Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-29

cotton crop will be discussed.
Addressing q fairly large audience,
representatives of the business and
agricultural interests of Newberry, city
and county, United States Senator E.
D. Smith spoke for more than an hour
in the court house at Newberry last
Saturday morning, having gone there
upon the invitation Of the Chamber OF
Commerce and the County Farmers
Union. Senator Smiths address dealt
largely with the fight which has been
made in the United States senate, led
by him, for accuracy In government
estimates of the crop, to be secured
through publicity of the sources upon
which the government bases its esti-
mates. He went into details as to the
estimate of June 25, when part OF the
cotton was not out Of the ground, when
they issued that preliminary estimate
of a cotton crop of 14,5OO,OOO bales"
which, he said, caused cotton to break
500 a bale. Senator Smith said he
went down to the department Of agri-
culture, and found that the estimate
had been given out by Mr.. Murray Of
the department, in the absence Of Mr..
Armstrong, the assistant secretary In
charge of these matters, and he then
sent back to Secretary Wilson's office
and found that Secretary Wilson, ac-
didn't even know the estimate had
been issued by the department. Sem
ator Smith said the department had no
right to issue this estimate at that
time, before the ginners' report, and IL
Secretary Wilson didn't know 1t was
being issued, ii was criminal negli-
gence on his part, and IL he was too old
to attend to his duties, he ought to be
displaced by a younger man. Senator
Smith said Mr.. Murray Of the depart
ment, had told him he had issued the
estimate based on acreage and condi-
tions comparing those matters with
acreage and conditions Of past years.
He said Secretary Wilson told him II
would never happen again, but that did
not cure the evil effects already result
ant. Shortly afterward, he said, came
the report of 14,700,000 bales. Senator
Smith then gave the figures, already
published, secured from the various
commissioners Of the southern states.
through his efforts, Of about 12,40o.00e
| bales, If there was no further deterior-
alton. Senator Smith urged the farm
ers to organize and to demand their
own price for cotton-a living price
fixed by themselves. He said he did
not intend to be unfair to southern
mills, or to inveigle against them, but
| II did seem to him that they could do
their own marketing and not allow
New England mills, which had to pay
freight and the cost Of getting the cot
| ton to them, to undersell the southern
mills, when one could stand In many
of the southern mills and throw a
brickbat In the cotton fields. He said
the back to the farm" cry came from
those who wanted the back to the
farm" movement in order that there
might be more competition on the farm
and reduce the price Of farm products,
and the movement to make two bales
Of cotton grow where one grew before
was largely the effort of those who
wanted two bales for the price Of one.
He wanted to see the farmers take ad-
vantage of all the scientific and i'm
proved methods, but he wanted them
to get together, and when they grew
two bales where one grew before, he
wanted to see them get the price for
two bales, where they got the price
for one before. Senator Smith re-
ceived close attention, and was fire.
quently interrupted by applause.
e w. Dabbs, president of the State
Farmers Union, was in the city Sat-
urday night, says the Columbia State
of Sunday, on his way home from meet
ings in Lancaster county for five days,
and the meeting in the court house in
Gaffney Saturday. He reports great
interest among the people he has been
with in the cotton campaign, and in the
Union cause generally. At Dixie and
Douglas, in Lancaster county, the
crowds were very large, and at Gaff-
ney the court house was full. He says
his reply to all complimentary re-
marks was: Let Brother Reid's office,
the secretary Of the State
Union, show results now In the next
few days. I get weekly reports from
him. And let the short receipts Of
cotton at these points prove you are
acting on your convictions. The crop
was reported about SO per cent for
Lancaster, and he thinks this must be
correct from remarks made to him at
the big picnics, and the wilted and yell
low appearance Of the crop from Lam
caster northward. The drought is not
yet broken from Lancaster through the
Waxhaws, York, Cherokee, Spartan
burg and Union counties. This Is
plainly seen on the railroad and borne
out by statements of citizens Of all
those sections whom he met. It Is re-
ported up there that Cherokee Is worse
hit than any other county, for II has
all along been dry. Parts Of Spartan
burg only badly hit by the intense heat
and drought of the last few days. "a
gentleman on the train who runs eight
plows at Pacolet, said Mr.. Dabbs. told
me tonight that many farmers in his
section and upper Union county would
be hard put to 1t to pay guano bills, and
they had big accounts for fine mules
and other improvements that will en-
barrass them. He said Is to 18 cents
cotton Is what they need" President
Dabbs Is much gratified at the attitude
of the press toward his move for accu-
60 N
marketings. There are a few eXcep-
tions, he said, papers that either have
not worked up to the magnitude Of the
work, and have no conception Of its
value as news matter, or are dominated
by antagonistic interests, he said.
Greenville and Spartanburg papers,
right in the midst of the cotton mills,
ne said, are broad enough to see the
subject in it's true aspect, that any
where from Is to 80 million dollars
added to the circulating medium Of the
state by not selling cotton at 10 or IL
cents, but rather at 13 or IA cents, will
learn the difference between stagnation
and prosperity-both words spelled
with capitals. President Dabbs told
his Gaffney audience that he stood for
the highest price for cotton, whether
raw or in its manufactured state, and
that the Farmers Union would join
hands with the manufacturing inter-
ests to put southern cotton goods In
every market of the world. He re-
quested them as patriotic southerners
to join with the Union to make the
south the clearing house of the world.
President Dabbs goes to his home for
two days much needed rest and to
catch up with his correspondence. On
Tuesday he will be at a Farmers Un-
ion rally at Hilton in the Dutch Fork.
On Friday, September l, he will be with
the Sumter County Union at Oswege
to report some of the results from the
campaign inaugurated at the last
monthly meeting. B. F. Keller, vice
president of the State Union and MEM
ber of the warehouse committee, will
meet with the Sumter County Union
to present the warehouse plans and
solicit subscriptions.
Scotched BY Smith.--That Senator
Ellison D. Smith of South Carolina