The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-09
COTTON MEN MUST
STAND TOGETHER
president Jordan Issues Ad-
dress to South
DON'T SELL COTTON NOW
Says Price Is Unnatural and That
South Must Resent This Inter-
ference of a Few Wall
Street Gamblers.
DON'T SELL COTTON NOW

Monticello. Ca. December S.-(special)-
President Harvie Jordan of the South
ern Cotton Growers Protective associa-
ton has issued an address to southern
bankers, merchants and cotton producers
which is in part as follows:
Shall the south quietly surrender to
the dictation of a few Wall street
gamblers in depressing the price of our
great staple crop last week from nine
and half cents per pound; or will they
rise in their manhood and refuse to sub
nit to this unholy sacrifice? The bearish
bureau report issued from the depart
ment of agriculture on December g. indi-
eating a crop of 12.162OOO bales, gave the
spectators the opportunity they had
been praying for, and in less than thirty
minutes nearly s30,00O,OOO in values was
struck from the pockets of southern
farmers. The bureau report exceeded the
expectations of the most extreme bear"
spectators. and but few well posted men
in the south believe for a moment that
the yield this season will ever reach the
high estimate placed upon the crop by
the bureau.
That report was based upon a theoret-
| cal acreage of about 100000 acres, and
indicates a yield far in excess of that in
| dicated by the amount of cotton gnned
| up to November IA in the census report.
| Either one or the other of these reports
| Is wrong The ginners report is based
upon facts as aseertained at the gins,
while the bureau report as issued last
Saturday is guess work. The recent
l Iaaax n
! ton has been caused by a lot of gamblers
and spectators who neither produce or
weave a pound of cotton.
| Several million bales of this crop are
yet In the hands and control of the
farmers, merchants and local bankers.
| The only salvation of the south at this
moment is to stand steadfast together
and to absolutely refuse to market
single bale of cotton at present prices.
Sell no cotton voluntarily and permit
none to be sold by coercion or intimida-
tlon.
| If the spectators want to put down
the price on paper let them do 1t to their
hearts content but when the call Is made
for spots. to fill their contracts within the
near future, demand the full value Of the
staple based upon minimum of 10 cents
| per pound for all middling cotton in the
| interior. Wall street gamblers are now
they will teach southern farmers les
son to remember and stop them from
forever undertaking to hold any part of
| another crop again.
Will southern farmers surrender their
manhood to the lash of Wall street specu-
lators?
Letters are coming to me from farmers
all over the south, stating that they will
not sell any cotton now In their possess
q
farmer to take similar action. Others
propose to enter into an ironclad agree
ment to hold all the cotton they now
have until next September and reduce
their cotton acreage next year % per cent.
They urge me to issue this call for vol
unteers on a similar agreement and UNI
dertake to absolutely tie up from 100000
to 100000 bales of the present crop
unless prices go back to legitimate
figures
We face a serious condition and not
theory. 1t may cost us hardships, but
the south has been through much severer
struggles and won out in their fight for
freedom and independence from the yoke
Of foreign domination. The southern
freedom and merchants should, and l
believe will, cordially cooperate with the
producers in their present effort to put
the price of cotton back to its legit-
| now call upon every producer who Is
holding cotton, and who can possibly do
So to attend the national convention to
be held at Shreveport, La, December r.
1914, and 18th, there to take definite ac-
ton looking to the holding of the balance
of this crop until prices advance, and
consider plans for reducing the cotton
acreage next year so as to prevent sur
plus which is now being used by the
spectators to harass. embarrass and
impoverish again southern cotton pro-
ducers. The salvation of the south de-
ponds upon every man who now has
cotton In his possession to do his full
duty by refusing to sell at the present
prices.
Do not get discouraged or timid. Store
your cotton under cover or In ware
houses and there let 1t rest. The world
wants 1t and must have it soon. No farm
er should be afraid to retain possession
of a staple which is today the most
valuable agricultural product in the
world. Hold tight to your cotton until
the Shreveport meeting on December r.
at which time a definite plan will be
adopted to force an advance in the pres
ent depressed price of the staple,
Z ~ A