Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1905-03-02
Planter, uroed to Stand Firm.

The committee appointed last week
by tho Mississippi State Cotton Con-
vention to issue an address to the
cotton planters Of that State. gave out
the following;
Tho Mississippi organization Of
the Southern Cotton Association in
yitcs your attention to the necessity
and method Of organized efforts on
the part Of those affected BY cotton
production.
The South. IL its opportunities are
properly utilized, will become the
most favored and prosperous agricul-
tural part Of the earth. Climate, soil
and seasons give 1t a practical monop-
oily Of one OF the worlds most needed
products-otton. During the four
years OF our civil war. when the price
Of cotton reached about 81 q pound,
and ever since, especially when prices
were high, all other parts OF the earth
e~ndeavored TO deprive us OF our SUI
premacy, but only about a fifth Of the
total yield. which does not appreciably
Nat RAh&tH 20 hh'h IL az
tainment. BY proper regulations,
limiting the amount Of cotton raised
to what will command a remunera.
tive price. by increasing consumption.
by cutting OF all avoidable expense of
Intermediary handling. and by judi
cious marketing. the land and labor
employed in cotton production can be
made the most profitable of the world.
All OF this can be certainly accom-
plished by sensible and well organ
lied effort. The cotton manufacture
ers OF all countries are combining into
one association. which will act
through one set Of buyers and utterly
destroy competition. BY organization
cotton producers can treat directly
with this organized body, discussing
conditions, agreeing on prices that will
be permanently remunerative TO both,
ending gambling in futures and artih-
cial fluctuations OF values.
"A crop Of 10000, 900 or 1 10000. 900
bales Is now worth 500. 600, 900 more
thar a crop OF 100000 bales. Had
one-sixth OF the time employed in pro-
ducing this crop been spent in idle
ness, cotton producers would have
been more than slOO. 900, 900 the gain
ers. Industry should never be pun.
ished, nor Ia II. when properly direct
ed. nor should idleness be encouraged.
II. instead of spending one-sixth of the
time IN ~idleness, the producers OF the
South had devoted that proportion Of
thei energy. labor and capital to 9TH
er and diversified crops-corn, forage.
trucking, live stock, etc.-our section
would have beer more than 5000, o00,-
goo the net gamer. This proposition
Is manifest to all well informed peo-
pie who give the subject thought.
Some contend that scent cotton is
better than l0-cent value, but this is
a delusion, unless poverty for cotton
producers and a starvation scale Of
wages and living constitutes a public
good.
"Mississippi's present crop Is esti.
mated at 1900. 900 bales. An advance
or l cent per pound. s. per bale.
means S7.500.0 900 brought into our Dor
ders. chiefly from England-a larger
amount than is needed to pay all
State. county and other taxations. An
advance OF 4 cents per pound on a
1000. 0 bale crop meal $40, 000, 900
brought to us from the outside world.
and so evenly distributed that not a
man. woman or child in our borders
would not be immensely the gamer
With just prices for cotton the wealth
OF our State could be soon doubled
and its prosperity become unsur-
passed.
Organization will certainly attain
all OF this. and is no more difficult
than were the formation OF the coal
miners, locomotive engineers and 9th.
err unions which are now in success.
full operation.
Gu plan OF organization, promul-
gated at the New Orleans convention.
ratified at the precincts on February
ii, at the county conventions on Feb
ruary 16 and at the State convention
on February 81 is modelled after our
system OF civil government. Those
engaged In cotton raising and in al.
lied industries associate themselves
together by signing petitions and a
ing dues. Each supervisors district
organizes by election OF officers sim,
liar to those of county and State or.
ganizations, through which they act
by reduction of acreage and of fer
tilizers the world will be convinced
that the South knows and will uphold
It's W interests. AS Vol as this is
made manifest by reliable reports OF
the crop planted, there will be a sub,
stantial and permanent advance in the
price Of cotton. II those holding cot.
ton. who are able to do so. will con,
tinue to cooperate and to stand shout
der to shoulder until 1t is definitely
known that the proposed reduction
has been actually made, and then mar,
ket that cotton in the manner com
mended by our organization. the price
will further advance permanently
By organized effort a surplus will
rarely and can then be handled
by u organization. when successfully
launched. without any depreciation OF
price.
'E. F. NOEL,
-. C. HARDY,
an. B. CRAWFORD