The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-02-17
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING
or the Farmers, Bankers and
Merchants and Mill Men Of
Union County

| Pursuant to q call made by
Messrs. A. Cole Lyles and John G.
Farr, meetings were held last Sat-
urday in each township and dele
gates elected to assemble in tho
court house at IL O'Clock Tuesday,
February II.
The following are the names of
the dcl"gatns:
Bogansvillc-G. Thos. Hyatt, l..
S. Stanford, Holland Lawson,
Cross Kcys-A. J. Bailey, P. B.
Bobo, H. B. Murphy, H. M. Bailey
Fishdam-A. G. Lylcs, G.. A.
Jeter, w. II. Jctcr, w. f. Ratch-
ford, J. S. Welsh.
Goshen Hill. NJ. Moblcy, Geo.
O. Huoy.
Jonesvillo-J. w. Scott, Banks
Fowler, John Johnson, G. B.
! Fowler, NJ. G. Gault.
Pinckncy-R. N. Gallman, J. D.
Hancock, A. G. Bentley, Geo.
Gault.
Santuck-A. w. Gilmore, D. J.
Gregory, M. B. Mcador,.
Union-J. G. Farr, l. S. Ivy, d.
G. Gregory, c. NJ. Bailey, J. J..
! Hughes.
Tuesday at II m. the meeting
! was called to order. A. C. Lyles
was chosen temporary chairman and
w. w. Cotton, secretary pro tenn.
Upon the call of the roll of dele
gates the chairman announced that
the next step to be taken was a per-
manent organization by the cleo
ton of a president, vicc-prcsident,
secretary and treasurer. A. G..
Lylcs was nominated and unani-
mously elected president, Capt. f.
M. Farr, vicc-president; w. w.
Cotton, secretary; J. G. Farr, treas
urcr.
After the organization was per-
fected the president introduced Mr..
S. D. Smith as the speaker of the
day. His talk was plain, good
common sense, and he became clo-
qucnt in his earnest advocacy of the
| proposed step he most desired the
farmers to take and about which he
came principally to talk to them
about, that is reduction of cotton
acreage and fertilizers. He said
without organization, cooperation
concert of action it was impossible
, to accomplish anything. He knew
and so did every farmer that here
tofore the farmers had not been Or
ganizcd, the grange and the alliance
had failed and it had been every
man for himself, and sec what you
have come to, but now he felt safe
in saying that the farmers were or
ganized and organizing.
He pictured in glowing terms the
future prosperity and independence
of the farmers Of the South, when
the day would come, and it was
surely coming that the farmer could
put price on his cotton as did the
merchant on his goods. That the
only way to do this was to make no
more than there was a demand for,
f., whenever there is surplus as there
is now, it means low price cotton,
and if tho farmers reduced the
acreage this year and only ten or
eleven million bales be made he
would insure them ten cents and
upwards for their cotton, and if the
farmers will hold what they now
have on hand, they will get 10 cents
for it by 18th July 1905.
J He urged the signing of the
pledge to reduce the acreage 25 per
cent. less than was planted last year,
and use 25 per cent. less fertilizer.
He says that the farmers who only
planted 8 acres to the mule last
year must also reduce in the same
proportion that is % per cent, be-
cause he will not be reducing any
more in proportion than the farmer
who planted 80 acres to the mule,
that the reduction must be made in
this way otherwise there will prac-
tlcally be but little reduction, and
again the country will face an over
production and 3 or 5 cent cotton.
He says that the old feeling that
the bankers, merchants and mill
mon were the enemies of the farm
ers, was erroneous altogether, and
that the farmers alone had been
their own enemies. That the bank
or, merchant, mill men, lawyers,
doctors and preachers all realized
that failure of the farmer was
their failure, that the wealth and
| prosperity of the country could all
be traced to the prosperity Of the
farmer.