The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-11-08
ACTIVE WORK BEGUN
COTTON HOLDING MOVEMENT
STARTED AT ONCE.

SIARIEO Al oASIL.
Trying 10 Carry Out Plan Adopted
in Columbia by the Farmers and
Business Men.
"To secure 13 cents a pound for
cotton.
ITO open books in every county in
the cotton belt to secure pledges
from farmers to hold cotton.
TO reduce cotton acreage TO:
1912 to not exceeding 60 per cent.
of arabic land held.
ITO publish daily the names Of
those who intend to hold their cot
ton for a higher price
These are the features of the cam
paign for holding cotton with view
to relieving the present unsatisfac-
tory condition that was launched
throughout the States Of the cotton
belt Thursday by the South Caro-
lima State Farmers union. The plan
was adopted at a meeting Of the
Farmers union and business men
held in Columbia Tuesday night and
was contained in telegram address
ed to the commissioners OF agri-
culture and presidents of the State
unions of the South. The telegram
was signed by Commissioner Watson
as president of the cotton congress
of the South and E. W. Dabbs, pres
ident Of the State Farmers union.
Plan Proposed.
The following is the telegram sent
out Friday. "Following action OF
mass meeting. South Carolina farm
ers would urge you to take immed-
fate steps to push with all vigor you
possess, in every township and coun-
t., your State the holding move
ment on following lines, similar re-
quest being made Of tSate Farmers
union president, your State Omen
books each county seat for signature
of farmers to pledge to hold stated
number bales until September /
1912, or until the price has reached
13 cents; prosecute vigorous cam
paign each township for holding cot.
ton and getting pledges; get also
pledges to reduce cotton acreage fol
1912 to not exceeding 10 per cent
of arabic land held; for reports eacf
day as to pledges filed and publish
names Of signers with number o:
bales pledged. Call for not less thar
two cents per bale from growers
holding cotton to be sent immediate
" to secretary-tTeasurer, State un
ION, to defray expenses Quick cam
paign for pledges, publishing receipts
daily. This plan already under wa!
in South Carolina and quick ane
effective retirement of cotton seems
assured. It is absolutely necessary II
bring the individual producer int
line right now if millions Of dollar
are to be saved to the cotton belt
Plans for the future can be agree'
upon later, but a feasible quick cam
paign of this kind pushed simulta
reously in all our States can am
will effectively stem the present dis
astrous tide in this critical moment
I most earnestly appeal to your pat
riotism in the name of the masses o
Southern people to act upon thl
matter and act quickly. Am arrang
ing for whirlwind campaign throug
belt in holding cause for Senate
Smith, President Barrett and othe
members of national committee ere
ated at Montgomery. Kindly wire m
Immediately il in behalf Of every ma
terial interest in the South you ma
be relied upon to take the speedy az
ton, invoked"
Cotton Pledge.
The following is the cotton pledge
State of South Carolina, county Of
We, the undersigned, owners
cotton of the 1901 crop, hereb
pledge ourselves to withhold trol
the market the number of bales e1
tered opposite our respective name
: until September /, 1912, OF Until tn
price OF cotton has reached i3 cent
: and we do severally solemnly declal
that we will regard this pledge
sacred.
! We further agree not TO plant, II
8 the crop If 1912, more than so pt
cent. of our arabic lands in cotton.
: I'VE hereby agree to forward
i J. Whitner Reid, secretary-tTeasure
: State Farmers union, Columbia,
d c., by postal money order two cen
n per bale fer the cotton held to d
It fray expenses of the holding car
paign. Name, postoffice, R. F. D. \
e number of bales withheld.
s letter of Instructions.
j. The following letter was sent o
= to the presidents of the county u
! ions Friday by Secretary Reid:
Al IN accordance with action tax
h at the mass meeting OF the Sta
.e Farmers union held in Columt
'e Friday evening, I am directed
D. the president of the tSate union
n address you this letter, impressl
ss upon you the vital Importance,
L. alone to the cotton producing int
ID ests of our State, but to the uni
IN itself, Of your prompt, vigorous a
or earnest action upon the requt
D. made. We are at this moment Il
IN ing a crisis which demands that
n individual cotton producer shall
n reached and reached effectively a
it is the sense of all who partlciD
if ed in the deliberations held that '
tn as the farmers organization in Sor
is Carolina, owe it to ourselves, to
ny wives and to our children to eX
ST ourselves to the utmost for the n
es few weeks, even to the neglect