The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-01-06

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at the earliest gfacticable da tes This
was the unaniiAous contention of the
southern representative In congress-
when the law was passed
1si IS NOT my purpose, however to
argue the matter. I simply desire to
salI your. attenti lon to- the fact thnx
the continuance OF the census cctton
reports is imposhib ble. without
the complete sympathetic, and whole.
harteds cooperation Of the SO, GOO Gin.
ners Of the south! The eenBns oftice
cannot enter Into competition with q
cotton ginners, collation. which pros
poses to gather the same data for
private information only y Moreover
1t cannot continue TO promplgate
statistics OF the quantity Of cotton
ginned to certain date, after 1t has
reason to believe that these reports
are no longer. correct, In consequences
lof a concerted boycott by the ginners.
Otherwise it would be guilty of the
identical evil OF Misrepresentation
Its reports were established to pre-.
vent. The census bureau has no In
terest In the matter whatever, beyond
the discharge Of its duty as establish.
ed by law. and the maintenance OF It's
reputation for the compilation and
publication OF accurate statistics.
WARNING TO GROW ERs.
/ have, therefore, decided to notify
youin this manner, and through you
the cotton growers Of the south, that
the continuance of the movement
which they have begun will necessari.
ly result in the discontinuance of the
c1tton ginning reports of the census
office, for without the hearty and
general cooperation OF the ginners
those reports would become valueless
and the compilation an unpardonable
waste OF public money. The sltua-
tion would then revert to what 1t was
five years ago. But after the private
and interested estimates controlling
the market price have again for few
years been too high, as they undoubt.
edly will be, and Lbe repeated losses
Of the cotton growers in consequence
have again convinced them that the
change they demanded In 1901 was q
wise one, it will be far more din oult
and may be impossible to induce con.
gress to reestablish a system which
the cotton growers set up once before
only to tear it down when it chanced
that knowledge of the facts was to
their disadvantage.
deem 1t my duty to acquaint you
with the probable course of the cen.
sus office, In order that you may take
any steps which may seem to you de.
sirable or necessary in connection
with the matter.
Very respectfully,
S. N. D. North,
Upon receipt CT the letter. Mr.
Burleson gave out the following states
hment:
"a Believing that it was to the in.
telrest OF the producer OF cotton tc
eliminate as far as possible the specu.
laeGe element tom entering into OF
affecting the market price OF his pro-
duct, caused to be embodied In the
act, making the census bureau per
manent, the original item providing
for statistics Of cotton ginned during
the current year, and the result OF
census bureaus labors in carrying
into effect this provision has materi
ally aided in accomplishing this end
The result has not Influenced change
Of opinion on my part.
A PERSONAL ALLUsIoN.
IF may be pardoned a personal
allusion, grower Of cotton myself,
having frequently experienced the
damage occasioned by the high esti.
mates and cocksure assertions put for.
ward by those acting for speculators
and cotton gamblers, felt the neces
sity OF some impartial source Of infor.
nation which would be as accurate as
possible. This the census bureau has
proven itself to be.
Il concur in every word oontejnad
In this letter OF MIR. North and feel
si.AG IL WouiG Oe nOthing short of q
calamity II the ginners should at any
time fall to furnish prompt and accu-
rate reports to the census bureau.
10 fail to report to the census bureau
will only play into the hands of the
cotton gamblers and will serve to
promptly reestablish alleged statistical
agents, who are now, thaDks to the
bureau of statistics Of the department
of agriculture and the census bureau,
thoroughly discredited. If during
next year, as result of decreased
acreage and imperfect weather condi-
tions, there should be a short crcp,
which is not improbable, then the
ginners reports Issued by the census
bureau wouldGagain be In high favor
oy the cotton growers. What is
wanted and what is really always to
the interest Of the cotton grower Is q
prompt knowledge of the exact
truth.
1T is my purpose to prepare an
offer at this session Of Congress and
amendment to the census act provid.
ing for the collection and publication
OF accurate statistics the number of
bales OF cotton consumed each year
and the surplus Of cotton held In the
hands OF the manufacturer and the
number Of bales exported. This is
necessary and only fair to the grover
Of cotton. He should PROMPTLY have