The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1911-09-15

THE COTTON FARMER
The following Interesting inter
view recently given the Atlanta
Constitution should disabuse thu
minds IF cotton producers # ths
fallacy that the buyers in America
are responsible for the frequent low
prices Of the 1aecy staple. It seems
from Mr.. Haden's viewpoint tina;
our people are up against one of the
most powerful combines ever or
ganized, and we reproduce his in
Eterview below in order that orr
readers may get the benefit of his
very wise ideas and suggestions:
Charles j. H+den, of Atlanta, a
prominent lawyer aud student of
economies, who has just returned
from a visit to the spinning dis
tricts of England, believes al '.al
most worldwide" plot is Under way
t, depress the price of cotton during
the opening season.
Discussing its dimensions, its IF
fects and the remedy, Mr.. II I'd, n
expressed himself as follows
to a Constitution reporter:
"A tacit combine almost world
wide proposes to bear this years
cotton crop. |: is a sympathetic
strike. The English spinners are
closely organized and between them
and continental spinners there is a
fraternal community of interest.
"New England's policy is, OF
course, always to depress the raw
staple. The preponderance of E .st
ern financial influence is with the
buyers. These things do not re-
quire proof, for they are facts pat.
ent to those who observe.
"The cotton gambler is a friend
only to himself. He has been fol
some years on the bull side because
it Was the winning side. The gov.
ernment's recent prophecy Ct q
large crop, coupled with some in.
dictments of the big spectators
will no doubt have a persuasive ef-
feet in lining no the gambler with
the bears in the coming campaign
ut is we'll for the South TO look
the truth in the face and act with
speed and courage. A decline oil
two cents a pound would lose te
Georgia $40, O0O, 900, and to the
South nearly $3.50 OOO, 600. Every.
body from the banker to the boot.
black would feel the sting of it
and it is the duty of everybody
from the bank.r to the bootblack Il
volunteer in defense of cotton.
Notwithstanding the progress
made by the cotton growers in the
past ten years they are placed in
the attitude humil,ating. The ex-
porter is still compelled to submit
to a trade custom by which he sells
cotton on sixty days credit and dis
counts his draft. The foreign bur.
or still assumes to dictate terms re-
curing the bill of lading to be in
sured against forgery or vized by a
clearing house. This is required
of no other American commodity.
The foreigner proceeds openly upon
the presumption of commercial bad
faith in the SOUTH. Cotton which
brings across the seas nearly one
third of all the foreign money
paid to America, which preserves
the balance of trade in favor of
America, which once every year pre-
vents an American panic, is openly
d~iscreditei aid the people who
grow il held in suspicion.
10 time a more highly developed
warehouse system will enable the
growers to commend financial aid
from the world. But at this Crisis
the most effective relief will be uni
ted resistance of farmers, merchants
and other business men of the
whole South, pledged to protect this
crop against slaughter. This will
do it. Any threat of shutting down
the Lancashire mills is bluff. It
would produce a riot in Manchester
within a week that would endanger
the governments ministry.
The South has learned a lesson
Of heroism. il Ohee resisted over
whelming odds ionr years upon
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