The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1908-09-17
PRES, HIGHT0WER
ON COTTON VALUES
RiEES SUGGESTIONS WHICH IF NEEDED
MOULD PROVE PROFITABLE.

and fEe Folly of the South
.r People. q. r. Hightower,
Eart of the Mississippi
branch and secretary of the
E.n. Union National Cotton
Committee. gives the following:
THE agitation in the south for
several. years has caused many
z. inquire into the cause
..H conditions here Cotton
being lla basis of nearly all pros
.H Is the South, we naturally
.. with = Jealous eye on the
-..aHrE Boo price. adding TO or
taking from its value many mil
... .E dollars. often in single
.lr Why should it be worth
-.r million dollars more or less
a. than it was yesterday?
. business man in the South
when asked the cause will tell
.Hat ueeuIati0n did it.
..ar asked how speculation
- add tn Hr take millions of
from the people in so
time. only one in a thous-
.a able 90 talk intelligent
IGa auHs and why's. This
@ GO information and careful
.. .H the part of so many of
..r people is largely responsible
.r much of oU trouble.
Manipulation fixes the price
#. cotton under the present sys-
..r ut marketing. A few indi-
..a's Hh1 manipulate and dom
mate fHe exchanges can subtract
from the value of our
chief commodity at viii. Public
.mant i1 the South. however,
very importont factor in
market values Public senti-
fhe heavy artillery with
which tae exchanges lombard
market I6e5 uaie not run
far ta this sentiment very
The first thing therefore.
rtaken bE the manipulators
bear raid on the market is
E-rE af pe imistic views as
LID trade conditions. and the con-
slant agitation of the bumper crop
..a. When the South is thorough
d. aaurafed with these ideas
.r raid the exchange markets,
break the price and public senti-
-HrtU the South allows the spot
market here 10 follow. not so
..H because we have to-. or be-
cause true conditions Justify it,
. because "a pessimism posses |
.ra people and they become
.F and sell. and the selling
the fictitious price
caused hy the bear raid on the ex-
change market.
EtTsE SENTIMENT FORMED.
Thus manufactured senti-
.ert costs the South millions of
collars every year. This senti-
rert fixes the price of cotton.
Thus sentiment prevents the
Carrying into effect of the only
sane method Of marketing cot
com. and that IS to feed the mark
ats of the world as the world
needs the cotton. What of the
Southern man in any calling who
talks down the price of cotton
and contributes his share to
lower taIues He unwittingly
plays therole Of a traitor to his
country and his neighbor and his
home
What builds boom towns?
LaiNnE them up. What causes
runs on solvent banks? Talk ng
ttem down. Talk by Southern
men has the same effect on cot
CON values and costs the South
millions Of dollars every day.
The drummers of the sec
uon are a powerful factor in
moIding sentiment. May ! not
appeal to them to change their
tacncsg Better prices will give
sou better business; maybe not
TINS month but eventually it
rrll come back with interest.
BANKS To THE RESCUE.
The bankers position gives
weight to what he says. May
d suggest to you. Mr.. Banker,
that SO per bale added to our
cotton win increase the bank de-
posits Of the South 500, 900. 600,
md Won will get your