The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1907-10-16
STOP SELLING COTTON.
Mr.. e. D.. Smith Begs the Farmers to
Stand Pat for High Prices.

Stand Pat for High Prices.
1--WE publish below Mr.. E. d. Smiths
important interview, which was crowded
out of last weeks issue.
"Hold your cotton"
That has ever been the advice of Mr..
E. d. Smith. Now he adds: "Keep on
holding"
When he saw yesterday morning how
the reports to the department of agri-
culture had verified the claims of the
Cotton Association that the crop was
short and that the price was ridicu-
lously low, he was wrought UP to the
boiling over pitch when he saw that
the gamblers OH Wall street were
pushing the price down and giving the
lie to their own excuse of the past
eve must yield to the law of supply
and demand"
cit is robbery. 1t is an effort 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 the 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! Why,
l am informed that the mills are sell
ing their product at a 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 postal
card addressed to our office, room $40,
Skyscraper, Columbia, S. G..
"The government report, both as to
condition and number Of bales ginned,
was even more bullish than the friends
OF higher prices really anticipated, CT
on condition and practically a half mil
lion bales less ginned to date than last
year confirming the statement that the
crop was steadily deteriorating in con-
dltion and that there was not and
would not be as much to gin this year
as last by possibly g. 600, 600 bales. This
amount is about correct as the per
cent. of decrease in condition shows,
and the ginners' report certainly con-
firms this estimate.
Yet the professionals take it as a
joke and proceed in the face of these
conditions that should warrant from
8 to a cents more per pound than it
is bringing-to deduct a dollar a bale
from the cotton now going on the mar
ket. Every argument, all statistics,
the law of supply and demand, all in
favor now of higher priced cotton, the
South through her cotton organizations
demanding a higher price, yet these
gentlemen see fit to taunt them with
this added insult to-day of a 20 point
drop in the market.
Is it possible that the business men
and farmers of the South are going tc
have it proven to a certainty that the
cotton gamblers can determine what
the revenue Of the South shall be anc
what shall be the personal wages Of
every individual in the South? Or will
they take this occasion to prove that
they are masters of the situation?
"The situation would be ludicrou.
if it did not involve so many interest.
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
South should cooperate now in help
ing the South to win this fight. This
is the first time when conditions are
such that we will be in the position tc
prove u friends and remember them.
"Once more let me urge every mar
who has cotton to report to me on 6
postal card the number of bales he is
making and how many he will hole
from the market. Reports are coming
in now. | want them as full as posi-
BILE so that | may tabulate them ant
give them to the public for the benefit
of all parties Interested" The State
Oct. 3rd.