The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-10-09
FARMERS STAND TOGETHER.
The "Call to Arms" From the Field
Marslla!--Nr. r.. ID. Smith is tndiI :

The "Call to Arms From the Field
MarsliaI--Mr. f.. ID. Smith is tndis-
nant.
Hold your cotton
That has ever been the advice Of Mr..
e. d.. Smith. Now he adss: Keep on
holding"
When he saw yesterday morning
how the reports to the department Of
agriculture had verified the claims of
the Cotton Association that the crop
was short and that the price was rid
icuously low. he was wrought up to
the boiling over pitch when he saw
that the gamblers on Wall street were
pushing the price down and giving the
lie to their own excuse Of the past
I'VE must yield to the law Of supply
and demand"
| 1T Is robbery. 1t is an seffort to
take the money out Of the pockets Of
the people of the South just as a pick
pocket would do" said Mr.. Smith.
They know that this is debt paying
time in rne South and they think they
have us at their mercy but we will
give them a fight which will show
them the spirit OF the South is yet too
proud to yield to them.
'Supply-it is short! Demand
why, I am informed that the mills are
selling their product at price which
would be profitable If cotton were be-
ing purchased at IS cents per pound.
| Hold your cotton That is all
that can say to the farmers of South
Carolina. And all who will hold are
urged to let me know that they will
hold and how much they will hold. 1t
Will require just a few lines on a pos
tai card addressed to our office, room
6lO, Skyscraper, Columbia, S. c.
"The government report, both as to
condition and number Of bales ginned,
was even more bullish than the
friends Of higher prices really antici-
pated. 81 on condition and practically
a half million bales less ginned to date
than last year, confirming the state
ment that the crop was steadily deter.
iorating in condition and that there
was not and would not be as much to
gin this year as last year by possibly
100000 bales. This amount is about
correct as the per cent of decrease in
condition shows. and the ginners' re-
port certainly confirms this esti-
mate.
"Yet the professionals take it as a
joke and proceed in the face OF these
conditions-that should warrant from
to cents more per pound than it
Is bringing to deduct dollar a bale
from the cotton now going on the
market. Every argument, all statis-
tics, the law Of supply and demand,
all In favor now Of higher priced cot
ton, the South through her cotton or
ganizations demanding higher price,
yet these gentlemen see fit to taunt
them with this added insult of today
OF 20 point drop in the market.
"Is it possible that the business men
and farmers Of the South are going
to have it proven to certainty that
the cotton gamblers can determine
what the revenue Of the South shall
be and what shall be the personal
wages Of every individual in the
/ SOnthc nr 1x-;l1 %o1,
sion to prove that they are masters Of
the situation?
"The situation would be ludicrous
If it did not involve so MANY interests
vital to the South. AS said in my ar
ticle Of last week, the only possible
answer is--tO stop selling cotton.
"The bankers and merchants OF the
South as well as the creditors Of the
lSouth should cooperate now in help
ing the South to win this fight. This
is the first time when conditions were
SUCH that we will be in a position to
prove our friends and remember
them.
| "Once more let me urge every man
who has cotton to report to me on
postal card the number Of bales he is
making and how many he will hold
from the market. Reports are coming
in now. I want them as full as possi-
BILE so that may tabulate them and
give them to the public for the benefit
of all parties Interested The State