Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1905-08-09

tance as compared with the refc"~ a.
ton of the system which has made
their performances possible, anu the
purpose of this address is to- secure
The cooperation OF the members OF this
association in influencing in every le-
Ultimate way a reformation OF the sys-
TEN. and a Reorganization Of the De-
partment.
"The mem mbership Of this association,
numbering nearly one million, Includes
the producers OF the most valuable pro-
duct of American agriculture. The cot
ton crop of the United States, and It's
by-products is worth between S60O,OOO,-
600 and s7OO,000,000 annually. 1t fur
nishes two-thirds of our annual, trade
balance, and in its production ana
manufacture employs many million IN
dividuals. No other product OF the
United States is of greater or equal
importance The practical monopoly OF
cotton which America enjoys, and the
narrow balance which has existed 1or
years between sufficiency and scarcity
in the worlds cotton supply render the
cotton market peculiarly and acutelS
susceptible TO the reports OF the De
partment of Agriculture regarding Tie
condition and prospects Of the cotton
crop. Under the present circumstances
a great duty dcvolyes upon the mem
bers CT the association. We are less
concerned with what has been done Dy
a few individuals and the consequences
thereof. regrettable as this may be,
than with such reformation Of depart,
mental methods as shall secure Ior us
Just and accurate reports IN future.
(, "Under the system at present ID
vogue, and which promises to be un-
disturbed unless public attention snail
be aroused to the need of reform. the
reports issued by the Department OF
Agriculture are, in their last analysis,
simply the individual opinion OF few
officials Of doubtful experience ana
honor by which the value Of the cotton
croD may be, and has been, affected as
much as S75, 100000 in a single day. NO
such power should lie delegated to any
individual, or statistical board, except
under conditions which guarantee the
most incorruptible, expert and lnteii!-
gent opinion, arrived at by the appll-
cation Of the most scientific methods
and safeguarded by the most sclentlhc
nrecauttons. 1t is. therefore, urgently
recommended to the members OF tie
Southern Cotton Association that
through their representatives IN Con
gress. and by every other means avail
able to them, they exert their Influence
and that of the association toward Sc
curing the immediate reorganization
nnnortn1lDt CS-
pecially with reference to its reports
on the cotton crop, and that their hep-
resentatives in Congress be tequested
specifically to demand:
ri. The establishment within the Le-
partment of Agriculture of a bureau. to
be known rs the Cotton Bureau. chars-
cd specially and solely with the duty
OF reporting upon the cotton crop and
all matters concerning that staple.
80 The appointment as the Eead OF
that bureau, at an adequate salary. OF
a man whose reputation and antece-
dents shall be beyond reproacf. and
whose familiarity with cotton cultiva-
ton shall be an additional guarantee
OF his fitness.
'3. An organization Of the bureau so
established upon thoroughly scientific
lines. as will insure no possible bias
in favor of either buyer or seller. or
producer or manufacturer can be pre-.
supposed or asserted.
a. The passage of law that will
be more specific in its scope, and undef
which government employees can be
prosecuted for giving away Or selling
valuable information, as has been done
in the Statistical Bureau.
1--WE have no doubt of the zeal OF the
officers of the Department, but 1T seems
to be as misdirected in this crisis rs
il was in the anteeedent period. All
the powers and influences of the De-
partment of the lawyers and OF every
man OF the government, seems to be
devoted to the attempt to drag-net a
lot of irresponsible spectators. Ihat
there have been for years leaks i'll the
Department is as we'll known to the
trade as the existence Of the Dpait-
ment itself: but these are insignificant
rs compared with the fundamental mis-
management. At this time, however.
there is a manifest cndeavOr to divert
attention from the radical errors and
deficiencies of the Department itself to
Tie thieving propensities of a few un-
worthy officials. Let us not be miscd
by any such misdirected energy. Let
us reform at the top and not on the
side. Let us root out the offenders,
cleanse the personnel, change the meth
ofls and renovatc the Department from
root to branch. Then the cause Of cot
ton and good government will alike be
served in Rcosevcltian fashion.
"HARVIE JORDAN,
president Southern Cotton ASS IN.
"RICHARD CHEATHAM, Sec'y.