The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-11-02
BARRETT VERSUS JORDAN
Heads Of Two Cotton Associations in a
Wrangle--BarreIt Replies to JoI-
dams Statements.
dams Statements.


dan, attacking him and State Presi-
dent Duckworth, Of the Farmers I'm
ion, in caustic card, which, in part.
is as follows:
ITO the Public: Ny attention has
just been called to communication
Of M. Harvie Jordan, from which /
make extracts as follows:
It has been reported that Bar
rett was rural school teacher in
connection with his small farming
operations before he became identified
officially with the union, and that
Duckworth followed the same avoca-
ton in Texas before being employed
by the union as a lecturer But what
ever their previous avocations, both
are practically unknown in the cot
ton world, and unfamiliar with the
handling and marketing of a great
crop involving an annual purchase
price Of more than S600,000,000.
am daily in receipt of letters
and resolutions from members of To-
cal Farmers Unions condemning the
present course of some of their lead
crs, especially Barrett and Duck
worth, in trying to stir up strife at
this critical time The rank and file
of the union are not responsible for
the acts and doings of some Of their
short'sighted leaders.
II am amazed at the tone of Mr.
Jordan's communication. In the first
place, in my former statement on the
subject Of his unfortunate interview
made no personal charges against
him ! simply criticized him, as had
a right to do, for having permitted
himself to be used by the bears in
beating down the price of cotton.
simply stated that it was most unfor-
tunate that one making the claims
he does should be quoted as having
made the declaration that this years
cotton crop is the SECOND largest
in the history of the south IL that
statement had come from a recognized
bear it could have done no harm, but
when sent broadcast throughout the
world as the utterance of the prest-
dent Of his organization, the dam
age done is instantaneous and irremc-
diable
81 recall that less than two years
ago Mr.. Jordan himself literally grew
pale about the gills, and frothed at
the mouth, at the publication of the
advertisement Of q New York cotton
speculator to the effect that the crop
of that year would be the largest in
the history of the south. That was
the famous 100000 bale crop, and it
turned out that the Spectator was
right in his estimates. But he was
denounced by Mr. Jordan, as all but
a thief, for daring to predict that the
crop was the largest in the History
Of the south.
And now, strange to say here
comes Mr.. Jordan himself after but
one crop intervening, declaring to all
the world that this years crop is
the SECOND largest in the history of
the south In other words, he is do
ing just exactly what Theodore Price
did two years ago, and, strange to
say, conditions have exactly reversed.
Price having been for the past six
months on the bull side of the crop,
while the effect of Jordan's utter
ances have been to send the price
of cotton downward.
&c must be kept in mind that not
witastanding Mr.. Jordan's cvasiye at
tempts to smother that famous Wash
ington interview he he's not up to this
time denied that he made the state
ment shat this was the SECOND larg-
est crop in the south's history, and
that he minimized the damage of the
gulf storm.
Like myself, these men were so
much thunderstruck by Mr. Jordan's
attitude that they adopted resolutions
asking the farmers of the south to pay
no more attention to his advice on
the subject of cotton.
That Washington interview of Mr..
lordan's has already cost the farmers
of the south millions Of dollars, and
other interviews published since that
time have had almost as bad an eff
feet"