The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-04-02

equally true that the man who car
ries his commodities and does not
borrow money is specializing; in fact
the farmer is specializing from the
time he puts the seed in the soil until
he turns his product into money. He
is specializing against weather, sea-
sons, trade conditions, ETC., and when
by his own act he permits trade con
ditlons, etc., to exist that operate to
his detriment he speculates very un-
wisely.
Il am glad to note that you are
interested In the welfare and pros
perity OF the agriculturists, and that
you think they are due more support
and sympathy than any other class.
| ana sorry to say, however, that they
do not generally get that support and
sympathy from men engaged in other
avocations. They produce the wealth
of the country. They feed and clothe
the world and yet an their present
struggle for self-preservation almost
every business man in the South has
predicted that cotton would go to
eight cents per pound. thus discour-
aging the farmer and encouraging
those who would prey upon him. The
Southern farmer during the last few
months have waged the most unequal
struggle known to man. They have
fought the world in their efforts to
secure just compensation for their
toll, and have had arrayed against
them the majority Of the business PEG
pie of their own section. It is my
candid opinion that if every business
man in the South during the last four
months had encouraged the farmer to
hold the position he has taken, and
said to the balance of tie world that
you must pay legitimate price for
the cotton Of the South before you
can have it. we would see very diff
ferent conditions in the cotton trade.
The world gets its impression of the
South from the conduct and utter
ances Of the business people of the
South
"The impression during the last
season has been that the farmers
would not hold their cotton but would
be caused to bolt and sell their pro-
duct for eight cents per pound. Late
last fall when the crisis caused by the
approach of settling time was con-
fronted, the market was raided in an
effort to put the price of cotton to
eight cents The farmer refused to
take that price, and cotton began
steadily to advance and in February
it reached II IA cents in the local
markets. Now we are confronted
with another crisis. Planting season
has come, farmers owe money, they
must have mules, corn and other sup
plies. Many of them have to have
credit We see now another raid OF
the market trying to force the price
down to eight cents. This is a very
great strain on our people and they
deserves unstinted praise for their
sacrifice and self-denial in an effort
to protect their homes. If they could
be driven from their position now 1t
would not only mean the loss they
would sustain on the cotton they have
on hand, but it would mean loss
of not less than three cent per
pound on the whole of the next crop.
They will not surrender. Cotton will
advance again.
II thank you for your kind express
sions Of good will and friendship
for the agricultural class, and | trust
you and your class may IN the fu-
ture not only make those kind express
sions, but that you may cooperate IN
this movement for the welfare and
the rr-building Of our beloved South
land T remain.v