Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-03-26
arone1A coTToN eRowEns.


dress made by Hon. John T. Donald
sea Of Bainhridge. Ga. upon what he
f. se-,ued Legislative Protection for Geor-
gfa Cotton Growers" II has much food
Tor thought therein. As he truly says:
I'VE occupy the anomalous posluon OF
having the price Of our products which
we selL. ixed by those who buy them,
and those things we buy. fixed by those
vino sell them
1t is no wonder that our section is
moor as compared with other sections
Of the country We are the slaves of
commerce. shackled by customs, and
are bearing the burdens OF the world
We are despoiled Of our products At
the dictate Of avarice and Tor the fruits
Of our labor we are paid in the in
aate5 prices OF those who sell ID Us
Like the Negroes coon trap, we are
caught a-gOin' and a-cOmin'-" Is 1t not
goin ?"
People who raised cotton TO sell last
year. were paid about S cents (some
less) per pound. and when the crush
was on they actually flung the crop On
the market. thus enabling the buyer
20 sell at eleven cents as IL sold on
Yesterday clear profit Of SIS per DaIe
while the producer went home, with
barely enough to pay his guanO bill aa0
some cash on his accounts They hat
no say - at all as to the price. and
they had no say so, as 10 what they
had bought on a credit during the year.
Wasn't his foolish cotton raiser. caught
in the negrO's trap 'a-comin' and a
'going''
I think he was. and he is going l"
&c caught that way just as long as the
other fellow prices what he mas goa -
sell. and also. what he has 10 buy.
Judge Donaldson says sOmething
more. The cotton farmers business i
a gamble from the time he breaks the
soa for his crop until he is handed MS
meagre pay over the counter Every
body else who Is interested In cotton is
certain as to what he will set out of IL
be the crop small OF large the staple
good OF inferior. They take no chance.
The fertilizer dealer gets his price-ii
is fixed in the contract by the fertilizer
trust The hank gets its s per cen
VI more on the money he bOrrows from
IL. the merchant gets from = TO leo
per cent on the goods sold him, -
does the doctor. so does the lawyer.
The cotton merchant who buys tie
cotton sells contracts against il, and
thus hedges his transaction to provide
against all possible loss. The spinner
uses the cotton exchanges, very prob
erly to protect himself from lOssA But
the poor farmer alone who has Lahore
IN a-ardest. takes an the risks and gets
all the losses" He rarely gets riCa
is always In debt. and his mind 8nc
oody are in a perpetual strain. He is
working for the other fellow, who =
riding him TO DEATH"
The only thing that can save him =
a staple price for cotton He must have
a minimum price established. and when
ne can't set the price. go TO raising
something else
Judge Donaldson says this minimum
-Rsiee can be fixed" and proposes a
plan whereby TO fix IT,
He says il must be fixed by state leg
islation. not by the national govern
MEET. Listen 70 him; There never
would have been any secession Of Jae
states II they had endeavOred TO act as
4 unit. one state seeded. and another
relieved. Let Georgia. as the Empire
State. lead and others will follow .
Let there be = cotton commission If
three wise discreet men nominated by
tile governor ard confirmed by the SEN
ate. who shall have power to sell bonds
for the protection bf cotton growers.
whenever the price is below u
cents. then buy and store the cotton. !
When il reaches l. cents. then sell anu |
suspend further purchases. The cot !
ton purchased by the state can be n 1
sured and stored in bonded wareh oses- |
Cotton is not perishable like grain or /
food stuffsi- Fix IL cents as the price
liked - Law, and then. spectators must /
offer larger prices"
Our farmers need protection. THIS |
haphazzard way Of marketing cotton /
should be checked. believe in takins /
case OF our own home folks, befors /
contribute money 10 so abroad for peo-
PIE know nothing about II We had |
tire assurance that we were certain \ /, /
set L cents for cotton. We could lis, |
more and do more for soil culture.
Actually J tremble with anxiety As
% what will happen if we go along |
IN the same old rut. Many more fires.
II cotton does not bring a living price |
- is suicidal to raise il at a yearly loss !
enjoyed Judge DOnaldson's address
very mucI- IL told plain truths