The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1905-02-22

from Mr.. Theodore Price Of New York
In whi.h he says the South raised
14,OD0, MO bales 0f cotton last year
aud that we carried 49,, QUO bales over
from the crop of 1903, which according
g his statement gives . supply to
date Of II, ISL, OoO bales.
II MIR. Price is correct in his figures
We have . surplus Of practically
:.GAh,, 900 bales If cotton. This means
ltih tO the South unless We reduce our
cotton acreage aud fertilizer . per
cent or. more and Ne indeed have .
grave situation to face unless We
stand together and meet it. The solid
South has stood together OF many
x ave questions and it can be de-
y issed upon to stand as q unit On the
cotton situation.
Every man in the South should join
h Southern tctton Association and
bel } keep The price Of cotton up to
where 1t viii pay a legitimate profit
Oser the cost of production and keep
til. South in prosperous conditi.r.
Il makes 10 difference whether you
are a banker, merchant, lawyer,
doctor, mechanic or labOrer. your
business suffers when the price of
cotton goes below the 0ost Of produce
tiOn. 1t is up to the whole South to
stand together as one mar in thi.
fight. Use all the influence you have
t. induce all Of your farm err friends to
raise more cor and food crops aud
less cotton. You have the best of the
argument. They cannot be hurt by it
but they a be hurt, and you can too,
If they help raise another Il. 00D. 900
bale crop OF cotton, and pat the pric ,
down ! o : or ; cents per pound.
/ am u farmer myself and waat 30
say to my farmer friends that at least
70 per CENT Of the people in my par5 of
the country have signed pledges to
plant Is per cen: less cotton this year.
Mr.. Theodore Price of New York ia
his circular letter that he has just
sent me land no doubt he has sent
them to many thousands of uthers)
suggests that We are not going to he
true to ourselves aud to one another,
but that each Of US will think that the
other Is going to plant less cotton and
acting on this belief each of us will
plant more, thereby causing . crop Of
l5,0OO.O 0O bales Of cotton to be raised
In 1905.
Now We al know IL Mr.. Price is
correct In his suggestions that ut least
0,OOD. OO0 bales Of what We raise in
l9O6 will have no value at all and
that We will be forced to burn or
destroy it in some way to be able to
ssll the other 1900, O0O Ut 3 or I cents
per pound. The surplus that Mr..
Price tells you about Of 1000, O0O bales
being carried over from last year will
also weigh heavily on the market and
ron readily e what = sad predica-
meut We IRE going to be placed in
according to Mr.. Prices figures and
and his opinion of us. To suggest
that the farmers Of the South are
going to plant more cotton after
having signeL Nm agreement to plant
1ess is 70 suggest that they are oil
dishonest and this / do not believe.
! believe that every man who signed
TIE agreement to reduce his acreage
intends to do SO and will do 50 even
4 ~ price Of cotton reached 10 cents
pr pound before planting tins. We
hsve had . lesson that Ne cannot
soon forget and many Of you arc
goihG 70 have to buy el.0O per bushel
eoen to farm with this year when you
opu1d have raised the corn much
cheaper and thereby have received
Doee money for your cotton.
A farmer cannot hurt himself rails
~ plsnty Of corn and food crops, but
- ean hurt himself if hs helps 70
So1N smother 13,O0O,OoO bsle cotton
80.
Plaue less cotton, my brother, and
mOee corn. IL will surely bring you
proeperity and W will have the
satisloctfon Of knowing q the end If
~ yer tsat Ne haze disappointed
III. Efjce and His friends Who believe
- ~ 0olng - ehess esch other and
49, aanAA~~ hau 1870. - 49,