Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-07-26

!. FARNIERs' UNION BUREAU. j.
.s''.' '.''.s..'.s..s. .s..s..s..s..l.s .s..s..s.
Giant Sleeps While His Enemies Bind
Him Hand and Foot.
1t is the opinion Of many Of our
most progressive and best business
men, engaged and interested in grow
Ing cotton, that the recent movement
in the cotton mill merging Is
fraught with danger to the interest
of both cotton growers and cotton
mill laborers in their present incom-
plete, unorganized condition, and
that it behooves every man engaged
in growing cotton, or cotton mill one
rative, who has the welfare Of him
self and his family at heart, to now
assert their manhood, pluck and grit
by uniting themselves with their re-
spective organizations In a strong
and righteous covenant for their mu-
tual protection and benefits
No doubt these mill men at the
head OF this consolidation movement
are prepared to show that in order to
maintain profitable dividends for
their stockholders, this economic re-
lief, sought for the purpose OF cut
ting Off the heads Of some OF their
"top-heavy" mills, is necessary; but
at the same time they are preparing
themselves to use their two-edged
sword for cutting prices Of cotton, as
we'll as the wages Of their operatives.
When we consider that the farm
ing interest Of the South has more
than seven ($O dollars invested in
this occupation where the combined
manufacturing interest has one (s1)
dollar in their business, and that The
voting power Of the cotton grower
and cotton spinner in South Carolina
can sweep the State fo: any right
measure for the good Of our people
THAT cotton growers and cotton mill
operatives. too, deserve all the pun
ishment tradition has allotted to
cowardly, inactive giant that slept
while the Liliputians bound him
hard and fast.
With the mills combined in
compact organization under the man
agement Of their best men. with cot
ton growers and mill operatives COM
paratively unorganized, who can
doubt the mills having absolute con-
troll over the whole situation, regard
less Of the fact that cotton growers
r
and cotton mill operatives have all
the requisites for controlling the sit
uation. But for the lack Of complete
organization this power Is unavail-
able.
No amount Of calamity bowling by
unorganized individuals can eyerpen-
citrate the hearts Of soulless corpora
tions that have no hearts. Abso-
lutely nothing short OF powerful
organization among farmers and mill
operatives can protect their interests
and back their demands for square
deal, and the sooner every mothers
son Of our people in this business
Is educated up to full Knowledge OF
this fact, the better it will be for the
peace and prosperity of our whole
State.
Prodding Of Doing Bull.
Whether or not it will ever be
necessary or desirable by cotton
g'"~ers and mill operatives to afrili-
ate for their mutual protection, 1t Is
not before us at present, but II such
combination Of affiliation should
be necessary in the future, that this
prodding Of a doing bull by combi-
nation OF cotton mill owners will be
responsible for It. We are not urg-
Ing strong organization for tho pur-
pose Of fighting mill owners, for we
need mills to spin our cotton as much
as mill men need the cotton to spin.
Both mill owners and cotton men are
In the business for profits, and not
for their health or charity's sake.
But there Is consolation for the
farmer in the fact chat he Is not
bound down in chains before King
Cotton unless he likes that kind OF a
life. He can grow his own food crops
at home and live at home while lie
waits for the hungry world to call for
his products at profitable prices, and
with strong organization the farm
ers Of the South can control the pro-
duction Of cotton and the growing of
home supplies in a way to protect the
interests of the Southern farmer
against the combined efforts OF all
the mill merging business.
State ReIninn Dnfcn GIan1Aod