The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-12-10
COTTON WAREHOUSE PLAN.

The question OF farmers nolQlns
their cotton is the one chiefly dis
cussed in the south today. AS The
Messenger has said heretofore, the
farmers should exercise judgment in
their cotton. A cast1ron /
rule strictly observed would work
as great injury TO the cotton pro-
ducer as would an indiscriminate
rushing of the product to market, for
only those who got their cotton to
market on the flush of the rise would
derive any benefit from it. The
price, on the rush Of cotton to mar
ket, would drop SO rapidly that the
tardy ones would suffer worse from
the slump than if they mad put their
cotton on the market before the rise
caused by the holding back of the
crop.
Storage warehouses are a good
thing if the farmers will use them
properly, but they should not be
patronized for the purpose Of caus-
ing such a dearth of cotton as to
cause the price to soar to figures not
warranted by the relation of supply
to demand for the entire crop. II
farmers who are in debt wish to
store their cotton and draw on. it
instead of selling at prices below the
real value-in order to raise money
to pay their debts, not one can OBJ
ject to the plan; or even If they
wish to store and draw money for
any other purpose it is an unobject-
ionable plan. But no farmer who
has cotton and owes money should
put that cotton in a warehouse in
order that he may get a greater price
after awhile, if by so doing he keeps
his creditor out of his money when
it becomes due, unless, of course, he
! has the willing consent of such cred
itor. The warehouse plan should
not be made a means whereby farm
ers can postpone the payment Of
! their just debts. Use the ware
houses for the purpose of enabling
! them to meet their obligations and
those warehouses will prove bless
! ing to both parties. On this subject
we find the following sensible ar
ticIes in three southern papers:
And speaking about holding cotton,
| we believe it is one of the first prlncl-
pies of the Farmers Union, which is
back of the movement, that the man
who holds his cotton Tor letter prices
must first Of all take care of his obli-
cations. This the farmers must do ii
| they want to retain public sympathy
in the fight they are making. If a
farmer has made debts due on the first
Of Nov enber, or on any other day, he
should arrange for the payment CT
those debts ii it is in his power to do
so. II he wants to hold his cotton that
| is his privilege, but he should by all
means pay his debts While he is doing
it. Holding cotton is important. But
the preser alton Of honor and ones
good name is more important."-Ar"
derson (S. - Mail.
! Our cOntem porary holds a correct
| view of it. A farmer who owes money
| to merchant should not speculate on
| the cotton which he has to sell with
out first getting the consent OF the
man to whom he is indebted. In a
|
ready and willing to assist the farmer
in every way possible to hold up the
| price of cotton, but the merchant is
entitled to the privilege Of a say-so in
| the matter. Yes, holding cotton is
important but the preservation of
! honor and ones good name is more
| important "-Greenville (S. c.
| News,
BY al. means let the farmer meet
his obligations promptly to the
| country merchant in order that the
country merchant may pay the man
ufacturer and the jObber; and the
manufacturer and jobber pay the
southern banker; and let southern
banker pay his obligations to his
northern correspondents, thereby
preserving the high credit that the
south has always maintained in or
der that credit may be freely extend
ed in turn to the southern farmer,
merchant and manufacturer next
spring to carry on the good work of
deVelOpment.--Tim Dispatch.