The Monroe journal. [volume] (Monroe, N.C.) 189?-1965, 1910-09-20
Saws Price VIII Go to 20 Cents.

oCCus w.
Says Price VIII Go TO 20 Cents.
Senator +. d. Smith Of South Caro-
lima, who was for some years identi-
fed with the late Southern Cotton
Association, has come out vigorously
in behalf Of movement TO hold cot
ton for 20 cents pound and in his
arguments supporting this idea, he
has this TO say
Reports from every cotton State
Of Importance indicate that the pres
ent crop will not very greatly exceed
last years crop.
I'm view Of the fact that last year
was an unprecedented short crop,
the demand for the staple increases
year BY year, the outlook for an ade-
Quate supply TO meet the demands Of
the world is poor indeed.
THE farmers Of the South, and
the business men whose prosperity
depends upon the farmers, have the
situation fully in hand. Everything
depends upon whether they will mar
ket the crop judiciously. The South
is not a section in which the doc
trine Of protection finds many hon.
est adherents. We do not ask laws
enacted to protect US from COMPETE
ton, we simply ask an open field and
a free fght-and that there shall not
be national Legislation which will
discriminate against us. We are con-
tent to let the law Of supply and de-
mand - honestly enforced - deter
mine the price Of our commodity.
81 wish the cotton growers of the
South to remember that last year the
Payne-Aldrich tariff bill was enacted
to give profit to the manufacturer
This year, during the latter half OF
the session, the Attorney General OF
the United States, through informa-
ton given him by certain parties
who seem to have been short on cot
ton, indicted certain cnes who were
attempting to get an approximately
legitimate price for cotton.
Now, to state the case clearly:
The whole machinery Of the govern
ment was set in motion to pass such
a law as would guarantee the manu-
facturer a profit and then to invoke
the law to prohibit the producer of
the raw material from getting the
price that the simple law Of nature
the law Of supply and demand-en-
titled him to.
1.-The so-called bull clique were to
be hailed into court to answer to the
charge of an illegal combination in
the restraint Of trade, while the same
body that passed the Sherman act
were busy passing the Payne. Aldrich
bill to legalize an artificial profit to
the manufacturers Of America.
81 asked the question of leading
Republican protectionist, if he would
rot vote to exempt labor and indus
trial organizations from the opera
ton to investigate the bulls, / intro
duced a resolution in the Senate
which was unanimously passed, that
he should, in common decency, in
vestigate the bears also.
u shall do all in my power, whilst
a member OF the United States SEN
ate, TO see to it that those who pro-
duce the raw material shall get a
square deal.
ut seems that the tide is turning
our way; and if the people will only
be faithful to their own interests and
demand what is legitimately theirs,
there is no power under heaven to
prevent us from getting it
Il shall from now on, as occasion
demands and the press will permit,
give such advice and such infcrma-
ton as seem to me the circumstances
demand.
"The decline in price at present, in
my opinion, is but an attempt to take
advantage Of the necessity of the case
and get as much cotton as possible
during the time, when the unfortu-
nate ones have got to meet their gu
ano bills, supply bills, and notes in
bank.
Il plead with every Southerner,
regardless Of his profession, vocation
or avocation to stand by and lend all
possible aid to that long suffering,
must abused, but glorious producer
of all the South's currency-the cot
ton farmer"