the gamblers in cotton
futures, TO decrease the acreage of cot
ton the coming season, and to stand
shoulder to shoulder in a mighty eff
fort to put the price of cotton to at
least ten cents a pound for the re-
T1ainder of the present crop
The meeting was in every respect a
great one. The big planter was pres
ent, the little planter was present, the
business men were present, cotton
manufacturers were there, and dealers
in cotton We're there. Men of high fl
nancial standing TOT ched elbows with
men Of little means, and all were there
ID take counsel as to what is tie best
thing to do to increase the prIce of
cotton.
Vigorous were the speeches made
aud many We're the suggestions given,
but underlying every plan thai was
offered was the undercurrent of the
farmers cal for ten cents a pound for
his cotton. That and a purpose 10 de-
crease the acreage next season ar-
pealed to every man present, and that
is the basis Of the plan adopted. to
which every man pledged himself. TO
stand firm, by the oath of mis- man>
hood.
The meeting was called to order al
noon. and though snow was on the
ground and the roads were i'll bad
shape, the men who deal with cotton
OF first hand were present. Mr.. T. B.
Parker, business manager of the Far
mer's Alliance, who had issued the call
raped for order, and with earnest
words made the opening address.
TWO SLUG TWO kmHk ..n-
Mr.. Parker told of the loss of $40
bale meaning a loss $4,000 to the
South and presented the cause of the
meeting. He said if the South was
New England it would have it's cotton
interests protected by lw, but THAI IN
this manufacturing of the South the
farmers were robbed, and the slumy
affected every interest. He urged the
need of a compact organization to
meet the needs of the times and then
called Mr.. A. c. Green to the chair.
Mr.. Green made a warm talk. He
demanded that the farmers show their
IL
when called to arms, and cried out
that there was manhood In the South
to meet the present issue. That the
farmers were able to 10 this he urged,
for they had the collateral in cotton
to put up to back their words, as
but half the crop was sold and mer-
chants and banks of the South were
ready to aid; over two million dollars
being available in Raleigh alone He
urged vigorous resolutions and that
cotton farmers. merchants. bankers
and business men stand together as
all were affected by the price of cot
ton.
Col. John S. Cunningham, of Person,
was called on and he responded In
a speech full of sound sense and good
advice. He told how the tobacco
farmers had stood together and held
their crop and how the price had adj
necessary supplies at home and de-
the cotton acreage next year
a better price could be had, and that
by holding this wear the price could
be advanced. He held also that the
laws which aided great corporations
and neglected farmers were wrong
that the farmers got little attending
the great corporations richer. He
emphasized a decreased acreage and
the raising Of all supplies at home.
with an earnest standing together of
the farmers for their interests.
There were calls for Col. j. Bryan
Crimes who spoke BRIEFLY. saying the
time was now for action. not words.
that the drop in cotton from 10 cents
4 pound to the nresent price was
enough to arouse all, that the farmer
did not fix the price of his crop but
he spectators. Stand together was
his advice, declaring that if the farm
ars did so and held on to their cotton
that by the first of March it would be
selling for at least nine cents a pound.
Hon. S. i. Patterson. Commissioner
IF Agriculture was called and he In
iorsed Col. Grimes remarks and said
hat Mr.. Ashley Horne of Clayton.
had said that the farmers had matters
n their own hands if thev would
stand together. He also endorsed ana
commended review of the cotton sit
nation in the News and Observer and
declared the advice given in it was
sound advice.
Mr. NJ. s. Mvatt in speaking said
now was the time to do something
# others would do so he would agree
10 reduce his acreage one-half or