The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-03-20

What a power for good of the whole
of the south these supply merchants
could WELD if they would only COM
pel their improvident all cotton farm
ers to grow their own food crops. This
would enforce diversified farming and
at the same time reduce the acreage
in cotton which would in turn improve
the land, increase the yield per acre
and reduce the risk aud loss to the
supply merchant to q minimum, by
causing better prices for their 'custo-
mers products.
Our better class of more business
like farmers could afford to stand their
cotton off the market and watch this
dog eat dog riot that comes Oft at the
winding up Of every crop if it was not
for the fact that cotton bears take ad-
vantage of this pull Dick, pull Devil,
melee between the mort gaged crops
and the money lender, and swoop
down upon the whole cotton crop
with their own set prices which gives
spinners enough cotton to 60 up on
while cotton bears either force the bet
ter class of farmers to either sell at q
loss or store their cotton and incur the
expense of storage and insurance.
Now these state ments of facts in re.
gard to the cotton growing business in
the south should make 1t plain to
every thinking business cotton grow
er and all supply merchants and bank
ers organization, Farmers Union and
Cotton Association men in the whole
south that we must have q better un-
Outstanding with each other and come
xo~athar hafNro mo 90 N mon tho Uh0ll
situation of both growing and market
ing of our money crop-cotton. Grow
ing the crop well and selling it badly
will hurt every one in the south ex-
ceptipg those in the specializing BUSH
ness and these that are in league with
them. No matter how well we are or
ganized at the selliug end of our cot
ton business we can no more force an
over production of cotton down the
consumers throat without causing q
revolt than you could force q whole
pot of chicken down q mans throat
that was not already very hungry
without protest. Of course a large
warehouse system under the direct
control of the producers Of cotton
would stay or temporarily stave off a
calamity of one or two bumper crops
but repetition of over production in
any crop means suicide or inevitable
destruction.
We do not advocate or contend that
every every tradesman of the south
should sacrifice their independent
and distinct organizations in order
that we may all come together in one
general concert of action In. behalf of q
better and more staple price for cotton
This is not necessary. We want to see
the bankers associations strong enough
to control the supply merchant in n
way to force diversified farming in the
cotton belt. We want to see the snp-
ply merchants organized and con-
trolled by men Of their own body that
can show these merhants that diversi-
fed farming means better profits 10
the farmer and that when farmers
have more money there is more mon
ey for the merchants and everyone
else. We want to see the Cotton asso-
citation men-say to the Farmers Un-
ion-you are right make your organi-
cations strong and as distinctly a far
mer's organization as the bankers
associations is made of bankers. We
want stronger and better organizations
of all interests of the south. If We are
to prosper we must not raise up one
Equalization of a legitimate business
for the purpose of fighting another Or
ganization that does not obstruct the
way of orr coming together for profit
able prices for cotton.
Our Farmers Union must never ad-
NIT it's inability 10 meet with any and
all other organizations of tradesmeD in |
the south for fear that our delegations |
might be tainted by the contact, or
not afraid to put up agasnst the best
orators and business men in any other
calling on any conventional prop ISL
ton for a general conference for the
betterment of the conditions Of the
whole people of the south, who ate de-
pendent directly or indirectly upon
profitable prices for the south's cotton
We as organizations must cease 10
fight each other and combine ~
strength rs y solid south for solo
good business principle Of the hole
cotlou growing and cotton marketing
industry. We must act like statesmen
not like fooIs who quarrel over PEN
MES and small poor chickens, whise
our dollars anb great big fat turkeys
are trotted out of the south to feed and
enrich other countries. Let us have
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