The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-10-27
SOME PLAIN FACTS.
Why Cotton Should DO Held fer
Higher Prices.

Higher Prices.
An Omoia Address to the Farmers
From President e. ID. Smith.
Ust,ity VIII Bring Success.
The Southern Cotton association is
an organization Of, by and for the
people. 1t Is not for the few but for
the many, not for the farmer alone
but for the merchant, professional
man, mechanic and laborer, for every
one who makes a living where cotton
grows.
The objects sought are manifold
and far reaching; among them Is the
establishment Of system beth in pro.
duction and marketing, thereby Great
Ing a condition conducive of fair and
renumerative prices. To promote
manufacturing where cotton grows,
to the extent Of our W people sell.
Ing the finished product Instead of
sending two. thirds of our raw mater
tal out OF the country. But the lined.
late anxiety OF the s. @. A. Is that
cotton this year should brig the far.
Ii cents per pound, the price set by
the association.
That the farmers are not getting
this price is no proof that the asso,
ciatlon n other organizations made
a mistake In estimating the value of
cotton, but 1T does prove that the "a.
ISOLATION Is timely anu the work Ia
was created to do Is an Imperative
necessity.
lts weakness Is apparent rather
than real; Its success under the cir.
cumstances Is phenomenal. Without
lts powerful influence cotton to-day
would be selling at as low a price as
al Time last year. Never in the
history or cotton has ten per cent sur
puS blended with a succeeding crop
Without the price running low Till the
farmer had sold out. We are weak in
proportion as business men and far.
merS are unenltsted In our common
cause, and we will grow In strength
in proportion as the people in cotton
growing communities unite with us in
defense OF own rights and interests.
We have allowed conditions to OBJ.
tain that robbed 8I2 cotton counties
annually OF 5000, 0O0. 900 that rightly
belonged to them, and the loss Of two
cents a pound this year means 500,
600, 600 gone forever, leaving empty
store buildings and paralyzed business
to that extent.
There are reasons why the farmers
are not getting II cents.
The farmers always distinctly re.
member the experiences Of the year
before.
Now two years the farmer sold on a
raising market and after each sale lie
regretted that he did not hold his cot.
Ton Il little longer, and resolved not to
be caught that way again. 50 last
year TO profit by his late experience,
! ne was disposed to get his cotton sin
ned aud thon not be in a hurry to sell.
Then when the statistical condition
showed an Immense surplus he was
caught in the awful avalanche Of fall
ing prices; and he don't yet reaiiz
chat last year prices were good for SC
long Il time, simply because he wa |;
conservative instead Of a preci pitate
seller. Remembering the good prices
; during the early weeks last year an0
the trap that crippled him, he roSol.
{ YES TO be the early bird, with the re
suit that at this year a greater pc.
cent. OF the crop is already marketed
than il any season Of the past, and
this blended with the shrunken skele.
ton or last years surplus, in so short
q time forms . combination that
WOULD break down ANY market, what
ever the concomiuin Mt conditions
might be.
Helping this condiN9a the mar.
chant needs his moccy a1d the far.
mef wants 10 pay as soon as possible
and while cur bankers are willing tc
extend good papers and TO grant fur.
Thor accommodations, yet merchant
and farmer alike nave had so rnany
bitter lessons that they hesitate tc
) drop u moderate certainty for q promi.
sing uncertainty.
> AS things have always been, this
position OF merchant aud farmer is
not unreasonable.
Heretofore nc concerted effort has
obtained TO make tho owners "a party
TO the trade when our farm products
are to be priced.
Heretofore no thoroughly organized
work has been done to get the stats.
tical situation for the farmers use ia
time TO benefit the farming com
munity.
Heretofore no interested organiza.
ton has been strong enough to In
iluence market conditions to favor the
farmers in time to benefit him.
, Heretofore all has been uncertain
: guess work, but this year The stats.
!, tlcal situation is well in hand.
When the first bale this season look.
ed back over the past year, IL saw
that 13, 000, 900 Of its brothers had
occn laid upon the shelf by the fatal
hand OF cousumpti.n, it looked to the
future and saw the dicase spreading
In new and wider fields, through
Japan, China, Russia and the world,
including the survivors fewer than
IL 600, 600 would be thrown out to
TAIL before tho dread destroyer who is
eager and anxious to consume 1000.
600 more.
Farmer, Is not $40 a bale worth
looking after?
Merchant, is not SO per cent in.
crease OF business worth looking after +?
Are you not willing 10 help carry the
financial burdens of en- organization
that has done so much for you and
your W people? Are you not will,
ing to help uS carry on a greater work