The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1905-03-01
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, March |, 1905.
Cotton Letter.
To the F. litor of the Dispatch:


Being interested in the great cot
ton problem which is about to be
solved. and being 10 sympathy with
the masses of the people in this cot
ton belt country, I deem 1t duty, 80
far as my ability goes, to give some
information and keep the farmers
posted as to what will be the outcome e
of the issues that faces the producers
of cotton in this country if they will
hold the grip they now have.
10 my letter of January Sob, [ ad-
vised YOU to hold your cotton Ga
that dav cotton IN New York waa
worth + cents, today it is worth s Is
an advance of more than S5 90 per
bale. Also, the market for spots in
nv town on the ssme day was 6. to-
day it is worth y. The days nave
gone by when a. orfe: OF farm
ers called Grapges was organized tor
the South. it died u natural death
without accomplishing any good.
Toe farmers IN the South few years
ago organized the Alliance, which
failed without accomplishing but
very little. Why was il? Simply
because the fight was made by array
ing labor against capital, which was
evidently house divided against IL
self and by divine edic'. it must
fall. Tae great fundamental princl
pie that was lacking was, Is you
might term it, union OF uDlonlsm
Nov I am proud TO know, and still
prouder to say it, that the farmers,
the bankers, the merchants. the law
we're, the doctors and men Of all pre-
fessions of the South have organized
an lance against the gamblers OF
Wall street aud Liverpool, England,
who have for thirty-tive years put a
price upon our cotton, and have kept
tie poor class cf white and colored
people poor and poorer. Let every
mau in the cotton belt sign the
pledge to plant not over 10 to Is
acres of cotton to the mule this year,
and plant more corr, and it is an evil
dent fact that, unless the farmers get
9 or 10 cents tor their cotton this
spring at least 100000 bales will be
held till next se4soo and with nine
or ten million bale crop in 50 cot
ton will very readily bring 10 cents
on the next crop.
Farmers, don't get frightened and
cell your cotton at = or eight cents.
If you are compelled TO have moDe7
store or ENSURE your cotton for 60
days and get mouey on 1t, and l as
sure you ic will pay you 10 'he end.
The crisis il almost here and it is only
question of few weeks till you will
sec still higher prices for cotton
Saturday spot cotton advanced IS
points, which ia ooe.fourth of cent.
TIE world needs cotton to-day just
as bad as it did one wear ago TODAY
when cotton sod in New York for l I
cents. We all admit that bumper
crop has been harvested in 1904, but
where i.7 Itis il the nauds Of the
farmers and 10 the warehouses of the
South. TIE mills are now wanting
and lemsndiog the spot cotton. The
spinuers Of the North snd Europe
have bought cotton for future delivery
butt is, bought on paper and they
cau'l I'll their previous contracts With
Cbins. Japan and the other foreign
countries with cotton bought ou pa
per. and the time is almost here when
they u ust have your cotton to spin IL
order to fill their contracts, and
if the farmers CT the cotton belt will
corfo, 10 10 the platform Of ths New
Otleaps Cotton Growers convention
taey will see that they will get the
value of their cotton and will not
have to sacrf; ;e at 81 cents as the
Bear element predict .hey could get
it for. Their is the greatest demand
for cotton goods in foreign coun-
tries than there has been for twenty
years, and when there is a good de-
,naud for cotton goods in foreign
countries there certsinly will be q de-
mand for our cotton at no distant
day and if those who have cotton
will hold it for sixty days there Will
be the biggest demand that the
world has ever seen.
". NJ. Wilson.
DI @ ~ EL.. 10