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

shortage IN supply, the present
price put upon your cotton does
not do justice to It's intrinsic
worth. believe that with al! Of
the natural laws working unham-
pered and with the farmer in po
sitlon to speak with authority in
the matter of price fixing. the
price Of goul cotton should be
much above what You are at the
present getting for it. That you
arc not getting its real worth IS
due to the fact that you have not
put yourselves in position to be a
factor in the transaction AS an
army Of producers you have
marched up against 4 crisis un-
prepared to deal with it; and there
is 4 crisis in the cotton world this
very moment. The mills recog-
nize that fact and are running
from hand to mouth and the only
limit TO the price Of cotton. this
years crop. is fixed by the ability
Of the farmer to hold it: and this
again argues the necessity for
home raised supplies and cotton
as surplus. The temptation
throughout the year. will put the
wisdom and good business sense
Of the Southern farmer to the
SevereSt test. Do not be deceiv-
ed-a fourteen million bale crop
will not bring as high price as 4
ten million bale crop. DO not let
the experience Of this year lead
you INTO the folly Of planting all
cotton and neglecting those other
crops whlcil are just as essential
as protective defenses in your
system.
When the farmer has made him
self. through a system Of diver
sitication, the real owner Of his
cotton crop, the next step in
bringing him into his own is the
perfecting of such an organization
as will judiciously control the
major part Of the crop. 1t must
be borne in mind that the price
Of cotton is not regulated by the
output Of one mans crop nor
even by that Of one State. The
price is fixed by the total supply
in relating to the total demund
To get therefore, from system
OF diversified agriculture the best
results, thorough organization
Of the cotton growers OF the en-
tire cotton belt is of prime impor-
tance. The individual farmer
cannot suffer; he will reap gen
uine benefit through diversified
ton without that organization,
but the highest results will come
through combination Of the two
principles: diversi6cation and or
ganization. l hardly think it nee
eSsary to argue the efficacy Of or
ganization in the conduct Of the
affairs of any Of the occupations
OF man. Every profession is OF
ganlzed and this Is the strongest
argument in favor of it. | said in
the beginning of these remarks
thata curious contradiction in our
economic Law was that the pro
ducer and the laoorer had never
been abe to fix the price upon
either the products Of his labor
or upon his labor itself. This
statement is undoubtedly true as
to the first class and for centur-
les has been true as to the latter.
1t was not until labor began to
organize itself and to take note Of
the fact that it was not receiving e
its just regard that it began to
have voice in regulating the
price placed upon it. The great
labor element Of this country,
through the perfection of its or
eanization, has made itself as it
should be the co-equal Of capital
in those matters which intimate
ly affect it. Labor has reached a
point where it may demand a just
recognition Of its right to be a
party in the regulation Of labor
prices and it has reached this
point only through the genius
which inspired its organization
and the LOYALTY and steadfastness
with which it supports its organ
lzatlon.
Il labor can ring :ro,a the unwilling
hand o! capital this recognition o. what
seems 10 me its !Ealienab!c right, why
is it no, within the power OF tn: farm
er. through the same inStruCentality,
10 demand his r;gh: TO bea party 10 the
regulation OF the price Of his product
the representative 0! his labor. II the
cotton spiaaers Of the world, through
the closeneSs OF their organization, can
meet such crises Us we have and rs
they have ne: il 100 according 70 :. sys-
TEN OF cur,ailn.ent, why is it not within
the power and the righ. OF the farmer.
through the same process. TO agree
among themselves iha: 10 cotton shal:
60 upon the market excep. q: = given
price:
;thc spinner is able through his close
organization, TO issue his!dictum as 10
the price cf The farmers cotton, why
SHOULD no. :.!e farmer, exercising the
same methods, he same ability and bus
inesS judgment, issue his dic:um as TO
the price he will take to: has cotton: |
wish 70 argue the fac. that every class,
and all o! them are directly or Indirect
" dependent upon the farmer, is close
ly organized and working in its own in
teres; excep, the farmer themselves.
He seems 20 be the one class that can.
no: be effectively organized and kept
organized fo- any length o. time. Your
Grange. organized in the years gone by