The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-10-16
Farmers Union Letter.

the value of cooperation and slack
twisted. loose, single handed fighc for
a square deal.
We now know Of some good firm
Farmers Union men that stood out
through the thick Of the fight on
prices for cotton last season that saw
ed from SIS on short staple cotton to
$26 ON long staple cotton per bale and
there are better prospects, this year
for a gain of s22 per bale on short
cotton than there was for SIS for the
same cotton last year.
For the lack of business methods,
forethought and their share Of ener-
BY. pluck and grit. many easy going.
childish farmers that could do bet
ter. are now rushing over each other
to get their cotton off at the speculat-
ors' prices instead Of storing this cot
ton until the demand from the mills
calls for it and will take it for our
minimum prices.
This foolish rush Of the lambs to
che slaughter pen is the astounding
spectacle Of the cotton market at
present.
These cotton letters put out in our
Southern newspapers by bears are
there to deceive cotton growers!
Don't you know 1t?
1t Is said that these cotton ex-
changes don't mind paying some
newspaper men to publish their stuff,
whether this is true or rot we don't
know, but this much we do know.
that some papers that pu,llsh these
cotton exchange letters re gularly do
not care to publish our Farmers Un-
DIN clifton letters that come direct
from the cotton fields with truth in
them. YLr { et
here make the charge that any
Southern newspaper that makes
business Of publishing bearish cotton
exchange letters and refuses to pub
lish cotton letters from the farmers
organizations in reply to them are in
the employment Of those that they
must know are robbing the South OF
her honest profits on. her farm pro
ducts. which is sure to rebound to
the injury Of the south's prosperity.
Remember crop reports are usually
gotten up by straihing points by those
In the employ Of buyers.
The cotton crop outlook has been
reduced very materially since cotton
prices were set at Is cents and the
price of seed at $40 per ton.
,Cosc of production and reasonable
profit for the producer Is the rule that
governs prices for other products,
why not this same rule apply TO the
products Of the farm?
No! the, farmer has not received his
full share Of the profics, on his pro-
ducts, the truth Of this is in the vast
accumulations Of wealth of those that
buy the farmers products and sell
farm supplies to the farmer. whilst
the farmer usually demands a very
small pittance for his share and he
of course gets mol more than he asks
for. No one Is to blame for this state
Of affairs but the farmer. Organize
and demand a square deal through
an organized effdrt and then you will
set your rights and not until then.
1t is nothing but the natural trend
OF things for little things to give way
to big things, or for the un-organized
people to give way to organized. or
for an educated, systematized class OF
business farmers to be able to protect
their interests against the graft and
greed of few scoundrels that call
themselves financers.
1t is mere rot for any mon to go
about over the country talking a lot
of hot air about the down-trodden
farmers helpless condition and then
sneak of home like a cowardly cur
and refuse to Zine in" with his
neighbors to inaugurate a manly
movement to protect the interest Of
his wife AMI children against these
organized self-installed toll-gate keep
ers that obstruct the roads Of free
trade and swipe al unjust rake off of
farm products and supplies both go
Ing and coming Education and CO.
operation along the business side of
farming is the only cure for this evil.
: Come out boys and join the Farm
ers' Union and line up with the crowd
and help take care of yourselves.
/. About the only difference in this le-
gal robbery business by trusts and
others, and the one that goes after
your chickens at night. is that the le-
gal robbers are bold set Of smart
- hleY Anv, 1lvAk