The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-09-30
THE FARMERS UNION
is A GRAND ORGANIZATIONS AND
ALL FARMERS OUGHT
To Be Members Of 1t and Work to
Make 1t the Greatest Benefit to

Make 1t the Greatest Benefit to
Them.
Notwithstanding the fact that they
were seriously handicapped during
the past season in meeting their
financial obligations, and in the reali-
zation of that prosperity that is
rightfully theirs, by the distressihgly
low price of cotton, yet the farmers
of the South can easily overcome
these grave difficulties by a more
marked adherence to the principles
of their different organizations in the
future than in the past, says Paul
Williams in the Macon Telegraph.
The fact has been demonstrated
that the thing for the Southern farm
er TO do in order to obtain legiti-
mate price for his cotton is to bring
himself to the point where he can,
hold it just as long as he wants to,
but before this can be done it is
absolutely necessary that he raise
his food products at home. This
is the main thing to do in order
to make Southern agricultural con-
ditions assume more satisfactory
aspect.
Let the Southern farmer lmme-
diately resort to the wisdom and
advisablity of raising his own food
supplies instead Of depending for
them upon the Western farmers, and
wonderful change will be brought
about in the agricultural situation
down South. In fact, such a wonder
full change that the cotton market
will nearly always present, bullish'
aspect, because the control Of the
price Of the fleecy staple will have
been wrested from the grasp Of the
Wall street manipulators and plac-
ed In the control Of the Southern
farmers.
Then there will be no repetition
of the very unsatisfactory and deplor-
able conditions that existed to such
striking extent last fall, tremen-
dously handicapping the farmers in
cancelling their pecuniary obliga-
tions. No bills will have to be car
ried over for another year, but debts
will be paid promptly, and farmers,
bankers, merchants and others in
terested will enjoy the splendid pros.
perity that is the inevitable result
of the farmer being his own boss.
Many farmer joins the Union
thinking that membership in the
organization Is all that Is necessary
in obtaining satisfactory results from
their farming operations. They
don't seem to realize that unless
they carry out their obligation as
representatives of that organization
they will never come into the pos
session of the manifold blessings
and benefits that must inevitably
result from a full discharge of the
duties and obligations that rest up
ON them as members OF that organi-
zation.
Unless they remain steadfast!y in
their loyalty to the principles OF the
Union, every fall they will be con-
fronted by the awful realiZation that
necessity forces them to surrender
to the cotton manipulators of Wall
street in order to meet their COM
mercial obligations with the bankers
ana merchants and others with whom
they have dealings. This surrender
means low prices for their cotton
and the consequent disasters attend
ant upon it. The agricultural mir
ror in the South reflects a very sad
state of affairs, indeed.
1t reflects the heart-rending spec
tacle Of thousands upon thousands
of farmers bowling down to TIE pro-
fessional gamblers of Wall street
| suffering the terrible and almost un-
hearable humiliation and mortitica-
| ton of having others dictate tn"
| price of the products that they have
raised by the sweat of their broWs
It reflects the sad picture OF the
farmers having to mortgage their
homes and plantations in order to
alleviate the terror Of low priced
cotton.
1t shows the aristocTatic gentle.
men of Wall street growing rich of
the labors of the Southern farmers,
buying their cotton of their own
prices and then coming millions
of the silver wheels by gambling
and speculating with the t1eecy sta
pie. 1t reflects the sad picture of the
Southern tillers OF the soil losing
millions and millions Of dollars an
nually because of the dictation Of
the price Of cotton by the profess
sional gamblers that dwell in Wall
i street. and it reflects thousands OF
other equally as sad and humiliat-
ing pictures.
BY little more progressivenesa
and energy on the part OF our South
crn farmers their mirror could be
made to reflect vastly different pic
lures. 1t would reject the noble,
commanding spectacle Of thousands
unnn thcrSan is Of the sturdiest and
most progressive farmers on the face
of the globe developing and ntiliz-
ing the wonderful agricultural pos