The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-01-21
TIE QUESTION OF
COTTON ACREAGE.
. x 3 4: Z q :; S & Z; e & Z Z
New Orleans states)

Having in mind the results Of some
past efforts to secure a reauctioh VI
the cotton acreage in the South, the
Montgomery Advertiser points a moral
and adorns a tale in the following
way:
"Orce upon a time, as the story
goes. the king did something which
nfeased the owners and keepers OF the
VINEYARDS round about in his kingdom
Word went out among them that on
certain day were to assemble,
each bringing with him cupful OF the
hest wine from his best vintage ana
deposit il in a cask to be presenter
to their sovereign as token OF TIER
esteem aad incidentally TO tickle ms
palate. One husbandman thought
that in a whole cask OF wine one cup
of water would not be detected, anu
so he put water in for his portion,
keeping his good old wine. The cask
being filled was duly sealed. and with
much ceremony delivered to the king;
When it was opened it was discovered
that the cask contained nothing but
water Every contributor had
shrewdly. as he thought, come TO the
same conclusion, that just one cup
of water would not be detected. Then
the king went out and had all OF their
heads chopped of!
This story comes to mind in view
of the proposition to cut down the cot
ton crop. 1t is feared that when tins
impression gets pretty well soaked in
that the farmers are really going to
curtail the crop there will be a wide
spread temptation TO doge back and
plant Just a 'leetle" more cotton. The
moral of the story is obvious. King
Cotton will chop some heads off II
they make that mistake
It is quite certain. as the Adver-
tiser says. that in the event the farm
ers attempt to play it fine" on each
other the result will be another bump
er crop and low prices next year which
will cause all Of them 10 suffer. But
it seems to us that the proposition to
get better prices for cotton by Teduc-
ing the acreage should appeal ire
sistibly to the good sense of the farm
ers, and that no serious difficulty
should be encountered in carrying
out the plan in all fairness and hon
esty. This can be done through the
organization of the farmers in every
county in the entire cotton belt and
agreement as to the acreage TO be
planted by them. to be followd by the
appointment of officials of the Organi-
cation, whose business it will be to see
that none of the parties to the agree
ment violate it. Through Organiza-
ton by counties each farmer will
know exactly how many acres his
'neighbors have planted in cotton. and
it will be impossible for any one Of
them to plant more acres than were
agreed upon without the fact being
known to the others. The average
man is naturally honest and will not
violate a compact with his friends
and neighbors in which his word and
honor are involved more especial when
he knows that concealment of his
bad faith is impossible. At any rate.
the reduction of cotton acreage is be-
yond a doubt the most practical way
to secure reasonable prices for the
crop produced. and it is to the
interest of the farmers of the South
to organize for that purpose and act
together. Their recent experience
certainly points the wisdom of such
course.