The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-10-01
APPEALS TO FARMERS.
MIR. E. D. Smith Urges Farmers to
Hold Their Cotton for Fifteen
Gents.

fight for Is cents cotton finds its most
ardent and most active exponent in
Mr.. E. D. Smith, the field agent Of
the Southern Cotton Association. Mr..
Smith spent today in the city, after
day or two at his home in Sumter
county, and was seen at the office OF
the association in the National Loan
and Exchange Bank building.
"After trip through the West -
said Mr.. Smith, 'I find on my re-
turn numerous requests from differ
ent parts of the state asking me to
urge the people to hold their cotton
from the market until the price set by
the Southern Cotton Association and
the Farmers Union is reached.
eff ever there was a time when
the conditions were clear and unmis-
taxable without there being any
complications, it is now. It is clear
case of pure speculation against real
conditions. To put the case as 1t IS
so that any one ma ysee what tribute
we are paying to gamblers because we
are not organized to withstand them,
the facts are these: The mills have
sold their output for months ahead on
basis Of Is cents per pound; the de-
mand for goods at these prices in
creasing; the price of the manufac-
tured article actually advancing; the
supply of cotton in sight; the present
crop unquestionably short, probably
two million bales less than last year;
the demand for cotton for the cur
rent year far in excess of the sup
ply; the condition Of the crop stead
lily deteriorating; the mills running
full time, eager for cotton; no
alarming conditions in the money
market; no complications at home or
abroad particularly, with the spin
ners thirty days ago buying cotton
cheerfully and profitably at II and
1-2 cents per pound. Yet in the face
of all these favorable conditions the
price has dropped from 2 l-2 to 3
cents per pound. Why? Because
few spectators, who neither grow nor
spin cotton, please to nave it so. The
question is squarely up to the south,
the whole south, the merchant, bank
er, farmer, lawyer, doctor, preacher
and laborer in any and every voea-
ton, avocation or profession, wheth-
er they will tamely submit TO this
these gentry to exact toll from US,
outrage, whether they will allow
at their pleasure, Of from $40 to S25
per bale, or whether they will put
their price on their property and
refuse to accept any other. The only
answer to give this absurd decline is
to refuse to take the prices offered.
"In the west they are making a
brave stand. They are complaining
bitterly that the Atlantic States are
not standing for the price agreed up
on. How true this is, I am not able
to say. Let every man in South Car
olina, who has cotton to sell drop me
a postal card saying how many bales
he has and now many he will hold. l
will compile the number and give it
to the public, so that we may know
what to depend upon. If we would
absolutely refuse to sell bale Of cot
ton now, stop receipts, then the reae-
tion would be immediate.
"The only possible way to remedy
this outrageous condition is to refuse
to submit to it.
"With present conditions warrant
ing Is cents cotton, acknowledged by
all parties to be worth Is cents, it
the people put it on the market at
present prices, then We acknowledge
that neither the law Of supply and
demand, the condition of trade and
finance, or the cost Of production
have anything to do with the price or
value of cotton, but simply the ca
price Of a few millionaire gamblers.
Surely we are paying dearly for the
privilege Of being disorganized, for
being without warehouses, without
organized capital to hold our cotton.
"Can not each community meet at
once and devise means, where there
are none, to help each other to aold
cotton? It. will take organized CO.
operation to accomplish our purpose
"Every bale sold at present prices