The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-01-05
A New Years Address.

Hldtt t;SSoCldllOll. llttS lSleu a State
mcnt to cotton growers OF South
Carolina. as follows:
n happy and prosperous New
Year to all. he SAYS: zoos has
passed into history bearing the
record OF the greatest awakening
the South has ever known. Grip
pied by the disastrous results of the
war. she was left unable to take adj
vantage OF her natural resources.
For forty long years she has been
forced to be 'hewers Of wood and
drawers of water for others. But
our time has come; 1905 will ever
mark the final emancipation of the
south from the terrible thraldom of
poverty entailed upon her by the
debts incurred in the four years Of
war and a long terrible struggle to
adapt ourselves to the changed con-
ditionS that confront us Now the
problem has been solved, the debt
has been paid.
"The Worltl-cven our Southern
worid-does not seem fully to I'M
derstand that we have at last reach
ed position where we have the
power to control our own affairs
financially and to dictate to the
world what it shall give to us in re-
turn for Our products. This great
movement in the southern cotton
growing: states to control the price
OF this Our great staple IS no trans
lent thing made possible by some
accidental combination of circum
stances. but it is the beginning Of
the realization Of a long deferred
hope, made possible BY the savings
Of forty years.
:Does any one with common
sense think that we will ever again
submit to the ruinous condition of !
and cent cotton. when within the
short period OF twelve months we
have repeatedly proven the remedy:
The year 1906 is here with all
the possibilities OF the south unin-
paired and the experience of 1905 to
guide us and we propose to make
it the crowning glory OF all our et-
forts.
I'VE are going to still further re-
duce our acreage SO as to make any
thing like overproduction an impos-
sibilitv. We are going to plant
more grain and hay crops. raise
more cattle and hogs, rotate our
crops, enrich our lands with home
raised manures and cowpeas. This
will give us less guano bills to pay,
less store accounts, more to eat.
more to wear, more money to IN
vest. 'Tis glorious to be thus indie
pendent. There are those who have
been predicting that more cotton
than ever would be planted next
year. We are not fools! With a
short crop this year and a short crop
next year we have an easy road.
so far as holding the balance OF
this crop is concerned, that is fixed.
We've got it put away. All Our en-
ereies will now be turned to this
years reduction. We are going to
reduce cotton and increase home
supplies.
"Our organization has reach
ed that state OF perfection that 1t
will be infinitely easier to reduce
this year than it was last. Farmers
understand now. The fact is, that
until this year we've been too poor
to plant anything but cotton. Our
creditors wouldn't let us. Now we
will make one bale bring the price
Of two and the balance of our land
will wipe out the hog and homlny
account.
"AIav every Southern farmer re-
solve in the light of the experience
of 1905 to make 1906 the final con-
vincing argument, as to his entelll-
sence to grasp a great opportunity
and Use it for his own and his cour-
try's good"