The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-10-31
STATE SECRETARY
DELIVERS ADDRESS
COUNTY COTTON ASSOCIA-
TON MET ON SATURDAY.
Gratifying Interest Noted-Large At
tendance-President Smith Could
Attend.

The county cotton association held
a meeting in the court house on Sat
urday. The attendance was very good
and much interest seemed manifest
ed on the part of the farmers present.
The disposition of the average farmer
is to sell his cotton when the market
goes down, and to hold it when it
goes up. Inasmuch as the market has
tended upwards in the last few days,
it is probable that good many farm
ers have felt encouraged to stand for
the minimum price as fixed by the
Southern cotton association. This
may account for the large attendance
and the interest in the meeting on
Saturday; or it may be that the farm
ers were expecting President E. D.
Smith of the state association to be
present, and make an address as had
been advertised, or, it may be that they
have at last realized that they are
masters OF the situation if they but
stand together. At any rate it was
gratifying to note the interest in the
meeting.
1t was impossible for MI. Smith to
get here inasmuch as he had been Or
dered to Texas. Mr.. F. H. Weston,
the secretary of the state association
was present, however, and made a
most excellent talk.
The meeting was called to order by
President R. 7. C. Hunter who intro
duced MI. Joseph L. Keitr. Mr..
Keitt gave a brief history of the Or
ganization of the farmers, and advised
them to organize and stand firm by
the organization and told them that
by so doing they could secure price
for their product which would give
them not only, the cost of production,
but a reasonable profit, and as good
business men, they should not expect
anything less.
President Hunter then presented
Hon. F. H. Weston, the secretary of
the state association. He spoke for
about an hour, urging the farmers 20
stand up to the Southern cotton as
sociation, and giving his reasons for
the position that he took in strong and
forcible language.
He began his address by regretting
the absence of Mr.. Smith, and stated
that they had been disappointed in the
action of some of the Texas farmers,
and that MI. Smith and Mr. Jordan
had been ordered to Texas to talk to
the farmers out there, and to explain
to them the folly of forcing their COT
ton on the market at this time. thus
weakening the influence of the South
ern cotton association in securing the
minimum price which had been fixed
by the association.
Mr.. Weston said it was scarcely
necessary to speak of the history of
the association as that was still fresh
in the memory of all present.
He said that high priced cotton
meant prosperity to the south. Every
vocation in the south was dependent
on the cotton business. Last year
when disaster threatened the south,
convention of southern cotton grow
ers and men in every business in the
south was held in New Orleans. There
was no politics in this convention. 1t
was a meeting of the southern people
in the growth and develop
ment of the south, and the only cre-
dentials required for admission to this
convention were that you were pa
triotic southern man. 1t was a busi-
ness organization. AS result of this
convention, disaster which threatened
the south was averted, and in the face
of a fourteen million bale crop, the
price of cotton was forced from six
and seven cents to ten cents, because