The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-11-24
DEMANDS is CENTS
ORGANIZATION WAdING WAR
ON SpECULATORS.
= Vigorous Campaign on Foot.
Secretary Weston Talks of
the Fight Now Being Made
by Southern Cotton ASSO-
CidfiOn.

cla!loh is IN earnest In the fight to
resist and put aside the speculator
to the welfare and benefit of the
producer, no one who yesterday
visited the Office of Mr.. F. H.
Weston, the secretary of the South
Carolina division, can doubt. His
Office force was busily engaged
sending out literature to the various
counties and there were other evil
dences that the work is being
pushed in no uncertain way.
Asked for an interview concerning
this recent activity on the part of
the Association, Mr.. Weston said:
To-day, l am in receipt of in
structions from headquarters in
Atlanta to institute movement
toward securing pledges from the
farmers for the cotton which they
now have OH hand for IS cents.
We know that there is most
active demand for dry goods and
that the mills have not the cotton
necessary to run them to fill these
contracts. The association consid-
cred IL cents q fair but not un-
reasonable price for cotton, but in
view OF the very aggressive cam
paign that has been instituted
against cotton in the last few DAYS
by Theodore Price snd his allies, it
would be absurd for the Southern
Cotton Association to stand by and
see the producers of cotton through
out the South despoiled of millions
of dollars.
We must convince the spinners of
the world that the price of cotton is
to be fixed by the producer and
not by the speculator.
Mr.. Smith is absent from the
state, in Texas, speaking in the in
tercst of the association, but / pro-
pose to organize most vigorous
campaign in behalf of securing
pledges from farmers for Is cents
for cotton now on hand. I am now
placing these pledges in the hands
OF county presidents, with instruc-
tions to employ canvassers in every
school district in South Carolina.
We have the money on hand and
propose to pay these canvassers for
their work. The auditors books
will be used to furnish us the names
of every cotton grower in each
county. The names will be placed
in the hands of the party canvass
ing the school districts and thus
every farmer will be approached.
No southern man should stand
idly by and see his section robbed
of millions of dollars which docs not
inure to the benefit of the spinner
but to the benefit Of Wall street
spectators.
"A similar campaign is being
waged in every cotton producing
state in the south. This is a fight
of producer against speculator and
we must and will win.
Concerning the cotton crop of
Richland county and Of tho state
generally, Mr.. Weston continued:
You have asked me for an expla-
nation Of my opinion Of the cotton
crop Of this county. / am largely
interested in farming and l am
probably the largest owner of agri-
cultural lands in this county, and /
am also connected with one of the
largest banks of the city, which
gives me an excellent opportunity
of being brought in contact With
the farmer. =
This years. cotton crop has been
one Of the most disastrous to tho
farmer Of the county in this respect.
We had abundant moisture and our
people fertilized very heavily, there
by giving us very large weed. But
we realize now that our cotton crop
will not reach two-thirds Of what it
was last year.
This time last year it was really
a favor to get bale of cotton GIN
ned, but it now requires only one
or twp days in the week to meet
the present demands.
We have practically completed
the harvest OF our cotton crop and
there is only left in the field to be
gathered that which is commonly
known as s. rap cotton, WHICH is
very thin anu light.
This shortage is practically ex-
planned by the fact that freezing
weather caught a large number of
bolls in a very unmatured state and
full Of moisture, and Of course these
bolls will not open.
| One of my plantations last year
on 120 acres / made 130 "ales Of
cotton. On this plantation had
| planted this veor on ocres h,t for