Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-12-06
WESTON WRITES TO FARMERS.
What tho Southern Cotton Association Has
Done Tor the Southern Farmers.

To the farmers of South Carolina
In the absence of our State Presi-
dent, T.. ID. Smith, who is now can
vassing Texas in the interest of the
Southern Cotton Association, de-
sire to say few words to you in
reference to the appeal that has re-
Gently been made to you by the CEN
tral office, at Atlanta, to hold your
cotton for higher prices. Let me re-
mind you that in every instance in
which the association has joined is-
sues with those who were fighting
to secure your cotton at their prices
you have won a brilliant victory. The
same people who are now urging you
to part with your cotton predicted
that ten cents would not be secured
as demanded by the New Orleans
Convention for the cotton held in
the South. BY unity of action and
taking the advice of the Association,
in the face Of fourteen million bale
crop you secured ten cents for your
cotton. When you were appealed
to to reduce your acreage and fertili.
zers it was predicted by the same
crowd that you would be treacherous
towards each other and increase both
acreage and fertilizers. This slander
upon the Southern farmers was dis
posed of by the government report
on acreage. When those that you
intrusted with your interest were
convinced that the Department Of
Agriculture was being used to your
detriment, and we felt it our duty to
attack it, we were ridiculed and
jeered at; nevertheless we proved
beyond doubt every accusation we
made against the department, and
showed it to be thoroughly rotten.
When our estimate of the crop for
1905 was made, and in view of the
short crop, we asked that the farmers
be paid minimum price of II cents
for their cotton, you heard on all
sides that this was too much yet
throughout the South that price has
been paid. The estimate of the As
sociation has again been confirmed
by the ginners' report, which has just
been issued. If the spinners of the
world are now made to pay more for
their cotton whose fault is itp They
had ample opportunity to 90 into the
market and buy at IL cents, yet they
preferred to believe the predictions
of Theodore Price, and campaign
was inaugurated which had for its
object the stampeding of the farmers
of the South. All reports confirm
the Association that cotton is worth
more than IL cents and in the near
future will bring more than IL cents.
The question is simply this:
Who shall get The benefit of this
advanced price2 We appeal to you
to sign the pledges that have been
sent out and stand by the association
in this fight. All this talk of Grip
pling and running the manufacturing
interests is veritable bosh. If the
manufacturer has to pay more for
his raw material he will receive more
for his finished product, unless that
finished product is higher than some
other article which can be substi-
tuted for it's use. Wool, linen and
silk are the competitors of cotton
goods and there is long distance
between those articles and cotton
goods, where the raw material would
not cost the spinner more than 124
cents if he has to pay Is cents for
the cotton now in the hands of the
farmers. Those who have seen fit
to consistently and persistently ad-
wise the farmers to turn loose their
cotton for prices less than those
fixed by the association must now
answer the individuals and the South
who has been despoiled of millions
of dollars while following their ad-
vice. The Southern Cotton Asso-
citation wishes to fix staple price
for cotton; this can only be accom-
plished by the spinner dealing direct
with the association. We stand
ready to meet the spinners whenever
they desire it. Stand by the asso-
citation; it has never advised you to
do anything contrary to your inter-
est; ignore the advice of those who
have only brought loss to you and
you will aid in returning to the
Southland millions of dollars of
which she has been uniustly
robbed. 1t must be demonstrated to
the world that the producers propose
to fix the price of their cotton. /
appeal to the Jealous, intelligent and
patriotic county officers and the rank
and file throughout this State to
carry on this fight with all the zeal
and energy that you are capable of.
We are not responsible for this fight
we entered into it for the purpose of
protecting our cotton, the price of