The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-11-24
SECRETARY WESTON
SAYS HOLD FOR Is CENTS
HE PREDICTS YET HIGHER
PRICES FORCOTTON.
II the Manufacturers Refused to Pay
II Cents When they Could Have
Gotten the Staple at That
Price They Must Take t.
Consequences. ,.- =

Columbia, November 22.-Mr.. F.
. II. Weston, who is now in charge of
the office of the South Carolina Cot
ton Growers association, while Pres
ident E. D. Smith is out in Texas
pushing the fight and getting the work
planned for next year, has given out
an important card to the press of the
State, which ought to be of especial
: interest. He writes as. follows:
To the Farmers of South Carolina :
In the absence of our State, president,
Mr.. E. D. Smith, who is now can
vassing Texas in the interest Of the
i Southern Cotton accusation, I de-
sire to say few words to you in ref
erence to the appeal that has recent
1y been made to you by the central
Office, at Atlanta, TO hold your cotton
FOR higher prices. Let me remind you
that in every instance in which the
association has joined issues 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 de-
manded by the New Orleans conven-
ton for the action and taking the ad-
vice Of the association, in the face Of
fourteen million bale crop you Sc
cured ten cents for your cotton.
When you were appealed to reduce
your acreage and fertilizers :. it was
predicted by the same crowd that you
would be treacherous towards each
other and increase both acreage and
fertilizers. This SANDER upon the
Southern farmers was disposed 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 1t, we were
riid6iculed and jeered at: nevertheless
we proved beyond doubt every aeon
sation we made against the depart
ment, 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 erninirnuan price Of
II cents for their cotton, you heard on
all sides that this was too much; yet
throughout the Soutf, 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
= 9rld are now made to pay more for
:ae;r cotton whose fault is it? They
mad ample opportunity to go into the
market and buy at II cents, yet they
preferred to believe the predictions Of
Theodore Price, and campaign was
inaugurated which had for its object
the stanlpeding Of the farmers of the
South. All reports confirm the Asso-
cation that cotton is worth more than
:: cents and in the near future will
bring more than II cents. The ques-
tion is simply this: Who shall get
The benefit Of this advanced price?
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 crippling and running the man
11iacturing interests is veritable botch.
II the manufacturer has to pay more
:or his raw material he will receive
more for his finished product, unless
that finished product is higher than
some other article which can be sub
stituted for its use. Wool. linen and
silk are the competitors Of cotton
goods and there is long distance be-
tween those articles and cotton goods,
where the raw material would not
cost the spinner more than 12 21-2
cents; if he has to pay IS cents for the