The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-10
FIGHTING The FARMER
WHAT A FARMERS UNION PAPER
SAYS ABOUT THE MILLS.
Shutting Down, and Claims That It
Is an Effort to Keep the Cotton

Is an Effort to Keep the Cotton
Grower Down.
The following articles from the
Farmers Union News. Of Union
City, Ca, brings out some things
about the mill curtailment that we
v heard before. The first article
says:
The presidents, vice presidents
and owners Of cotton mills through
out the South are organized into
what Is called the American Cotton
Manufacturers Association. Such
men as s. B. Tanner and D. A.
Tompkins Of Charlotte, N. c., E. A.
Smythe of Greenville. S. c., and 9TH
ers, who we're worth no more than
the rest Of us, estimated at least
in this worlds worldly goods, un-
til the recent rise Of cotton mills
this side Of Mason and DiXon's
line. They were some Of the pion-
GERS in this fabulously prosperous
field OF business. Their cotton mills
and others have paid enormous div
idends, in many cases as much as
from ten to forty per cent proht
on highly watered stock.
And yet the present president OF
the A. C. NJ. A., Mr.. Lewis w. Parker
| Of Greenville. 8. c., at the instance
| Of Smythe. Tompkins and Tanner,
| has Just called a meeting Of the
| board Of governors for the purpose
| Of fighting the increase In the price
| of cotton to thirteen cents, by shut
! ting down the mills, or at least
| running them on half or quarter
| time. Some Of these men whose
| fortunes aAe increasing by leaps
| and bounds as a result Of their man
| ufacturing cotton. ride in -automom-
biles live In the most luxurious hon.
es, and even spend their summers
abroad, enjoying all the very best
things of life, while We producers
OF the raw material, the basis Of
their income, struggle from early
morn until dewy eve in order to
keep body and soul together.
And when we get together fol
the mere purpose of securing a fail
price, yes, the mere cost Of produc'
ing cotton, they prepare to fight
US tooth and nail, in this bruta.
fashion. But this is not the first
instance. Mr.. Dante Aikensidt
Tompkins Of Charlotte, then presi
dent Of the A. C. NJ. A., went abroad
lin 1907, with the present president
of the A. C. NJ. A., got up a confer
fence Of European cotton manufac
rturers for the purpose of divert
ling foreign immigration to thu
LSouth in order to break the back o
the Farmers Union and increase tnt
Lsupply Of cotton produced, so tina
Eonly mere e%xistance price for tn
RAW materials would prevail. Yes
Mr.. Smythe, Mr.. Parker and othe1
mill men of South Carolina ever
Iraised some twenty odd Thousand
dollars to send Commissioner Wat
Son Of South Ca1blina abroad t
bring in two cargoes Of foreigner
for this purpose.
Gentlemen, gentlemen, you liv'
among u.s., your lives and your fami
lies and your property is mingled
with ours, and your prosperity, ant
your daily walks are among US, from
whose humble ranks you have riser
upon our industry and toll Their
is such a thing as having none o
the milk Of human kindness ant
being absolutely unsympathetic ant
calous to the struggling masses
their sorrows and h%ardships, arount
you, but have care, lest you Kill
the geese that are laying your gold
en- eggs. II any one doubts GU;
statement let him but read tina
well-known manufacturers maya
zine. The Textile Record. August
1908, published by Lord and Maggie
Boston and New York. page b3S
where is printed a summary Of Mr.
/ Tompkins' speech. and it is stated
among other things that Mr.. Temp
kins told the European manufac
turers plainly what was and Is th'
only way to increase adequately thu
worlds supply Of cotton, namely, t.
stimulate and divert foreign immi
grants by the wholesale to the South
ern States.
They Join Forces.
In another article The Farmers
| Union News goes On to say:
The Northern cotton mill mer
have responded to the suggest IN
OF the Southern cotton mill me1
that the mills be closed down In or
| der to cu"tail the production OF cot
ton goods. and thereby decreaS: he
| consumption Of raw cotton thus
| depressing the price Of cotton and
! showing the Farmers Union that
they cannot hope for decent ;riccs
for their crop. In response to the
suggestion Of the America Cotton
Manufacturer Association, which
Is a strictly Southern organization,
the executive committee OF the Cot
ton Manufacturers Association,
which takes in all the Northern cot
ton mills, has met and decided to
have the production OF cotton goods
greatly curtailed shortly.
At the meeting, as at the board OF
governors meeting Of the American
Cotton Manufacturers Association.
at Charlotte, on the 9Th. every pos