Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-09-27
JORDAN ADVISES FARMERS
70 Mold Tor I Cents--O Outlook Is Now En-.
couraglna.

Asheville, the following from the pen of
Hon. Harvie Jordan will probably be
read with attention:
The executive committee of the
Southern Cotton Association held its
meeting at Asheville, N. c., last week,
and the question of fixing a minimum
price of this crop was the matter OF
geatest interest to the people and coun.
try at large. The eyes of the whole cot
ton world we're conferred on Asheville
during the sixth and seventh days OF
September while the executive commit
tee was in session
long and tedious deliberation was IL
cents, basis middlug, at all interior
points in the South. The condition of
the crop up to August 25th was found to
be 1903 per cent as compared with a
condition tf 81 per cent for the same
period year ago. The estimated yield
of the crop as reported by over $4,000
correspondents from all the cotton grow
ing counties indicated yield this sea-
son of 0,5SS, 1873 bales, as compared with
a crop of l3,6OO, 900 bales last year. Let
ters from farmers all over the belt ad.
vised minin um price ALI the way from
no cents to l2i cents, some figuring as
high as 10 cents. But the final result
was IL cents, and farmers all over the
South will be expected to stand firmly
together this fall and winter to maintain
that price. BY the determined effort
prices can be forced up above IL cents
later on and farmers should determine
NOW to move their crops slowly aud not
rush the market. The only way we can
secure and maintain our price is to re-
fuse to sell for less aud make the buyers
come to our figures. If cotton is thrown
on the market and sold anyway, it will
he difficult to force prices up until much
later in the season. Let those who are
:able and can hold back do SO, aud thereby
Fhelp those who are forced to sell to meet
their maturing debts and obligations
with the supply merchants and guano
dealers. Bankers will DO glad to ad-
vance from to 8 cents pound on cot.
ton in storage and thus assist in tinano-
ing the situation. We are up against
hard fight, but it will be easier to get IL
cents for small crop than 10 cents for a
l3,OOO,OOO bale crop.
We are now we'll entrenched, with
plenty of ammunition in the shape of
corn aud meat, our banks have plenty of
money, the enemy is in retreat, and if we
don't whip this fight aud force the price
of cotton to above IL cents, then the
farmers of the South ought to have a
guardian appointed to look after their
business interests. The mills of the
world have taken a crop of l3,60O, 900
bales of American cotton during the last
twelve months, at an average price of 8
cents per pound. There will be no check
in consumption during the next twelve
months. The price of cotton goods is
very high and going still higher. The
whole civilized world is in prosperous
condition and it unreasonable to say that
tthe farmers should not this season re-
sceive an average of IL cents per pound
for crop of cotton now estimated to be
mnder ten million bales. All you have
gcL to do is to stand pat for your price,
refuse to sell under IL cents and tho mar
&et will soon dvance to that figure. If
much cotton is offered under 1 cents, as
a matter of course, the market can be
depressed and held down.
The cotton agent of the Farmers Edu-
,catonal and Co-Operative Union of
Texas was with us Asheville and took
part in the secret sessions of the execu-
tive committee. He came as the repre-
sentative of the union and assisted in
fixing tho price at III cents, saying that
such price would be acceptable to the
300, 900 members of the union We can
now depend upon the effective co-opera-
r.ion of all the members of tho union, as
the new president of the union, Mr.. Cal
win, of Paris, Tex, has written me en-
.couraging cooperation to more COM
plctely win out in the fight ahead. We
also have pledged the active cooperation
of the membership of the American So
.cie:y Of Equity and the Farmers ALI
-ance of North Carolina in enforcing the
demand for the minimum price of IL
cents. This makes the position of the
producers almost impregnable, and with
all of these powerful farmers organiZa-
uions working in harmony for mutual
protection, feel safe in saying that the
fight can and will DO easily whipped.
There will be no misunderstanding
among these organizations this season on
this matter. We will all work in har-
mony together, and a knowledge of that
fact ought to be most encouraging. If
the Farmers Union wanted one price
and the S. G.. A. another, there would be