Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-12-03
The FARMERS, UNION,

The regular monthly meeting Of the
York County Farmers Union was held
in Yorkville yesterday. There were
about 150 members in attendance; but
owing to the fact that the court was
using the court house, the meeting OF
the Union had to be held during the
courts recess from 1,30 to p, m, and
the proceedings were rather briefer
than would have otherwise been the
case. There was some discussion Of a
resolution from the Cotton Belt Union to
memorialize the general assembly with
regard to the repeal Of the lien law;
but 1t was decided to defer action un-
til the January meeting, leaving the
local unions to consider the matter in
the meantime. The principal action of
the meeting was the unanimous adop-
ton Of the following address to the
public, signed by ]. F. Ashe, president.
and A. L. Black, secretary:
I'VE, the Farmers Union Of York
county, in convention assembled, beg
leave to submit for your careful con-
SlutIdllOIl, ll6 lOlIOWlUS.
i. From the most reliable statisti-
cal information that has developed in
connection with the ginning and move
ment Of the present crop, we believe
that the yield Is at least three and one
half million bales less than the re-
quirements for legitimate consumption,
and that under free and unrestricted
operation Of the laws Of supply and
demand, the ruling price should have
all along been not less than fifteen
cents.
q. That we do not believe that the
laws Of supply and demand are allow
ed to figure to any considerable extent
in the fixing Of the price of cotton,
but that the price is more generally the
result Of manipulation on the cotton
exchanges, where the crop Is bought
and sold many times over within the
space Of few weeks, and where the
gamblers with the most nerve and
money generally win out for high or
low, according to the sickness Of their
methods, and that as q rule the pre-
ponderating influences are on the side
Of low.
49, In fixing the price Of cotton this
year at fifteen cents, we believe the
Farmers Union and the Southern Cot
ton association took into due and pro-
per consideration the questions Of sup
ply and demand, and that they were
duly considerate Of the just claims Of
every other interest at home and
that they were equally fair to con-
sumers, producers and manufacturers.
a. Because of our just and proper
efforts to get a fair price for our pro-
ducts, because we are organizing for
the protection of our interest from i'm
positions that have been practiced
against them for so many years that II
Is difficult to fix the time when such
was not the case, we believe that the
fight against us has been more vigor-
Gus and determined this year than ever
before. We do not feel that we have
lost anything. 1t Is our deliberate
opinion that except for our organiZa-
have already been sold at less than
cents a pound, and possibly at or
cents. this more especially in view Of
the desperate eXpedient Of the opposi-
ton in bringing about the recent cur
rency stringency, intended no doubt to
throw the country irto a state Of panic
with view to forcing us to unload
our holdings without regard to value
and pushing us back into the position
Of financial dependence from which we
have been emerging during the past
three or four years.
"5 We believe that except for the
desperate expedient just referred to.
the price Of cotton would have long
since passed the Is cents mark, and
with considerably more than one-half
OF the cotton crop of the south still In
the hands of the producers, we believe
there is yet a bright prospect OF Sc
curing the Is cents at which we have
all along been aiming.