The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-05-10
Farmers Gaining knowledge.

The cotton farmer has learned more
about the business side of his farming
during the last two years than he
learned in decade before.
The farmer has learned within the
that he can control prices of his pro-
ducts by organized efforts just about
as we'll as Gny other organization can
control prices of any other product.
The farmers generally have begun
to learn that, in order to meet an or
ganized combination against their in
terest, that they must organize them
much by just standing around talking.
All cotton farmers know now that
when cotton dropped from 10 to cents
that holding cotton off the market
brought prices back up above cents,
and that il cotton growers had then
been organized and in shape to have
retained the surplus cotton and all held
up TO the profitable price-ten cents
again. Who is it that does not now
know that turning too much cotton
loosn around at eight cents is what
brought prices do%D again around
seven cents9
All this dear experience ought to
bring cotton otto, grower; ea,;p up . to the point
and know that, It the, ever expect to
succeed in this thing, that they must
nave concert OF so,':H, concentrate
their cotton and put .Sair best and
most trustworthy business men in
charge Of their cotton.
The up-to- date cotton farmer knows
well that all the cotton buyers get
territory, set prices in the traps on the
streets in the cotton towns and hire q
| few cotton liars to mind these traps,
and that about the only way to avoid
these we'll laid plans is for cotton
| growers to come together and By con-
cert OF action haul their cotton direct
fron the gins TO their farms or ware
You nust stop walking right into these
traps. Most all animals, excepting
aOme cotton growers, have sense
enough to quit tramplng over ground
where there is traps cot for them.
| 1t has been said that farmers haven't
got sense enough to stand up against
organized buoiness men. Well, as an
uuOrganized body there is truth in
| this, but il the farmer will do like the
cotton buyers, organize and put their
| cotton selling business in the hands of
their best men, the buyer cannot get the
cotton without coming to the terms of
the producers. 49,.
AeiS WAS tiuo Wueu tuo SOutueiu
/ farmer produced almost everything he
needed at home. Then he did not
nced much concert of action or organi-
4 Zation- He simply owned and con-.
| trolled, his own little dominlon;. but
now the Southern cotton grower has
| caught on to this progressive age and
/ entered into the new era OF CONNER
literally buys everything used on his
/ farm, or that enters into his business
except his land, brain and muscle, and
1 the crOpper and tenant literally buy
everything he uses except his muscle
and brain, and if the latter was not
i used at all in his business about nine
out of ten Of these people would be
any common fool ought to know that
there is absolutely no chance in the
business world for the common farmer
l who has not the crudest or most remote
idea Of business. Especially is this
l true OF the common lien law negro,
who holds the landowner in one hand
and bis snpply man or merchant in the
i puts other mems land and other mems
euppiies and property into the hands Of
/ Ignorant men who have no property or
anything elee to show that they have
business sense enough to- run an old
hen and chickens. All this reckless.
Wild and nnWise lien law system must
be changed. Men who own the cotton
lands and the merchants and supply.
men must come together and manage
this cotton business; the Lien Law muRt
j go and another law muet take its place
/ that Will force the man that owns the
lands and the man that does the sup
ply. bnsfnsss to cooperate and control
their own property. The fools that
now control the situation must be con-
lad 10 rSf n "a