The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-10-08
Our Cotton Letter.

eoI'oh then you can realize the value
OF cooperation and a slack twisted,
loose, single handed fight for square
deal.
We now know Of some good firm
Farmers Union men tnat stood ont
through the thick Of the fight on
prices for cotton last season that say
ed from $l5 on short staple cotton
I" T2G on long staple cotton per bale
an" there are better prospects this
year for gain Of $22 per bale on
short cotton than there was for $15
Tor the sane cotton last year.
For Ike lack Of business; methods,
for2lhought and tEeir share of cncr-
gy, pluck and grit, many easy 90
ing, childish farmers that could do
better, are now rushing over each
other to get their cotton off at the
spcculator prices instead of stor-
ing this cotton until the demand from
the mills calls for it and will take it
for our minimum prices.
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 arc
there to deceive cotton growers
Don't you know itq
It Is sa id that these cotton exchange
cs don't mind paying some newspa-
per men to publish their stuff, whcth-
er this is true or not We do not know,
but this much we do know, that some
papers that publish these Cotton E2-
change letters regularly do not care
to publish our Farmers Union cot
tom letters tnat come direct from the
cotton fields with the truth in them.
here make the charge that any
Southern newspaper that makes n
business Of publishing bcariSh Cotton
Exchange letters and refuses 10 pub
li>h cotton letters from Farmcrs' Or
CARNATIONS in reply to them are in
the employment Of those that they
must know arc robbing The South Of
her honest profits on her farm pro-
duets, which is sure TO rebound to the
injury Of the South's prosperity.
Remcmhcr crop reports are usually
gotten up by sirainin% points by
those in the employ or buyers.
The cotton crop ont hook has been
reduced very materially since cotton
prices, were sci al - cts. and the
price Of seed at $1,000 per ion.
Cost Of production and a rrasnna-
bic profit for The producer is The rule
,hat governs prices for other products
why not this same rule apply to The
products Of the farm?
Nc. the farmer has not received his
full share Of the profits. on his pro-
duets, The truth Of this is in the a>t
accumulations Of wealth Of those
that buy the farmers products and
sell farm supplies to The farmer,
whilst the farmer usually demands a
very snNll ;ttanf for mis- shs"c and
he Of course gets no more than he
asks for. No one is to blame for this
state of affairs but the farmer. Or
Canizc and demand square deal
through an organized effort then will
YOU oct your rights and not till then.
TT is nothing but The natural trend
Of things. for little things to give
way to big things, or for the un-or-
ganized people to give way to organ
lied, or for an educated, systematized
class Of business farmers to be ablo
to protect their interests against the
graft and greed of a few scoundrels
that call themselves financiers.
Tt is mere rot for any men to 60
about over the country talking lot
Of hot air about the down trodden
farmers helpless condition and then
sneak off home like a cowardly cur
and refuse to "jinc in' with his
nieghbors to inauguratc manly
movement to protect the interest Of
his wife and children against these
organized self-installcd toll gate
keepers that obstruct the roads of
free trade and swipe an unjust rake
off Of farm products and supplies
both going and coming. Education
and cooperation along the business
side Of farming is the Only cure for
this evil.
Come ont boys and join the Farm
crs' Union and line up with the crowd