Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-09-21
Fight TO MAINTAIN COTTON
President Barrett Makes First official
Expression on Attitude to Keep
Staple on Proper Level.

.
Farmers union, recently made his
first official expression regarding the
attitude Of that big organization In the
battle that is coming this fall to
maintain the price of cotton at a prop
er level.
"The Farmers union" says Prest
dent Barrett, issues an invitation to
the entire south to cooperate with 1t
in saving to this section many mil
lion dollars on the cotton crop Of
1911-12. 1t is for the merchant, the
business man, the banker, the small
est citizen, no less than the farmer,
to figure the difference between eight
or nine cent cotton and thirteen or
fourteen cent cotton. The fight we
are going to win Is not alone In be-
half Of the farmer. 1t is waged in
the interest Of the southern business
world as a whole. To that degree, 1t
81 not only the duty, but the individual
profit, of every element in the south
ern states to join hands with the
Farmers union, to the end that the
powerful machinery Of this organiza-
ton may be brought to bear with
complete success upon the present sit
uation.
ITO the farmer, whether or not a
member OF the Farmers union, my i'm
perative advice Is Hold your cotton!'
1t is worth infinitely more than 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 banker knows you
best, and 1t Is to his interest to aid
you in the fight. Should he fail you
and I don't think he will-you can de-
pend upon us for assistance.
THE Farmers union does not in
tened 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 ire
mendous sum of money. 1t Is for the
south we are working. Now Is the
IlhiC lOl SNCly pOuLlCl lCL L PlONO MA
business insight, and it is not the time
for hypocritical pretensions. 1t is a
cold matter Of dollars and cents. II
the farmer suffers, the business man,
every business interest, suffers along
with him.
ut is no longer possible to produce
cotton for eight or nine cents at a
profit. If we would return to the old
prices for mules, supplies, farm ma
chinery, 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 abundantly
able to finance and hold its own prin-
cipal product. The accomplishment
should be a matter Of pride, as well
as Of common sense. Practical men
realize that the cotton crop Of the
opening season will not be nearly 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 pro-
duced. The main thing Is for the
farmer, large Of small, organized and
unorganized, to get together and re-
solve that he will not be cheated out
Of the result Of his toll.
Every solitary southerner is inter
ested In the same result. And to each
one, in whatever calling, I extend a
cordial invitation to work with us for
| his own monetary interest, no less
than that Of the farmer. AS for the
= ~latter-another season or two Of fair
prices mean absolute emancipation
: from debt. That thought should be
, sufficient to nerve him for the battle
, especially when he is assured assist
aRce in its winning"
Capt. Reuben F. Kolb, commissions
, err of Agriculture of Alabama, has call
ed a meeting of the commissioners OF
, Agriculture Of the southern states, and
, of all interested parties, barring none,
e to devise means for maintaining the
price Of cotton. This conference will
/ follow the Farmers union convention,
to be held at Shawnee, Okla, Septem.
, Der 5, and the convention will be lib
orally, If not as a body, represented at
= the conference. l urge all southerners
? who realize the Importance of the oc-
, casion to meet with the commissioners
, and with members of the Farmers
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 secur
\ ing Of a proper price for cotton. That
is a big enough job for q gathering
composed of the south's best brains
a and 1t should not be interfered witt
by hot air or discussions admirable In
! their way but without any bearing or
. the paramount issue.
Prompt action taken by this join
. conference, following the policies out
g lined at the Farmers union conven
4 ton, will bring triumph in a campaign
which no %southerner, however humble
can afford in self-interest and patrloA
T ism, to ignore"
CHARLES g. BARRETT.
Tovao ponLc Eire+