Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-04-27

meht received harsh, verbal treat
ment.
Clark McKercher, assistant United
States Attorney General, who Is in
charge of the governments case,
was in Washington to-day, going
over the result of his initial inquiry
yesterday with the department Off
cials.
Pattcn Makes Statement.
James Patten, of Chicago, denied
fatty to-day that he was associated
with any other interests in the cot
ton market. He declared that he
proposed to stand by his present po-
sition In the market. Mr.. Patten
said:
Il am not under any agreement
with any other interest in the mar
ket. | was long on cotton before |
even met the other gentlemen who
are supposed to be bulls in the mar
ket, but naturally as we are on the
same side Of the proposition, our in
terests are to that extent mutual.
intend to take up the cotton called
for by my contracts and to pay for
1t. | am willing to make contracts
to supply mills anywhere in the
world with cotton so far as my hold
ings will go. If the government
wants TO stop trading in futures, why
Is not plain statement made to that
effect instead Of instituting proceed
ings, which merely tend to confuse
the entire trade?"
Savannah Cotton Men Act.
Savannah, Ca, April 2O.-The
board of directors of the Savannah
Cotton Exchange have taken steps
to ascertain why the government has
become so suddenly active against
the cotton pool in New York. Yes
terday kilograms were sent to Sena-
tor Bacon and Congressman Edwards
asking for an explanation of the At
torney Generals move against the
cotton interests. Senator Bacon an
swers that the matter will be discuss
ed in Congress and the full facts
made known. The members Of the
Savannah Exchange think the inves-
tigation very unfortunate. contend
Ing that no law has been violated.
What Barrett Thinks About it.
Atlanta, April 21.-"It Is certainly
queer" said President Charles S.
Barrett, Of the Farmers Union, yes
terday, that th> government should,
ever since the establishment of the
New York Cotton Exchange, be ell
tirely Indifferent to gambling in cot
ton during the fall selling season,
when the cotton Is in the hands of
the farmers and bear manipulators
are slaughtering their profits, and de
velop a sudden virtue when practi-
cally all Of the cotton Is out of the
hands OF the farmers, and the only
beneficiaries appear to be few
welching bear operators
Mr.. Barrett was hugely interested
IN news of the government probe
against the alleged bull cotton pool.
"it is sincerely to be hoped" he
said, that next fall and each success
sive fall, while intervention will be
Of some benefit to the more than
100000 cotton producers in the
South, the government will manifest
smattering Of the zeal now so be-
latedly put FORTH
Slucf fntp
President Barrett takes this posi-
ton. that current developments pre-
cisely maintain the contentious of
the Farmers Union, made last Win
ter before the House committee on
agriculture, that the New York cot
ton exchange was nothing more than
a gambling institution.
"They claimed then" he said,
that their contracts were bona fide.
made for the actual delivery Of cot
ton, and records Of actual transac-
ton. The action Of these bear game
sters in now trying to elude their con
tracts exposes the hollowness of the
claim, and shows the exchange in its
true light. The whole matter should
materially aid our campaign against
gambling In farm products"
Southern Editorial View.
(Atlanta Constitution.)
President Barrett, Of the Farmers
Union, very properly criticises the
action Of the government in making
It's first prosecution OF transactions
on the New York Cotton Exchange
blow at upward rather than down