Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-09-01
a dispatch from New Orleans says


1t is now recognized by all that
the work OF organizing the farmers
Of the Southwest, especially the cot
ton farmers. has made such strides
in the last few months that the Far
mers' Union will be forced to the
front politically in Mississippi, Lou
iSiana and Texas, and that, even if
thc union does not carry the prima-
ries or elections and secure the offices
1T will nevertheless be able to COM
pei the politicians ana officials to
adopt its views on agricultural and
economic questions and to put into
effect broad system OF state aid to
the farmers.
If the Farmers Union wins-and
the Indications are that it will Sc
cure pretty nearly all 1T wants, even
If it fails to carry the elections in
any OF the Southern States--the
country will see far more radical
Legislation in the line of Socialism
than ever before, for the State credit
of State money will be pledged to
>inance the cotton crop and perhaps
other crops and to control, if not OPP
crate, the cotton seed oil mills.
Legislation will be asked not only
OF the States, but of Congress also,
TO aid the farmers: and indeed ar
rangemcnts have already been made
20 send agents of the union to Wash
ington to secure the laws asked for.
The first of these laws, says the Pres
ident OF the Texas Union, Mr.. Neill,
one OF the lobbyists to be stationed
at Washington to supervise legisla-
ton, will be statute closing the
New York and New Orleans Cotton
Exchanges and making it felony to
speculate in cotton.
Similar movements have been
started in the South before, some
times political, as in the case of the
Populists, sometimes agricultural, as
in the case of the Farmers Alliance;
and where they failed of complete
success they so cut down the Demo-
cratic majority in Texas as to force
the Democracy to adopt some of their
planks; while i'm Louisiana, by a
combination with the Republicans in
1895, they so reduced the Democratic
vote that It was difficult to say who
was elected Governor, and the Dem
ocrats had hard work to elect McEn-
I'nitaI @ ,tn h,,
1ority, and only succeeded in doing
80 when he proclaimed himself a
DrotectioniSt Democrat.
The farmers think, and correctly,
100, that they arc stronger to-day
than ever before. Conditions are
more favorable for the movement be-
cause OF the recent hard times, and
because OF the boil weevil, which
gave them some ground for demand
ing state aid and legislation. The
negro problem is out Of the way and
does not bother them as of old: and
fhoy understand better how to Or
3aniZc themselves into strong un-
ION. The determination not to allow
the negro question to be injected in
10 their organization or their poll
tiCS was shown in the expulsion Of
their editor Col. II. S. Haynie, by the
mississippi Union. for suggesting the
organization OF the negroes in aux
ihary unonS, not with any right to
vote, but simply to turn their cotton
over to the white farmers to be held
for them. Not only was Col. IIaynic
expelled, but notice was given that
any one who suggested any deal with
th" negroes or brought the negro
Warmers into the discussion in any
way would be expelled for that sim
pie act The farmers are determine
ed to give the politicians no chance
10 say that the new movement threat
ems 70 disrupt the white party.
The condition brought about by
hard times and the boil weevil have
united the farmers. and they are
making more and more emphatic de-
mands than ever before; and they
are likely to get more Of their de-
mands, for the politicians and office
holders will concede anything that
Will prevent tho organization of a
new party or faction on class bases.
In Mississippi the politicians have