The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1912-06-20
Another Cotton Holding Plan
Continued from page 3

Continued from page 3
ing in a non-perishable product
of which the South has the
monopoly (and the world must
have it) and that has a substan-
tial intrinsic value. and is al
ways salable and is the security
for the bonds, and the only pos
sible loss that could ever occur
is in the price remaining at
twelve cents and never advanc-
ing sufficient to pay the expen-
ses of operating the plan so as
to enable the State to sell its
holdings. The mills must have
the cotton and to prevent abso-
lutte suspensionof business they
will pay the / of a cent neces-
sary for the State to unload.
But you say it will cause an in
crease in the production of cot
ton, and so much will be raised
beyond the requirements of the
world that the ability of the
State to finance the scheme will
be exhausted, and that general
ruin will result. The answer is
that under present sconditio1s it
is impossible for US to harvest
more than sixteen million bales
of cotton. We failed to do it last
year anaoyen with ideal wealth
q Tor picking and hauling it,
we would be strained to our ut
most to do it, for every practical
farmer knows that all the cotton
remaining in the field is hardly
worth gathering and must be
then plowed in the ground to
make room for the next crop,
True, you may say, but we are
going to invent cotton pickers
to pick out before Janua!y
twenty million or more bales Of
cotton, what then? You have
not done it yet and you have
been trying along this line for
fifty years and have never sue
ceeded and never will. Some
one may say this is paternalism.
The answer is that it is the duty
of the government to protect
not only the lives and liberties
of the citizens, but also his
property, and if there is any
property in the world that is en-
dangered and ruthlessly taken
from him every year without
benefit of clergy, it is the cotton
of the farmers without regard to
its merits, by the capitalistic
classes.
Our farmers need protection
to manufactured goods by
operation of the tariff enriched
New England. Why not give
protection to our cotton growers?
Germany produces most of the
potash that the world must have
and is now moving to fix the
price SO that it may coin wealth
out of this industry for its peo-
pie.
The plan proposed is no novel
governmental procedure. We
have had a great, successful
precedent set US by a sister re-
public. The coffee production
under low prices was languish-
ing and verging on bankruptcy
when a benefcent government
came to their rescue, bought
their crops of coffee at a profit
to them and then let the
world have it at an advanced
price as it was needed for con-
sumption. The results have
been magical, insolvency of
coffee growers has been changed
solvency and every interest in
the country has been benefited.
1t is true that we can improve
on BraziPs plan and profit by
it's experience. One thing, how
ever, is absolutely certain, and
that is that they have demon
strated that the place is practi-
cal.
Now, Mr.. Editor, l think this
plan is the safest and best guard
that can give the South wealth |
untold, you let the farmers have
a basis for his business. fixed
price made by law of the South
ern States. and you will see all
business thrive. Tell me is
there any sense in cotton