The Washington herald., 1907-01-04
COTTON MEN ANGRY
Members Of New York EX-
change Resent Charges.
MAKE THREAT OF LIBEL SUIT
Consult Counsel, Henry W. Taft. as
To AdvisabiIity of Proceeding
of Georgia. and President Jordan,
Of southern Growers Association.

New York. Jan. 3.-The members Of the
cotton exchange. who have been divided
on the question Of altering the system
Of revision of difference, were together
to-day in defending the exchange against
the charges made against it by President
Harvie Jordan, Of the Southern Cotton
Growers Association. and Representative
Leonidas Felix Livingston, of Georgia.
in the morning. those members Of the
exchange who have advocated a reform
postponed a meeting for the reason that
they did not want it to appear that they
gave the slightest cOuntenance 10 the
fraud-order movement In the afternoon
the managers Of the exchange. after a
long and vigorous meeting. decided that
the defense should be an aggressive de-
fensc. and unanimously adopted this reso-
luton:
Adopt Resolution.
Resolved, That Henry W. Taft. the
counsel OF the New York Cotton Ex-
change, be consulted as to the advisa-
bility of bringing suit against Leonidas
T. Livingston. Representative in Congress
"a DAiA NEtDl = 4Lr anu Alal IL JOf4dI. IEEEI-
dent of the Southern Cotton Growers
Association. for libel. and. if possible.
criminal libel. in the affidavits which they
have addressed TO the Post-office Depart
ment at Washington. requesting the issu-
ance Of a fraud order against the New
York Cotton Exchange"
The eXCh1nge proposes TO take a vigor-
Gus and straightforward course in this
matter" said Walter S Hubbard. the
president we started our side of the
controversy 10y forwarding a dignified re-
quest for copies Of the charges against
US. We learned that these were filed only
yesterday, and official notice of the mat
ter has not reached Us But judging from
newspaper reports Of the charges. they
are flied with misstatemeHts that amount
TO libel against the exchange"
Members Wrought Up.
The threat of a libel suit. which is to he
a criminal libel suit, II possible. furnishes
a fair reflex Of the feelings OF officers and
members Of the exchange. Without ex-
ception they characterized the proceed
ings as entirely unwarranted. as based
upon erroneous statements. and as cast
ing unfair reflections upon the exchange.
A perfect defense. they said would be
laid before the authorities at Washington.
Some of the members of the exchange
blame certain members of the reform par
~ for tanning a feeling against the ex-
change. There was considerable talk to-
day OF dsciplining these reformers and il
was learned that there is under way
well-defined movement 10 prefer Charges
of rpnnTTrf dnfvfr1aanraI IN no int e
the exchange against one of the best
known cotton men in the city.
Harvie Jordan, president Of the South
ern Cotton Association. returned last
night from New York, where he went to
collect information having a bearing on
the application made by him and Repre-
Livingston for the issuance Of
a fraud order denying the use of the
mails to the New York Cotton Exchange.
Mr. Jordan was accompanied by Rich
ard Cheatham, secretary of the asso-
citation. Messrs. Jordan, Livingston, and
Cheatham had conference last night, at
the conclusion of which the statement
was made by Mr.. Livingston that he felt
convinced of the truth of the charges
brought against the exchange, and that
additional information just received would
make the issuance of a fraud order i'm
perative. The Postmaster General will
be asked to-day, as an incident of the
that will doubtless be made
into the conduct of the exchange, that
five cotton experts be sent to New York
to make A report upon the alleged dog
tail cotton stored in the warehouses in
that city.