The leader., 1905-02-08
The Cotton Farmers Will Stand TO.
gether.

/ 1ta& NWteUat toAMGt1 visa SeMttu ~
gether.
Editor Leader: AS It Is cold
/ weather yet, and our health vii
mot permit us to get out among
Jour people very much, and we die
mot get to go to the New Orleans
convention as we much desired tc
lido, that we might have been bene.
fitted hy mingling with and listen,
ling to that noble body of South,
ern manhood, now permit US to
lsay through your columns that we
are III hearty accord with every
forward movement that they made
lduring those three days that they
SO faithfully spent in the service
lof their countryss people; and
that every true Southern citizen,
regardless of race, color or voca.
ltion, ought to, and will, fall in line
to carry out the resolutions adopt
ed by them. Never before have
we, the people of the South, had
such an opportunity for organic
ing ourselves together for the
good of our country and each 9TH
| er. Our interest is almost com.
mon in this problem that we are
now facing, and we have the ut
most confidence in our Southern
Ichiyalry. 1t is true that we may
expect in this as we'll as in all
great moves or problems that
there viii be some faint-hearted,
narrow minded, distrustful people
who are ready to criticize or ex-
press q doubt as to the sincerity
lof some classes of our South land
| people. We doubt not but that
| all, both farmers, merchants,
bankers, editors, laborers of all
kinds have some Benedict Ar.
nolds in their ranks; but the ma.
ior part of all, by a large major.
lity Is that same Southern blood
lso nobly manifest in both whites
and blacks IN the sixties, to stano
flor home and home interest,
Though it sacrificed even life.
Now we haven't seen very many
lof our people down here, yet w
have seen some merchants anc
farmers, both white and black,
land talked TO them on the subject
| of Che, Cotton Growers ConVen.
tion, and must say We hayen't
heard one, either white or black,
but that expressed himself fully
IN harmony with the movement,
and that they would conform tc
1.-THE resolutions adopted by sale
conVention. One negro, and !
good farmer he is, said to me:
/ have known all the time that il
was wrong to make all cotton ano
buy corn and meat and horses,
but every body else was doing it,
so | had to do like the rest. :
Nov he said be is anxious fol
evely body with him, to reduce
their cotton crop not less thar
lone-fourth. Now / think we,
1.-THE white farmers, ought to leac
1.-THE fight, and encourage the Negro
| to follow our example, and they
will follow almost to a man. Lei
1.-THE white farmers talk good sense
and act accordingly and the neglt
will be no trouble to manage.
We hope every body will 60 tc
their precinct meeting and get il
lime By organizing, as proposed
lby the convention. It is thu
thing to do; not that / believe
there is an over production of cot
lt0n, or even the amount that il
claimed to be made this time, bu1
There is need of cooperation be-
Tween the producer and consumer,
We need TO know what each 9th
Ier's necessities are, and we espec
Tally need to get rid of the specu
llator who is controlling tie prices
Iof our cotton, for their own bene
LIT at our expense. We need also
Ito reduce our acreage unborn, not
lalone because the prices will b
lbetter, but that we may raise oul
own entire living right here al
Ihone in our own country, and bg
the most independent people Of