The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-02-24
"UNITED WE STAND;
DIVIDED WE FALL"
HON. J. A. SLIGH TO THE COT
TON PLANTERS,
A Strong Plea For Concerted Action
In Reducing the Cotton
Acreage This Year.

ty: 1He Undersigned mas OeeH 1e-
peatedly asked by friends and others
to write letter for publication IN the
county papers on the importance of
the farmers and other interested par
ties complying with the plan and
pledge devised and adopted by the
Southern Cotton association, held at
New Orleans sometime ago. lhls
will now endeavor to do, hoping that
the same may be a means OF accom-
plishing good.
The plan referred to may not be
altogethe1 to your liking but 1t is
feasible. and no one can doubt tor a
moment, if it is faithfully complied
with by the cotton growers OF the
South. that the result aimed at will
be accomplished. 1t is now too late
to talk of other plans, or Of amending
this one, as there must be uniformity
of action all along the line. It is
therefore this plan, or there can be
no concerted action. The only thing
now to do is to fall in and each one
do his best to make the movement
success.
The intention of the New Orleans
, association is to give immediate relief
to the cotton growers Of the south,
first, bv IS per cent. reduction IN
acreage on last years crop, and a
corresponding reduction in the use OF
commercial fertilizers; second, the
sale of no cotton for the present for
less than 10 cents per pound; third,
a combined effort on the part of all
interested parties, whether cotton
planters or not to withdraw from the
market at least 100000 bales and
carrv the some over to the next crop.
At the meeting of this general or
supreme association of the south, the
fact was fully recognized that the
cotton growers, in making this fight,
would need the assistance of the
southern people generally, and 1t
should be gratifying and encouraging
to the farmers to note that the SYM
pathy of bankers, merchants, manu-
faucturers and professional men have
been fully enlisted in this good cause,
and that they stand ready to COOP
crate with the farmers in this great
work
Now, the only way to accomplish
the results aimed at is by united et-
fort. The fight is a tremendous one,
and it will require almost, if not
solid front, standing shoulder to
shoulder, to win it. Only COM
paratively small proportion OF the
people of the world useing cotton
goods, etc., are benefited by high
priced cotton; all others do not share
in the profits made on cotton, and
they. therefore, want cheap cotton,
as this gives them cheap cotton
goods. This brings the fight between
the few that reside in the cotton
growing sections and the rest Of the
world
Every southern man should be
enlisted on the side of the cotton
growers; not excepting even those OF
the southern cotton mills. These
people may be benefited more in one
way by cheap cotton than high pr1c-
ed cotton. but notwithstanding this, it
seems that they, too, should fall in
line with others and assist IN this
great work. as a fair and renumera-
tive price for cotton help the entire
section of country where these mills
are erected.
The cotton crop of 1904 is more
by 100000 bale than thatrequiredby
consumption. Any one can see that
unless something is done to reduce
the crop of 1905, that these two mil
lion bales as a surplus brought over
and added to the crop of this year,
places the cotton grower at the mer
cy of the spectators, and means, per-
haps, less than five cents per pound
-