The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-12-08

the law OF supply and demand
the law of how much there is and
how much is needed-if any con-
dition interposes to hinder the
full application Of this law to the
transactions o. the farmer, either
to his hurt or to his illegitimate
gain, the ultimate result is sub
stantial injustice to him and jus
tilted full investigation. # the
man who does the work is denied
the right to have part in fixing
thecompensation for The products
of that work, it is not too much
to suggest that there is cause
for that somewhere, just as there
must be remedy for it somewhere.
What is the cause-what IS the
remedy: The seeking out Of the
one and the suggestion Of the oti-
er involve TIC highest order Of
craftsmanship Of this century.
4 moment ago used an exam
pie in which | took bushel OF
potatoes, the property Of the
farmer. as an illustration of an
economic fact. In that illus:ra
ton it was pointed out that the
bushel OF potatoes was in truth
and in fact the property Of the
farmer-his without encum-
orance. What we are more eSpec
|ialiy interested in as farmers and
as a people. Is the great money
crop of the South-the cotton
crop. It his been, is now and will
continue 70 be the great crop up
on which our prosperity depends.
All other crops. corn, potatoes,
oats, wheat. all of them, are sub
sidiary crops. We are most cou,
cerned with whatever effects the
price of our cotton crop. What |
said, with respect to the farmers
bushel of potatoes, as to its being
unencumbered, cannot oe said in
the majority of cases at least with
respect to the farmers cotton.
\ fact. known to Us all, !nStlll
ed into US by preachments until
we have almost begun to believe
it, is that the farmer is the most
independent Of our people. Who
has not seen the orator reach the
skies in his picture Of the iude-
penGence Of the farmer, and yet
who Of Us, who have thought
about It, does not know that the
picture is a picture and not a real
ity. I agree that farming, as an
occupation, is the most independ-
ent of our occupations, and the
farmer, as class has it within
bis power to make himself the
most independent of the children
of men. The facts, however, are
that the cotton grower Of the
South is dependent; first, upon
his cotton, and second upon those
who buy his cotton for a price he
wishes to give for it.
How can a man be called inde-
pendent who permits another to
FIX a price upon the products OF
his brain and bis muscle: the two
agencies which God has given
him to work out his financial we'll
being to his personal comfort and
happiness? Is he Independent
he has 40 choice. The truth may
not be good to hear. but we had
as well confess it that as cotton
growers, we are a dependent peo,
pie, and when we have made the
admission and have understood
the results Of such dependence,
lit behooves Us to find remedy
and apply sensible and brave
means. There is neither courage
nor wisdom in shutting our eyes
to the presence Of a deadly pois.
ont does not make the poison
any less deadly nor the danger
any less imminent. It is wise to
recognize both the poison and the
danger and wiser still to find a
way OF riddinS ourselves Of the
poison which gives rise to the
danger. This is my duty here TO,
day.
Three classes Of people, accord,
ing to the Jaw Of supply and de.
mand, enter into the fixing of the
price Of cotton-the farmer, who
produce it; the spinner, who man.
ufactures it, and the ultimate
consumers who uses it. These
are the only factors which have
any legitimate voice in the mat,
ter of cotton prices and which OF
these three is entitled to the mos:
consideration? To state the case
is to give answer to the query.
The farmer is the producer Of the
raw cotton. It is the energy OF
himself and his family and his
knowledge OF soil conditions. fer
t;lizer used, preparation ard cul'
t,yation methods that enter into
il. When it is picked, ginned and
baled under natural conditions, i,
should oe his in fee-slmple and
no man will deny either the JUS
tice or the right Of this man &c
be the most potential factor ii
setting the price upon the pro
ducts Of his labor. But the cot,
ton farmer of the South is prac
tically without voice in this most
important transaction to him. \
| farmer who took his cotton to a