The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-09-05
is in THE FIGHT
PRESIDENT BARRETT OF FARM.
ERs UNION WILL AID.

ERs UNION WILL AID.
Holding Cotton for Higher Prices
Benefits Every Southern Business
Man.
National President Barrett, of the
Farmers Union, at Union City, Ga,
Tuesday made his first official express
sion regarding the attitude of that
organization in the battle that is
coming this Fall to- maintain the price
of cotton at a proper level.
"The Farmers Union," says Pres
ident Barrett, "issues an invitation
to the entire south to cooperate with
it in saving to this section many
million dollars on the cotton crop
of 1911-12. 1t is for the merchant,
the business man, the banker, the
smallest citizen, no less than the
farmer, to figure the difference be
tween eight or nine cent cotton and
13 or II cent cotton. The tight we
are going to win is not alone in be-
half of the farmer. It is waged IN
the interest of the southern business
world, as a whole. To- that degree,
it is not only the duty, but the indi-
vidual profit, of every element in the
southern states to join hands with
the Farmers Union, to the end that
the powerful machinery Of this or
ganization may be brought to bear
with complete success upon the pres
ent situation.
ITO the farmer, whether or not
member of the Farmers Union,
my imperative advice is Hold your
cotton!' 1t is worth infinitely more
the price now quoted. You should
first go to your local banker, If you
are in debt, and borrow sufficient
money, with cotton as collateral, to
enable you to hold. Your own bank
er knows you best, and it is to his
interest to aid you in the fight.
Should he fail you-and I don't think
he will-you can depend upon us for
assistance.
"The Farmers Union does not in
tend that a clique of bear gamblers
or domestic and foreign spinners
shall combine to dictate the price of
our product, or to rob the section Of
a tremendous sum of money. It Is
for the south we are working. Now
is the time for every southerner to
prove mis- business insight and is not
the time for hypocritical pretensions.
1t is cold matter of dollars and
cents. If the farmer suffers, the
business man, every business inter-
est suffers along with him.
at is no longer possible to produce
cotton for eight or nine cents at
profit. 1t We return to the old prices
for mules, supplies, farm machinery,
land itself, the proposition would be
feasible But as we cannot, the
farmer must insist upon the price Of
his product being maintained upon
a level with that of every other prod
uct
"The South ought to be abundant
ly able to finance and hold its own
principal product. The accomplish
ment should be matter of pride, as
we'll as common sense. Practical
men realize that the cotton crop of
the opening season will not be near
ly so large as it has been reported.
We, who have investigated, know
that there will be a demand, at a
fair price, for every pound of the
staple produced. The main thing
is for the farmer, large and small,
and unorganized, to get
together and resolve that he will
not be cheated out of the result of his
toll.
Every solitary southerner is in
terested in the same result. And to
each one, in whatever calling, I eX-
tend invitation to work with us for
his own monetary interest, no less
than that of the farmer. As for the
season or two of fair
prices mean absolute emancipation
from debt. That thought should be
sufficient to nerve him for the bat
tle-especially when he is assured
assistance in it's winning"
Captain Reuben F. Kolb, Com
missioner of Agriculture Of Alabama,
has called meeting of the Commits
sioners of Agriculture of the southern
states, and all interested PARTIES,
barring none, to devise means for
the price of cotton. The
conference will follow the Farmers
Union convention, to be held at
Shawnee, Okla, September 5th., and
the convention will be literally, if
not as a body, represented at the
conference. 1 urge all southerners
who realize the Importance of the
occasion to meet with the Commiss-
toner's and with members of the Far
mers' Union in this conference. Let
all come, not to discuss the farmers
greatness which may be taken for
granted, nor any other subject but
the securing of proper price for cot
ton. That is a big job for gather
ing composed of the south's best
l. I En ir,fn