Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-08
Misesllaneuu5 Readins.
STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM.
Proaress Of the Farmers Great Hold.
ing Movement.
1alphio publip alpar

Progress of the Farmers Great Hold
ing Movement.
Philadelphia Public Ledger
The second war Of rebellion is now
in full progress throughout the cotton
states, and a struggle for freedom has
been inaugurated that will not end un-
til reconstruction has done its work
and victory perches upon the banner
of the hosts of King Cotton, who never
again will be dethroned. 1t is war
between the producer Of the fleecy sta
pie, the grower of a worlds necessity
which the world for all time must
look to America for the greater part of
it's supply-and the middleman, who
has organized his forces so as to de-
mand a tithe from every. bale market
ed, and arrogates to himself the right
to depress or elevate the price as best
serves his ledger account with his fell
lows.
There is no sectional hatred, no ra-
cial contention, in this war; it is mere
ly case Of existence on both sides, for
the planter may as we'll throw up the
sponge if the exchange is going to die
tate the conditions under which he
must market his crop.
At least, that is the way the leaders
of the cotton forces put it. The brok-
ers. on the other hand, claim that they
are as necessary to the grower Of cot
ton as his land, fertilizer and "nigger'
tenants combined. If they cannot make
good on this claim they will no longer
be able to show a license to live" as
exchange members.
The preliminary struggle, since the
Southern Cotton Association and the
Farmers Union came into existence,
reminds one of the prolonged insurrec-
ton in Cuba before the Spaniards, who
lorded it over a nation Of poems, were
finally and forever deposed from power
Generals of both these armies vow
that a like fate shall overtake the lords
oil the Cotton Exchanges, even if the
most revolutionary methods are found
necessary.
Has Powerful Support.
Nor are these forces to be lightly
considered. The Farmers Union or
ganization of America, now shows
total enrolment of 100000 souls, all
imbued with the sense of their wrongs
and determined that coming genera
tions shall not be similarly enslaved'
even if they do not realize the millen-
mum in their own term of activity. In
sympathy with their aims and hopes
are 100000 other tillers Of the soil in
this country, and 20,000,O0O of the
younger generation. from whose ranks
will come the farmers of the future
The. labor organizations of America are
likewise sympathetic, because millions
of skilled workers of the country sprang
from the soil and graduated from ap-
prenticeships behind the plow.
The Southern Cotton associations
contention and purpose are the same.
The organization is composed OF men
who own both small and large planta-
tions and others who have large bank
ing and commercial interests directly
affiliated with cotton growing. Their
wealth and power are enormous in the
aggregate, and these allied hosts all
have one belief, which, to the layman,
tloa
belongs a fair return for his labor, and
investment. uninfuenced by eXtrane-
Gus pressure from organized freeboot-
ers Gas they term the exchange croWd)
who simply desire to get somethingf for
nothing by gambling with marked
cards and loaded dice
The Growers Argument.
THE cotton grower points to the
market history Of years to demonstrate
that when a large crop is grown ne
obtains costs or less for his product,
and when the crop is short the eX-
changes see to it that he gets but
small portion Of the increased value
He cannot remember when the planter
got a high price for cotton except that
natural conditions greatly favored him;
or an abnormal demand sprang up so
suddenly that all the pressure of the
mill owners and tricks of the brokers
could not avail to defraud him of his
rights" This is in the exact words of
one of the largest planters in the Uni
ted States, who addressed meeting
held recently in southern city.
The exchange defenders contend that
their delicate and imposing machinery
is necessary to the marketing of crop
Of twelve or thirteen million bales
and that the farmer never could and
never did get high prices until the eX-
change bulls" made those prices for
him.
The exchange members consider their
organization as being indispensable to
market welfare.
The cotton grower says that, from
his point of view, the exchange Is about
as important as the curl in pigs tail
This difference of opinion has led to
a marshaling of forces on both sides
for struggle to the death, and if there
is doubt as to when the fight will be
over there is no doubt in the minds of
the cotton producers that they will
eventually triumph.
A Gigantic Holding Movement.
1t is claimed that more than a million
bales of 1907 cotton, most of it high
grade, have been pledged for retention
in first and second hands until the
market shall take it at l5 cents a pound
(for middling). This is practically half
of all remaining in the United States
of last seasons crop. A vast amount
of "unpledged" cotton is also being
held by owners, who realize that it is
intrinsically worth much more than
present market prices, in view Of 'the
statistical position of the crop" (see
circulars of any prominent cotton eX-
change houses). Being in no stress for
money these holders can afford to
speculate" in the real article, as they