The Kemper herald., 1908-02-06


lowing sensible and pertinent address,
| e;veE to the public on the day he re-
signed his place in the State Senate
to take active charge Of the position
a. President for Mississippi. La this
address President Hightower outlines
the work Of tie I'..on fu ths year
and his suggesllops are wei w3r,hy
Of perusal and careful consideration !:
''In accepting the Presidency of the
Mississippi Division of the Farmers
Educational and Co-Operative Union
Of America, feel that very great
responsibility is imposed, and that
| will need the earnest cooperation
of every loyal citizen in order to sue
cesfully conduct the affairs Of the or
ganization. The agricultural class in
Mississippi is tthe foundation Of the
states wealth and prosperity, and
their organization for the purposes
set out in the declaration of princi-
piles should be heartily supported by
every farmer, and approved by. the
citizens of all other classes. 1t Shall
be my purpose to direct the work Of
the Union during the year 1908 in a
way to secure the greatest gooi for
the agricultural people, and without
prejudice to any other class or inter
est We feel that all classes can, and
should cooperate with us to the end
that the material welfare Of the whole
state may be advanced. This organi-
cation has resched the stage in its
history where it must be factor in
the great economic questions of this
country, and with your cooperation.
we expect the Mississippi Division
TO take the lead. Hoping and expect
ing to have the united and solid sup
port of all loyal citizens, | feel it
incumbent upon me to state briefly
few of the purposes sought to be ac-
eomplished this year.
Sixty-fve thousand members are
now paid up and in good standing. |
want every Union man and woman to
constitute himself or herself a special
committee of one upon membership
and begin the work rigi, now to swell
that number to one-hundred and fifty
thousand by January LIST 1909.
Every Mississippi.>- who loves his
state should agitate and encourage
such diversifcation of crops as will
make the state absolutely self sus-
tanning. This diversifcation should
be so general as to reduce the acreage
Of cotton very considerably.
With these two objects attained, an
effort will be made to finance all Of
the distressed cotton of the crop of
1908. ] shall, little later, ask cer-
tain citizens of the state to cooperate
with us i'll this effort.
A systematic effort will be made to
install number of gin congresses
during the year, thus preparing cotton
at the gin for shipment direct to
the spinner. To this end, ] respect
fully urge upon the management Of
the State Penitentiary farms to in
stall these presses to handle the
states large cotton crop.
The question of cotton bagging to
take the place of jute, will receive
careful consideration in due time, and
in this we solicit the support and CO.
operation of the planters, ginners and
all parties interested in our great
money crop, cotton.
The building of union warehouses at
every important shipping point in the
state is necessary to the success of
the movement to improve the system
of handling the staple. We hope that
during the summer plan can be
evolved whereby it will be possible
to federate these warehouses with the
view of facilitating the handling of
cotton.
All business pertaining to matters
here outlined as well as to the lee
ture bureau. will be handled through
my Office at Oxford, Miss, instead of
through the secretary's Office at Jack
son. All questions for executive rul-
ing must also go to the Oxford Of
fee. -
Again does Walter Clarke of the
Cotton Association speak wisely to
his people. In recent address he
says:
"Shortly after the Southern Cotton
Association was organized, cotton
steadily advanced, and for the past
three years the price has been higher
than for many years. While we do not
claim the earth, We do claim that our
efforts have had much to do with this
condition, and We feel that our or
ganization is entitled to the moral as
well as the financial support of every
man in Mississippi.
'sIn all of our work we have en-
deavored to keep before the minds of
our people the necessity for diver