Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-08-09
ATTENTION CALLED TO COTTON SCANDAL.
0ffcers Of tho Central Association issue a
Statement Concerning the Work.


issued a statement addressed to the
members of the association calling
attention to the recent disclosures in
the cotton statistical work in the de.
partment declaring that efforts are
being made to divert attention from
"deficieucies" of the system itself
'to the thieving propensities of a
few unworthy officials" and setting
forth demands to be made on Con-
gress to reform conditions. The
statement follows:
To the Members of the Southern
Cotton Association
The members of the association
have been apprised through the pub
lie press from day to day of the work
done by the officers of the associa-
tion at Washington. AS result of
their charges the unreliability of the
reports of the department of agri-
culture relating to the cotton crop
has been fully disclosed, and the NAL
administration of that department
under it's present head had been
made evident.
Following these exposures, efforts
are now being made to divert public
attention from the main issue, which
is the imperfections of the depart
ment, toward an attempted prosecu-
tion of anybody who can be found
as scapegoat. Their punishment,
even if it is accomplished, is of sec
ondary Importance as compared with
the reformation of the system which
has made their performances posi-.
BILE, and the purpose of this address
is to secure the cooperation of the
members of this association in in
fluencin G in every legitimate way a
reformation of the system, and re-
organization of the department.
The membership of this associa-
ton, numbering nearly 100000, in
cluded the producers of the most
valuable product of American agri-
culture. The cotton crop of the
United States, and it's by products is
worth between $600,0OO,0OO and
$700,000,000 annually 1t furnishes
two thirds of our annual trade bal
ance, and in its production and man
ufacture employs many million indi-
vduals. No other product of the
United States is of greater or of
equal Importance. The practical
monopoly Of cotton which America
enjoys, and the narrow balance which
has existed for years between sutfi-
cheney and scarcity in the worlds
cotton supply, render the cotton
market peculiarly and acutely sus-
ceptible to the reports of the depart
ment of agriculture regarding tho
condition and prospects of the cot
ton crop.
Under the present circumstances a
great duty devolves upon the mem
bers of the association. We are less
concerned with what has been done
by few individuals ard the conse-
quences thereof, regrettable as shat
may be, than with such reformation
of departmental methods as shall Sc
cure for us just and accurate reports
in the future. Under the system at
present in vogue, and which promises
to be undisturbed unless public
attention shall be aroused to the
need of reform, .ile reports issued
by the department of agriculture
are, in their last analysis simply the
individual opinion of few officials
of doubtful experience and honor by
which the value of the cotton crop
may be, and has been, affected as
much as $75,000,000 in single day.
No such power should be delegated
to any individual, or statistical board,
except under conditions which guar
antee the most incorruptible expert
and intelligent opinion, arrived at
by the application of the most scien-
titic methods and safeguarded by the
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