The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-11-08

Senator Smith, President Barrett and
other members OF national committee
created at Montgomery. Kindly wire
me Immediately IL In behalf Of every
material interest In the South you
may be relied upon to take the speedy
action invoked. r. j. Watson,
President Southern Cotton Congress.
Approved;
"E. w. Dabbs,
President State Farmers Union.
~. whitner Reid,
Secretary Treasurer. Farmers Union
Sum-"
The form Of agreement suggested Is
as follows:
IL. We, the undersigned. owners
Of cotton Of the 1s10-11 crop. hereby
pledge ourselves to withhold from
the market the number Of bales en-
tered opposite our respective names,
until September I, 1912. or until the
price Of cotton has reached 13 cents.
and we do severally solemnly de-
claring that We will regard this
pledge as sacred.
"2. We further agree not to plant,
for the crop Of 1912. more than go
per cent Of our arabic lands In cot
ton.
"s. We hereby agree to forward to
]. whitner Reid. treasurer
of the State Farmers Union, Colum-
bia- 8. c., by postal money order. 2
cents per bale for the cotton held. to
defray expenses Of the holding cam
paign."
The following letter has been read
to every County Union president in
this State.
MY Dear Sir: In accordance with
action taken at the mass meeting of
the State Farmers Union held In CO.
lumbia yesterday evening. am d.
rected by the president Of the State
Union to address you this letter, i'm
pressing upon you the vital import
ance. not alone to the cotton pro-
ducing interests Of our State. but to
the Union itself. Of your prompt, Wig
orous and earnest action upon the
request made. We are ct this mo-.
ment facing crisis which demands
that the individual cotton n-producer
shall be reached effectively. and It is
the sense Of all who participated in
the deliberations held that we, as
the Farmers organization in South
Carolina. owe II to ourselves, to our
wives and to our children to exert
ourselves to the utmost for the next
few weeks. even to the neglect Of per-
sonal business, to secure in writing
pledges from each individual owner
OF cotton In every township in every
county In the State. Feeling thus the
call has been sent out In an official
manner to every other State In the
Union that grows cotton for similar
action to be taken simultaneously.
II beg herewith to enclose a copy
OF the call that has been sent to the
other States, which will explain itself
and give you an accurate idea of the
quick campaign that is to be made
In the effort to check the downward
trend Of the price OF cotton. I also
enclose a number Of blanks Of the
cotton pledge that we wish signed by
every man that can be reached
through meetings or as individuals
and will ask that you see that this
pledge be printed In your county pa
per along with copy Of the mes
sage to the other States and that you
issue over your signature a call Tor
every grower Of cotton in your ,our-
ty to come to the clerks office at the
Court House and affix his signature to
one OF these papers. We further
most earnestly ask you. in discharg.
Ing the duties Of your responsible po-
.N'~A' 80 s"AS SAicio, W cdCn udy IuT-
nish by mail to me at Columbia
statement giving the names Of the in
dividuals that have pledged them
selves to hold their cotton and to re-
duce their acreage in accordance with
the pledge. stating opposite the name
of each the number Of bales that ne
agrees or pledges himself to hold.
1T Is our purpose to endeayor as
far as possible to send lecturers into
your county to arouse and stimulate
the people to full sense Of their re-
sponsibility In this ick-holding cam
paign. and / would suggest that both
you and the county secretary and
these lecturers carry supply Of
blanks for pledges to each point
visited and that all of vo,, not a,