Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-10-16
UNION BUREAU.
Our Cotton Letter.

slack, twisted, loose, single-handed
light for square deal.
We now know of some good Arm
Farmers Union men that stood out
through the thick of the fight on
prices for cotton last season that
saved from SIS on short staple cot
ton to $26 on long staple cotton per
bale, and there are better prospects
this year for gain of $22 per bale
on short cotton than there was for
S15 for the same cotton last year.
For the lack Of business methods,
forethought and their share of ener-
gy, pluck and grit, many easy-going
and childish farmers who could do
better, are now rushing over each
other to get their cotton OF at the
speculator's prices instead of stor-
ing this cotton until the demand
from the mills calls for 1t and will
take 1t for our minimum price.
This foolish rush of the lambs to
the slaughter pen is the astounding
spectacle Of the cotton market at
present.
These cotton letters put out in our
Southern newspapers by bears are
there to deceive cotton growers!
Don't you know 1t?
1t Is said that these cotton ex-
changes do not mind paying some
newspaper men to publish their
stun. Whether this is true or not
we do not know, but this much we
do know, that some papers that pub
lish these cotton exchange letters
regularly do not care to publish our
Farmers Union cotton letters that
come direct from the cotton fields
with the truth In them.
l here make the charge that any
Southern newspaper that makes
business of publishing bearish cotton
exchange letters and refuses to pub
lish the cotton letters from the far
mers' organizations in reply to them
are in the employment Of those who
they must know are robbing the
South of her honest profits on her
farm products, which is sure to re-
dound to the injury Of the South's
prosperity.
Remember that crop reports are
usually gotten up by straining the
points by those who are in the en-
ploy Of the buyers.
The cotton crop outlook has been
reduced very materially since cotton
prices were set at Is cents, and the
price Of seed at $4,000 per ton.
Cost of production and a reason
able profit for the producer is the
rule that governs prices for other
products--why not the same rule ap-
ply to the products of the farm.
No! 1ue farmer has not received
the full share of the profits on his
products, and the truth of this is
shown in the vast accumulations of
wealth of those who buy the farmers
products and sell farm supplies to
the farmer, whilst the farmer usu-
ally demands q very small pittance
for his share. and he, of course,
gets no more than he asks for. No
one Is to blame for this state Of af-
fairs but the farmer. Organize and
demand a square deal through an
organized effort, then will you get
your rights, and not till then.
1t Is nothing but the natural trend
OF things for little things to give way
to big things, or for the unorganized
people to give way to the organized,
or. for an educated, systematized
class of business farmers to be able
to protect their interests against the
graft and greed Of few scoundrels
who call themselves financiers.
1t Is mere rot for any men to go
about over the country talking a lot
of hot air about the down-trodden
farmers helpless condition, and then
sneak off home like cowardly ours
and refuse to Zine in" with their
neighbors to inaugurate manly
movement to protect the interests Of
their wives and children against the
organized, self-installed gate keepers
that obstruct the road Of free trade
and swipe an unjust rake-off Of farm
products and supplies both going and
coming. Education and co-opera-
tion along the business side Of farm
ing is the only cure for this evil.
Come out, boys. and join the Far
mers' Union and line up with the
crowd, and help take care of your
selves.
About the only difference in this
legal robbery business by trusts and
others, and one that goes after your
chickens at night, is that the legal
robbers are bold set Of smart, big
daylight thieves and scoundrels,
while the other may be only one
lonesome, hungry, ignorant mijntgh,
thief.
Some big rich fellows that make
large contributions for public insti-
tutions remind one of a slick old
shop-keeper who made practice of
taking out piece Of candy after 1t
was weighed out on the scales and
gave 1t to the customer out Of the
customers own candy, and he never
failed to win the children over, which
made the old chap the most popular
candy man among the children Of
the town.
We have lots Of grown up children
on the farms that are fooled on this
same plan in many other things.
Don't think that we are quarreling
Mt the men that do these dirty stunts
for money, for it Is you dull, igno-
rant or selfish unorganized farmers
that are responsible for this condi-
tion Of affairs.
Farming.
The man that grows cotton and ex-