The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1906-07-11
Larue Crops Cause Disaster.

Large CFOpS CduSe DISdSltT'
In India, China and other coun-
tries the people starve because of
their failure to make good cropsl
In our cotton growing States we
have panics and starvation whom
we make our largest crops of cot>
ton--our great staple crop.
Do you know of any other agri-
cultural country On the earth that
starve OH account of it's abundant
havest? Do you know of any of
our manufacturing industries of to-
day that starve out on account Of
over>production? No! They know
more about their business than TO
allow their successful production
to bo the means Of their downfalll
Why can't cotton farmers man.
age their affairs like the manufac-
turers do thoir? Because the farm
er has refused to organize and take
their own business under their own
control! That is all there is Of
this affair!
What is tho remedy for disastrous
ovor-production? In either case Of
over-production of crops of manu-
facturod products there is but one
neutrality-suspicious. must take care
Of their own srrplus products or
w. other men of more business thought
and foresight will do this for their
benefit, which will always work out
the inevitable ruin of the producers
and fatoning profits to the nonpro-
ducers who apply the business tact
that the producers have failed to do
for their own interest.
What do sensible manufacturers
do when the trend Of the markets
for their products indicate over
production2 Do they tumble owe,
each other like cotton producers dc
IN their rush to the farmer, the
consumers Of their goods, and ask
the farmer what he will give hin
tor his surplus, and finally tell the
farmer In 30 many words, 800 here
now, we men did not take our goods
TO eat or wear we made these things
for you farmers, and if you don't
need them, you must take this stuff
OF our hands at your own price?"
No! organized manufacturers do
not act fool like that But cotton
farmers have been doing that kind
Of foolish business for forty years.
When our production threatens dis
aster to manufacturers they Simply
call meeting through their or.
CARNATIONS of their particular in
tsrest, take all inventory of all thu
surplus products OH hand and re-
duce their production pro rata
among themselves until the de.
mand catches up with their surplus
stock and output.
If the manufacturer has too mucb
of his working capital locked up in
surplus products in we'll insured
warehouses; he can put up his sur
plus products as collateral for mon.
ey to carry OH his business with In
stead of dumping his products upon
the market at ruinous prices IN or
der to repeat the suicidal perform
ando agrin in producing more sur
plus, the weight OF which is sure to
crush the life out of his business,
That suicidal process in the very
essence of the cause of the disass
troos results of on oyer.produetlon
ot our great money crop, cotton, in
the oouthl For the lack of q sys-
tematlc pusiness organization like
the Farmers Union to control the
production and the marketing of
our cotton, we have herotofore mn
dertook to protect our interest sin-
glehanded against we'll orpan;zod
body Of business men. Every cot
ton producer has been sighting his
own interest by trying to take care
of himself and let the devil*catch