The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-09-13
DETERMINED TO WIN,

The Atlanta Constitution prints an
interview with Mr.. Charles Barrett,
president of the National Farmers
Union. IN which Mr.. Barrett saws that
there Is little doubt that the farmers
will win the fight for fifteen cents
cotton. 1t will be the greatest fight in
the interest Of The cottor growers,
that has been made since The war
1t Is proposed TO win without the
enactment Of any laws; and there can
he no doubt that if III, farmers will
only stand together that they can win
in this fight. We do not know whcth-
rr IT l. tru" "r not. but II gentleman
told - the other day that Il cotton
mill man had said /" him that It, was
now selling his goods on the basis Of
seventeen cents cotton. and that even
at that price hr W"uII make Il profit.
The fact is that the farmers wunld
rather have hi"h priced cloth in order
to get hl"!, priced cotton than in have
low priced cloth with low price for
cotton. 1t seems to us that it would
he better for the manufacturer to pay
NOR" for the cutiul and .rl Il prupur-
tl"uAtr nrr"H>" inr the tij~ mLuuinr
turcd product: because that would
mean more prosperity for the cotton
section. Certainly the Southern man.
"tarturcr ought I" be willing to pay
high price for cotton and higher pri-
rcS for wages, rs he could make the
same profit out of his manufactured
product. And yet. strange to say. vou
will find some Of the mill presidents
are always ON the bear side Of the
market.
But in regard to the minimum fixed
by the Farmers Union, which is also
the minimum fixed by the Executive
Committee Of the Southern Cotton AS
sociation which wet at Jackson, Mis-
s'Ssippi, few days ago, Mr.. Barrett
is quoted as saying: con the stand
ard of the Farmers Union there has
been nailed the insert ption: Fifteen
Cent Cotton, and by that motto they
VIII " ~. W lItll l'''tlS II u TIE oillll1-
Ter, playing with the product Of the
honest toiling farmer as if il were Il
stack Of poker chips, names ricti-
tlous value To cotton, when the man
who makes it and who holds it in his
warehouse tells the world that his
goods will not be sold except for a
certain minimum price? We will win
the fight easy enough il the farmers
hold together. and believe they will
and the New York exchange will soon
be out Of busincss.'
II, as Mr.. Barrett says, the farmers
are really in earnest and will stand
by their resolutions. they can win.
MIR. Barrett thinks that the next
most important work which the Ma
t'"nal union has dome is It's opposition
I" the importation oi foreign labor
tie says that the Union now has |,
022.ho0 members. and that all Of ihc
southern states are represented. An
organization composed Of that num-
hrr of earnest and enthusiastic far
'''''H 't'I NtllN lOWtrln III mllnpnrp.
In regard TO the importation of
t"rrlGn labor Mr.. Barrett is quoted as
follows:
'fhc next most important work, in
my opinion. that the national union
d'd' was the opposition TO the impor
tation of foreign labor. We PASSED n
resolution by a unanimous vote that
stated uncquivocally our opposition
to foreign immigration. and will take
active steps to prevent it, so far as The
south and west arc concerned. We
don t want such labor, and we ar, not
GOING to have it,"
Every other calling and profession
unless II be the newspaper folk. i or
"anlzcd for their own protection, and
We can see no reason whv the ror-
m'rS should not organize. But if
lhrN mean to get fifteen cents for
their cotton. we cannot understand
why they should market it at twelve
and half and thirteen cents.
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