The leader., 1905-01-25
LAST SATURDAYS MASS MEETING.

z
ers now III session in New OR.
leans, was largely attended, and
was a thoroughly representative
gathering Of the farming interests
Of Lincoln county. There was al
so a goodly sprinkling of repre-
sentative citizens engaged in The
mercantile business and the pro
fessions all these recognizing the
fact that when the farmers Of this
country suffer financially all class,
es must suffer. The Leader pub.
llishes elsewhere the proceedings
| of the meeting in full, to which
the attention Of all of our county
readers is especially invited.
The meeting was very harmc.
nious one, and all present seemed
agreed as to the necessity Of reduc-
ling the acreage in cotton and the
amount of commercial fertilizers
used the present year, as compar,
ed with last. The meeting adYis-
ed a reduction Of 80 per cent. il
cotton acreage and so per cent.
Production in the use of CONNER,
cial fertilizers. 1t rightly depre.
Gated, as we believe, the scheme
to organize a gigantic corporation
of farmers, bankers and cotton
merchants and store the surplus
cotton in warehouses; but urged
all farmers who can hold their
cotton off the market until the
price advances, to do SO. The
New Orleans Convention may en-
dorse the warehouse scheme, but
we doubt it. Aside from the ex-
pense of inaugurating and main.
tanning such scheme as this for
handling the surplus, the unreal
liable expectations it would raise
among farmers would likely cause
a vast number Of them to over
plant again and in the final out
come the remedy would prove
worse than the disease.
We do believe it practicable,
however, for the New Orleans
Convention to set on foot q
movement to secure concert Of ac-
tion among the farmers of the
lSouth which will result in mate
rial reduction Of cotton acreage
and the holding off Of the market
of a large quantity of the surplus
,byindiYidual farmers and business
firms until there is reaction and
higher prices prevail.
Farmers, merchants and bank
ers of Lincoln county are urged
by Saturdays meeting to cooper
ate ii the carrying out of the pol
icy recommended. He is a very
shortrsighted and unwise man who
decides to plant as much cotton
this year as last, because he sus-
poets that some other farmer is
going to act in bad faith and plant
the same amount or more in the
expectation of an advance in the
price and getting the advantage
over his neighbors who reduce
their acreage. It is as certain as
death that if enough farmers
think and act this way to raise an
other big cotton crop this year,
cotton will be cheaper next fall
than it is now and the farmers
condition proportionately worse.
Why do a wrong or foolish thing
because the other fellow does and
takes the chances? 1t is like the
blind following the blind, for
both are sure to fall into the ditch.
When farmer raises big
crop of cheap cotton and is in the
condition at home the Wesson En-
terprise tells us Farmer Allen
RntIand is, he can easily enough
ltide over a situation ike the pres
Tents but when he has neglected tc
raise nearly every thing except
cotton and that is down to 5, 6 ol
I cents. he is a bankrupt, loses
Ibis independence and has to do
whatever his credit merchant tells
him; and may be very glad Of the
chance to do that.
And just think how foolish is
/ the farmer who gets himself II
THAT sort of a financial predica
Iment. lust because he suspected
tother farmers were going to try
Ito play tricky and smart and plant
IA big crop Of cotton too.
State Auditor Henry Monday
leave out the statement of the
Showing of the State banks Of the
Estate, reporting under the receni
/ call for the condition of the banks
Ion the 31st day of December. The
statement shows a total Of 21l
banks reporting, against 167 OF
1.-THE same date last year and l49 II
December, 1902. The resources
4tshoW d net increase over last veal
lof $4, ,249, ,641,23.
i Mai. r. w. MiIlsaps has donat
led 4 site for the Methodist or
phanage at jackson. It consists
Of % acres Of land across the roaC
from the James Observatory a
1 MiIlsaps College and is. therefore
contiguous to that institution
4 The News states that at the loves
figure the land is worth $50 pc
acre.
AL the Pike shows In New
Orleans, Mrs. Canahea, the lioI
tanner, was seriously injured By
lIion that wasn't SO tame. Sh'
was ID the cage. The beast wa
i.1 : * t1aesct hv tho hnoVu law