Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-03-01
MERCHANTS URGED TO HELP CAUSE.
In Sixty Days South VIII Become Independent,
Says E. D. Smith.
Tho State. February 25. |


The affairs of the cotton farmers of
the South are in critical condition just
now., e. d. Smith, President of tho
South Carolina Cotton Association, said
yesterday that if the next sixty days can
be tided over the fight will be won. The
farmers are organized and will stick.
The thing now necessary is for the mer-
chants to stand by the farmers.
This is not a movement of the farmers
alone, he says, but of the whole South
ern people. 1t will bring into the South
millions of dollars which will be dis
tributed and will benefit all the people.
Therefore it is to the interest of the
Southern merchant to advance to the
farmer, even if the latter has not sold
his last years crop and is holding for an
advance. To force this cotton on the
market would be suicidal to the interests
of the people of the South. He there
fore begs the merchants to make al
yances from their stores to the farmers
who are still holding cotton. The mer-
chant may secure indemnity by having
the cotton insured and placed in ware
house in such a way that he will get out
of it all that the farmer owes him when
the cotton is eventually put up for sale.
Another matter to which Mr.. Smith
called attention yesterday is the misun-
derstanding which prevails in regard to
the reduction in the use of fertilizers.
He declared that it would be an unusual
mode of procedure to agree arbitrarily
to reduce the amount of fertilizer used
and then to ask the fertilizer people for
a contribution with which to cripple
their own interests temporarily. The
spirit of that clause in the constitution
is that the amount of fertilizers to be
used in the production of cotton will b,
the same per acre as it was last year, and
a reduction of 25 per cent in the acreage
of cotton would thus mean reduction
of 25 per cent in the amount of fertilizer
used to produce cotton.
1t is against the policy of the associa-
ton to use on 70 per cent of ground the
same amount of fertilizer as was dis
tributed over 100 per cent OF ground last
year, for this would mean in the end no
reduction in the yield OF cotton. But
with the 25 per cent of land not used for
the cultivation of cotton, the farmer
might raise corn, wheat forage grasses
would require even more fertilization
than cotto, "Movc the smoke-houses
from st. I is to South Carolina" is Mr..
Smiths kim. Use the forage plants
to fatten hogs and cattle and raise poul-
try and eggs. Just yesterday he saw
farmer in his section, who is holding 90
bales of cotton, drive up to the railroad
station and buy corn from the store
keeper at so cents bushel. That is
what is the matter with the South to-
day, he said. The farmers do not raise
their own provisions and with cotton
which they sell for @ cents try to buy
corn-which they could raise for half
what they pay for it-and fatteu hogs for
which they pay 10 cents pound in the
form of bacon. .
Mr.. Smiths Address.
The following address was issued yes
terday by President Smith of the South
Carolina Cotton Association:
TO the People of the State who are In
terested in the Southern Cotton Associa-
ton: In view of the numerous inquiries
that have come TO me by those who are
holding spot cotton as to what method
they can secure loan on their cotton to
meet their pressing necessities, call on
the several county organizations to ap-
point committee consisting of their
chairman and three other members to
see their local bankers at once and ar
range plans by which those needing the
money can secure loan on their cotton.
1t is needless for me to emphasize the
urgent importance of this step. The
three cardinal principles in our fight are
as follows: The reduction of acreage,
reduction of fertilizer and holding spot
cotton. Already the price of cotton has
advanced $3.50 per bale since the New
Orleans convention. Had it not been for
this organization and the hopo that it
inspired, cotton would have flooded the
market at the disastrously low prices
prevailing month ago and the South
would have lost between $50,0O0,OOO and
500. 100000
If the local banks and the farmers,
who are able to and the merchants In
their local organizations, will pool their
interests and stand together at this acute
crisis, the fight is won. 1 am in posi-
ton to know, but cannot give the names
of the parties furnishing me the informa-
tion; that the world is needing cotton
more than we are needing to sell; that
Liverpool has not received one-fifth of
the cotton that has been exported.
| Eighty per cent of that exported in Janu-
ary and. February has gone to Russia;
| very little to Manchester. The stocks In
all foreign centres are short, In all foreign
and domestic mills they are short, aud it
| is only question of holding together to
secure good price for our cotton.
would like to state further that If no