The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-01-25
BROTHER BOB
COMES AGAIN.
The Law OfSupply andD
mand Controls.
A STRONG ARGUMENT
Does Not Think Much Of the Ginners'
Reports Nor Any Others for a
Big Crop.

much cotton it sells for twelve and fif-
teen CENTS" Should have read, "When
we make TOO much cotton 1t sells for
five and ak cents; when we make too
little cotton 1t sells for twelve and IF
teen cents" L call attention to this,
first because it is slam on Brother
sam; secondly, it mystifies my theory
and criples my argument. 1t has been
my theory all the while tina. the price
of cotton, like the price OF corn, wheat,
peas or pumpkins is based on the law
OF supply and demand. Men who have
not the disposition or time to think
may tell you that it is all speculation
that forces the price Of cotton up or
down. But this is the merest flap
doodle. Many farmers to-day are boil
ing over with rage at the bears for de-
pressing the price of cotton. They look
upon the bear as peculiar species of
Varmint whose whole stock in trade Is
nate toward the farmer, while the bull
is supposed to be of a loving, generous
disposition. When, in truth, the only
oilference between the two consists in
their opinion as to the status of the
supply and demand of the cotton of the
world. Tkey are in the business for
the sole purpose of making money by
speculation, and bull this season may
be bear the next, and vice versa. 1t
all depends on what will be their opin.
ion OF the status. OF course after they
have entered the fight and put up their
money they will stand to their guns or
llso the game. 1t is true under the
pressure OF battle one or the other
side may be able to force prices too
high or too low in the mad rush for
conquest, but in either case they are in
Imminent danger Of financial collapse,
They must and wi | stick as close to the
price Justified by the law of supply and
demard as they know how, otherwise
they jsopardiza their financial inter-
ests. Sully wls bull last season be-
cause he knew the supply and demand
justified higher prices than the early
season had quoted With the millions
to back him he tossed the price on
ward and upward till he got it too high
the pendulum was swung too far,
He was unable to hold it there. 1t came
back with crash and "busted" him
into smithereens. This season he is n
bear, not that he hates the producers
more nor that he loves the consumers
at all; but that he thought that the
supply and demand justified lower
prices than the opening quotations
presented, When they push the pen
dulum too far the other way it will
swing back and crush them into lib.
lets. No bear movement can long hold
down prices when the supply is not
equal to the demand. ! here are plenty
OF men with money and speculation
proclivities enough to crush them un-
der. On the other hand, when the sup.
ply exceeds the domand, vice versa.
These spectators are not in the busi--
ness for fun nor to harm or befriend
any class of men. They are in it to
make money and they get on the side,
that in their Judgment, the supply and
demand justiiios.
wv Cn,.'"S ''o'' Vhe'e COTTON re-
fOi'' Ai'n 'u'S very S'iiall hgnre
n"'' Nv" o". "i'h INC oiu es'
l'' p'''" "''" SUI ~ was always 100
sO' up o"o Vi our o"n--the
e iopo' Gnu ''Ne" ~ ''he tl'l we
n,", So S,op an" NO" los too
nen' y toi' VNe 'r"'" NO system OF
so""h " give re'iel 10 Che
I's"a',o" . ~ .no '"'' VI p" bumper CROP
~ a,'; NV o""p 'o' 'no "hoie
eNo' warming 100
..;n ' '>',o"' h"' - coming
w., nu.; - A"o oo'iis yi'" ~ 70 'oo is'e'
no 'o1''lN' '"e vi circumstance
.'e v"o "l"'No Siake'up
oou w. "so' 'o"n '''''V"' VIC VIII
- ~ 49,, i'l C''o P'o'oNV' anu u's WIG
.hN:' - 49, =" " '"V''oi '0NoVy louse'
'i,''o'' 'I,'''"s "', "''riiou oh'
,,o,, we, ~ 80 INV" man
.Mah W ,,oi.l,,r ~ tomo, y w Nu." w. nuou' sn
% ~ d., 'oo%'"s 1',.'''.',, io,,o" "' nave heo'
tn,nan, r. % ,ta .,, ~ ~ '.', :" 81 y! % Gun
W. w, p"'V " VIZ o''' So'"con hihSeiI'
w hVH VIC S"''uNu udhe SoU III a. weaving