The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-12-13
i..a CoTI0N ASsCCIAI1o-..
Facts Plainly Stated by resident
Stuci1cy for the Farmers Cons.d-
Grafton.

Grafton.
Mr. Editor: Permit me to say
through the columns Of your paper
a word or two about the Southern
Cotton Growers Association. Those
of us who are taking part in the CT
forts to perfect this organization are
much delighted at the results which
have been accomplished. We do not
like the tone OF some editorials Of
some Of the papers Of our State VIII.
are criticising Mr.. Harvie Jordan for
asking the farmers to hold their cot
| ton for fifteen cents. I believe it IS
these same newspapers who also crit
icisted the meeting of the association
in Asheville last summer for fixing
the price so high as II cents per
pound The authors Of these criti-
cisms express their friendship and
sympathy for the farmers and have
no reason to doubt they are genuine.
but we think they were unwise in
trying to keep the price lower than
the farmers wanted to set for their
produce Those who said II cents was1
too much and would be an injury
rather than a benefit to the farmers.
ought to come forward and candidly
acknowledge that they were wrong
since cotton has gone above that fig
ure If they were as we'll informed as
Mr.. Harvie Jordan of the present sit
uation, Of the shortness of the crop,
the great demand for cotton and the
fact that the English mills largely
have sold the output of their mills at
Ia profit basing their estimates on the
purchase of cotton at 13 cents per
pound, and this, too, before it was
really known that the cotton crop was
so short as it Is, they would now agree
with Mr. Jordan that Is cents for the
remainder Of the crop would not make
their average purchases above the 13
cents per pound, and the mills will
therefore go ON prespering as before.
Only two other arguments have
been urged by these newspapers, be-
lieve,, against this 80 called high price:
for cotton frst.. that It will induce;
the farmers to, plant more cotton than
is needed for the worlds supply, that
it will spoil the labor by which the
cotton is produced AS to the first or
these have not the farmers proved
that they could and would reduce
their acreage when they were shown
through the: efforts OF this organiza-
ton that. it wosald be to their advaca-
,tage to, do So Then why may they
mot see again another year that it will
be to their advantage to keep down
the acreage when it gives them more
provisions and just as much or more
money for their cotton crops? We
certainly ought to have faith i'm their
good sense which is now certainly
backed by experience. You cam teach
even an idiot something by object les
sons. AS to spelling the labor we
think this is a mistake. These mat
ters will adjust themselves naturally.
When cotton brings better price, the
price Of labor should be higher and
Sand rents should of course: be higher.
The fact that this Southern country
produces most Of the cotton to cloxhe
the world will make its lands more
valuable as this fact becomes more
and more realized, exnigrants will
flow in to- cultivate the soil which is
fast becoming the most profitable
farming section Of the world.
Let those who have cotton ROW get
Is cents per pound and let him have
"a bank account to last away into the
midst of next sumner, if possible,
without interest to those clever banks
who have been so helpful in this en-
terprise Of the farmers.
One word more; trust that all of
the township and precinct organiza-
tions will heed promptly the call
which I have made through the pa
pers today I trust also that the col-
Iectors will follow the example Of M
J.. a. Blackwell, of Concord township,
who begun on Friday afternoon and
by Saturday noon had collected $17.34
OF the basis Of cents per bale from
each farmer who had not yet paid his
dues. Mr.. Blackwell reports that on
ly two farmers had declined ard that
these two. while they were willing to
pledge to hold their cotton for II
cents per pound, were not willing to
pay the little sum of three cents per
bale to support and keep alive the
most promising organization that the
farmers have ever undertaken. Mr..