Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-11-13
UHaON BUREAU.
Our Cotton Letter.

Union men during this supreme mo-
ment when all New York seems to be
combined to break down our deter
mined efforts to hold cotton for prof
liable prices. There are more and
stronger men In the holding crowd
this year than ever known before,
and quite a large number are with us
this time that do not belong to
either the farmers Union or the Cot
ton Association. Our farmers ware
houses all over South Carolina are
being filled up with cotton. Ander-
son County Union has her large two
story house full and now filling ano-
ther department in a cotton mill
house. In fact, everywhere we hear
OF warehouses being filled and throw.
Ing the key away, not to be found
until minimum prices are reached.
Fully half the cotton held Is not in
warehouses. ALI are freezing to their
cotton and are going to hold on until
1t carries them In sight of the burn
Ing sulphuric blue blazes Of Hades
before they will let 1t go at cotton
bear prices.
The time is now at hand when all
the South must stand up for cotton.
Every banker, merchant and all other
business men must aid cotton grow
ers In theirSstruggles for the profits
on cotton that go to increase the flow
of money of all trades.
Gotten growers themselves must,
for time, while the fight for profita-
BILE prices is on, leave off luxuries and
deny themselves and families come &C
the comforts that they may expect to
enjoy when they gain the victory.
The cotton grower who is in the fight
for right must wear out his old
clothes and then patch them. He
must do without sugar in his coffee
IL necessary and only cne drink of
whiskey a week, and a whole lot Of
other things, and above all go at it
now to raise everything at home that
Will grow on your lands that you
need. Diversity your crops and this
& will improve your lands and increase
the yield and profits.
We have won our prices on cotton
seed because the oil mills are here
among us, where we can attend to
our own affairs, and New York is not
in it. 1t now begins to look as If we
at the South will be forced to spin up
more of our own cotton. too.
Ass
The'South must now set up a de-
termined fight against this New York
skinning game on her cotton crop
and so at In earnest to improve our
own Southern ports. South Carolina
must stand for Charleston as her
shipping port for her cotton, and pa
tronize imports brought in by ships
that export her cotton, and all other
cotton States must do the same for
their respective ports. @
The South does not owe New York
any bounties or pensions in this cot
ton business. The New York cotton
handling business was built up by
men-many of whom were reared
in the Southland we have more as
y capable men here to build up our
Southern ports and shipping inter
ests. The South's prosperity was
not brought about by New York's aid
or friendship, but it has been forged
out of the golden profits of her cot
ton in spite of New York's skinning
games, practiced by her cotton ex-
change and other combinations of
accumulated wealth.
Cotton bears and spectators that
have done no other business all their
lives cannot afford to give up their
occupations without q hard fight.
They have cot to put up hard
fight or starve while they run.
The farmer that gives in and lets
the speculator have his cotton at
panic prices, when he can help it, has
no more grit or pluck than coward
ly soldier that stampedes and fees to
the rear at the first fire from the
e. amy's gun. ..E'E
The relief afforded cotton growers
under the new plan Of storing his cot
ton across the ocean, out of New
York panics, where both storage cost
and interest on advance are much
cheape" is a good move at the right
time. his will show New York that
she cannot skin cotton growers when
they take notion to keep them
from doing 1t.
D t 60 o. ..r.. r..e.-
Many Of our best farmers say they
are too busy to attend union meet
ings. A man that Is not busy at
home or Is not worth anything to
himself or his family at home, is of
no use to his Farmers Union. Stick
pin down at this point, and please
remember 1t.
A good farmers union is made of
good working farmers that have de-
termined to think some as we'll as
work sono
When a member undertakes to
rule or run the union and the MEM
bership, get on to him. You may
listen for something to drop, and
down he goes himself.
National President CHARLES S. Bar
rett, of the Farmers Union, has Is
sued the following address to the
cotton growers, urging them to hold
for the 15-cent minimum, set by the
National Union:
"To the Members Of the Farmers
Union Throughout the Cotton Belt:
Now is the time for q strong pull;