Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-02
REFORMS MAIN ISSUE
Southern Cotton Men Will Make Demands on Congress.
WANT JUST AND ACCURATE RETURNS
Cotton Association Chiefs Declare That Punishment of Cotton Leak Grafters Is Secondary Con.
 alteration.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2.-President
 Jordan and Secretary Cheatham of the
 Southern Cotton association have is-
 sued a statement addressed to the
 members of the association calling at-
 tention to the recent disclosures in the
 cotton statistical work in. the depart
 ment of agriculture. declaring that ef-
 forts are being made to divert atten-
 ton from the deficiencies of the sys-
 tenn itself, ito the thieving propensities
 of few unworthy of1cials' and set
 ting forth demands to be made on con
 gross to reform conditions. The state
 ment in part follows:
 The members of the association
 have been apprised through the public
 press from day to day of the work
 done by the officers of the association
 at Washington. As result of their charges the unreliability of the reports of the department of agriculture relat- ing to the cotton crop has been fully disclosed. and the maladministration of that department under its present head has been made evident.
 Following these exposures efforts are now being made to divert public attention from the main issue, which is the imperfections of the department. toward an attempted prosecution of anybody who can be found as scape- goat. Their punishment. even if it Is a n1 tch hAd ic nf Ia {vVrv tance as compared with the reforma- ton of the system which has made their performances possible, and tho purpose of this address is to secure the cooperation of the members of this association in influencing in every le- gitimate way reformation of the sys- tenn and reorganization of the de pertinent.
 The membership of this association, numbering nearly 100000, includes the producers of the most valuable product of American agriculture. The cotton crop of the United States and its byproducts is worth between $6OO.- 100000 and $7OO.O00,OO0 annually It furnishes two-thirds of our annual trade balance and in its production and manufacture employs many million in- dividuals. No other product of the United States is of greater or of equal importance. The practical monopoly of cotton which America enjoys and the narrow balance which has existed for years between suficiency and scar. city in the worlds cotton supply rem der the cotton market peculiarly and acutely susceptible to the reports of the department of agriculture regard ing the condition and prospects of the cotton crop. Under the present cir. great duty devolves upon the members of the association. We ars less concerned with what has been done by few individuals and the thereof. regrettable as they may be. than with such reforma. ton of departmental methods as shall secure for us just and accurate reports h the future.
 That there have been for years leaks in the department is as we'll known to the trade az the existence of the department itself. But these arc Insignificant as compared with the mismanagement. At this time. however. there is a manifest en. 1eavor to divert attention from tho radical errors and deficiencies of the department itself to the thieving pro- pensities of few unworthy oflcials. Let us not be misled by any such mis- iirected energy. Let us reform at the top and not on the side. Let us root put the offenders, cleanse the person. ,el, change the methods and renovate he department from root to branch. Then the cause of cotton and good government will alike be served in fashion"