The leader., 1905-02-08
Advice to Plant.

er fact.
Advice to Plant.
Just after the bubble burst.
last spring, the seventeen-cent
cotton went down, there was an
organized, preconcerted and sys-
tematic effort made to increase the
output Of cotton and to reduce its
price. All over the South advice
was given the farmers to plant for
1000, 900 bales, and we we're as
sured that if we did it we would
get twelve cents a pound for it.
As soon as the crop was planted,
publication was made to the world
that we had increased our acreage
80 1-3 per cent.
What was the origin of chat
combination! / have no doubt in
my mind that it originated among
the manufacturers who did not
wish to pay seventeen cents for
cotton. | do not blame them for
it. / do not blame them for
thinking that seventeen cents was
too much for cotton, but / call
your attention to this fact, that
having set the ball in motion, it
escaped their control and they
have now got caught in the same
trap that they set for us.
"What singular situation is
ours, my brethren. The world
has never seen one similar to it.
Famine has its millions of victims
in India because the crops have
failed. We sent the offering of
our charity to Russia years ago
because her crops had failed.
Tonight in Ireland starvation
clamors for its victims throughout
the length and breadth of that
afflicted country, and it is because
they didn't make crop. Here
we are threatened with bankrupt
cy and threatened with CONNER
cial ruin because we did make the
crop. Great applause.
It's a curious state of affairs.
II starve to death, not because /
have no crust to eat, but because
the table is bountifulIy spread.
If we make no crop it's ruin, and
| if we make one it's ruin, too. It's
the old predestination cry: You
can and you can't, you will and
you won't; you're damned if you
do, and you're damned if you
don't. Great applause.
ITO the man who hungers, the
meat trust says: Pay my price
or starve. To the men who shiv-
er in the wintry blasts of the
North tonight, the Coal Trust
says: Pay my price or freeze.
To the producer of corn and wheat
on the Western rich lands. mar
velous gardens of fertility, no
matter what the freight rate is,
the Traffic Association Trust says
to the farmer: Pay my. price or
let youl corn and wheat rot in the
fields that produce it. (Applause.
eve market our cotton without
any system whatever. The man
who can get there first sells first,
and it's a mad rush to get there
with cart and wagon and sell it
for whatever you can get. The
laws Of our country are unjust to
Jus, and have been for a hundred
years. (AppIause.)
II do not aVdise the farmers of
the South to organize a piratical
trust predatory combination
but do say this: That while the
trusts are the devils of modern
commerce, we have got to fight
the devil with fire. (Great ap-
plause. If we do not organize
ourselves into self defense trust
to protect ourselves, to exact a
fair return for our labor and our
investments, then we are less than
men, because we have failed to as
sert our manhood in defense Of
ourmanhood's tights. (Applause.
Farmer and FayOFs.
Where has the farmer ever
asked any favor Of this govern
lment? Where has be asked for
]anY special protections Never
has he demanded anything except
a flee field and fair fight. Zap
plause. Never has he expected
| to get anything except what be
learns in the sweat of his face.
And tonight, tonight, our unjust
laws which destroy our markets,
deliver us over to those who are
antagonistic to us in self-interest.
From our socks TO our hats:
from the undershirt to the over
lcoat, its cotton. With the female
members Of our families its al
most entirely true that their cloth,
ling is made up of cotton. Our
bedding, tableWear and many Of
1.-THE things used on farm, to say
nothing Of ropes and pillow lines
and back bands; to say nothing
Iof the bunting in the flag or The
4cbeap carpet on the floor.