Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-10-23
HOLDING COTTON.
The Oconee County Union Issued Aa
dress to All who are In Sympathy.


= OF the county who are friendly to our
movements:
Il We appeal to you, to support us In
an EFFORT to place the business OF our
country on a Arm and reasonable
basis. The chief industry OF this Sec
4 tton is farming, and the general PROS
perity depends upon the financial con-
dition of the farmer. The Farmers
= Union Is not organized for a selfish
purpose, but on the principle Of CO.
3 operation for mutual benefit. We
think we cannot speak more clearly
and plainly than President, Barrett
7 does in his address to the Union, as
\ follows: 49,
To the Members Of the FARMERS
Union throughout the Cotton Belt:
Just after the annual convention at
Little Rock had named 15 cents a
: pound as the minimum price which
the Southern farmer. should receive
\ for his cotton during the ensuing
= year, the speculators in the cotton
ranks have managed to depress the
market and to beat downs the price,.
address to you this line as fra
ternal appeal to hold steadfast to the!
council Of your annual convention,
and with heroic fidelity abide Its ul-
& timatum to the markets of the world.
Eold your cotton for 1B cents and
hold ituntil it brings the price.
The committee which fixed the
minimum at Little Rock represents
all the cotton States and many of the
best farmers of the South. as
The National Union, when 1t fixed
that minimum, knew more about the
situation than amy cotton, SAMPLER Or
combin lion Of cotton gamblers. 1t
was not fixed upon an impulse or an
&unteftairty, but after deliberate
study and investigation. With all
my heart and with all my mind, I
urge you to the last limit of your
ability to hold steadfast to this policy
adopted by your National Union.
q The present status makes def
mite and decisive crisis in the history
of our great organization. Up to this
date the farmer has worked against
, opposition and the possibility Of de-
feat w
!, We have won victory after victory
. by this splendid policy. We stand
now face to face with combination
which affords us an opportunity to
show the world that the Southern
farmer Is resolutely determined to
maintain his rights. The eyes of the
4 world are upon him as never before,
and the history of the organization In
the future will depend in no small
degree upon the courage and fidelity
with which he meets the present situ-
alton. For three years you have won
out in every proposition that you
have presented to the business world.
Win once more In this important
issue and 1t will be henceforth easier.
sailing for us oil. Loyalty at this
/ time will do more to attract the
thousan[ 40 are outside the ranks
than a. gument we can present or
4 anyS IL that we can make. Let
us this victory and we will
ach. tho fear of our enemies and
the respect, confidence and admira
tion of the world.
The act Of the last national conven-
! tion pulsed the whole union with
fresh and virile hope. Perfect, har-
mony and perfect unity prevailed in
all our counciles, and the Farmers
Union stands to-day as a solid phal-
anx before the forces Of greed. -}tg
Cotton is Key to Situation.
You hold the key to the situation.
You have the cotton, you have the
5 warehouses, and II to these you only
add the courage, the business stamina
and the common sense to hold your
own, you need not fear the future.
Do not be scared by the conspir-
acy which has been begun to make
you part with your cotton for less
than the minimum price. You have
behind you the greatest power of the
: age in which we live, the power of
numbers and the power Of organiza-
tion. Only realize your strength,
only be faithful to your principle,
only stand with the shoulder to
chnn1dor tnnoh with u0nr cny,, 70 dao
and the victory will more than atone
for the inconvenience and the wait
ing. I do not ask you to hold your
cotton to the injury Of your credit
. ors. Every farmers duty is to pay
his debts, but this Is period when
the individual farmer and the Farm
ers' Union can use their influence
with their merchant friends to in
duce them to bear for a little while
Z with any farming debtor whom the
local union may recommend to their
confidence and regard.
BE Loyal to the Union.
In this emergency every farmer Is
an evangel. Let him go out among
his fellows to cheer them up--to
stiffen their backbones-to show
them the way to the union ware
houses and to the friendly merchant
and to the loyal way Of waiting. The
year that Is before us simply waits
to crown the farmer who Inv, this
period Is loyal to his union, faithful
to its messages and resolute In main
tanning the standard which 1t has
fixed for the price of his noblest pro-
duct. ] feel that rarely before has
the integrity and strength Of the
Farmers Union faced a greater crisis
than in the courage and character
with which he meets this assault Of
the conspirators to force surrender
upon the minimum price which 1t
baey deplared