Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1908-11-07
REMOVE THE CAUSE.

All iulcii6cut ptoplt huOW tndt LOT
every effect there is a cause, and that
the only remedy for an evil is TO re-
move the cause. A recognition of
these truths has led to the discovery
Of the cause of various diseases, such
as yellow fever in human beings and
so-called Texas fever" in cattle. In
every case where the cause is re-
moved the evil ceases.
Thoughtful people are now much
concerned about an evil that has
scourged Kentucky and Tennessee
and is now threatening Texas. Max
ing reasonable allowance for exag-
geration, there are enough facts to
convince anyone who will consider
them that there is real danger of
repetition in Texas of the reign of
terror that has disgraced those states.
Governor Campbell has been justly
commended for his prompt action in
response to the request of President
Neil Of the Farmers Union, but in all
such cases the difficulty of detecting
the guilty has proven an insuperable
obstacle to the forcible repression OF
the evil. In a communication to the
Co-Operator and Farm Journal c. B.
Metcalfe of Tom Green county dis
.Acysses the cause and the remedy, and
4 he Eagle reproduces a part of his
litter and asks for the thoughts pre-
scented careful reading by the bust
ness men of Bryan. Mr.. Metcalfe
says:
The growers of tobacco, robbed of
the price of their labor and made des-
perate by the tobacco trust, and the
weakness of those growers who con-
qnued to supply the trust with to-
4acco. stopped the selling of tobacco
by forceful compulsion. The govern
nfent of Kentucky exhausted its power
attempting to prevent the operations
of< night riders, and to punish those
who participated The effort was fu-
iiic. 4 oDaSSo "dS ihcu, u uSt dSeuto
killed. and farmers maItreated until
now tobacco growers do not SELL and
the trust does not buy for less than
price that will pay fair wages for
growing tobacco. Night riding has
ceased in Kentucky, for the cause is
removed.
In some instances action of the
night riding order Is now beginning in
the cotton country. There must be
cause for this. which, if not removed.
will incite to outrages against buyers,
sellers, ginners. growers, merchants
and all business depending on cotton,
and total forcible paralysis of bust
ness will result.
The cause is that through the credit
system cotton is being forced in the
markets and sold for much less than
cost of production. The farmers or
Aanizations and farmers are doing all
in their power to obtain q fair price in
lawful way by holding and market
ing slowly. when allowed to do so by
their creditors, SO as to forestall and
prevent or remove the aggravating
cause of trouble, and the masses of
growers of cotton are outspoken in
condemnation of all unlawful acts. The
history of recent events. however, will
convince all reasonable observers that
II this crop of cotton is forced out of
the hands of the growers for half its
cost in labor. as is now being done,
the tobacco war will be trivial COM
pared to what will occur with cotton.
The farmers are doing all possible
to forestal and prevent the develop
men of this trouble. If the bankers.
merchants and Others who are the
beneficiaries of the credit system will