Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-09-16
PRESIDENT Il. w. DABBS sPEAKs
Issues Statement as to Cotton Situa-
tfon--Everybody Must Help.

chants, Business and Professional
Men of South Carolina: At the
meeting Of the National Farmers
| Union last week in Fort Worth,
| Texas, a committee was appointed to
| present to Congress the need of di-
! rct aid from the Treasury of the
United States to prevent the bank
ruptcy OF the South, and the impair
ment of the national resources and
the credit which such calamity
| would entail. This committee con-
sists of 40 Of the most prominent
members of the union in the 33
States that are organized; the men,
bers of the grain growing States be-
ing anxious to help by their influ-
ence to prevent what all recognized
| would be a national disaster, the i'm
| poverishment Of the South.
The expenses of such a committee
for maintenance and travel (and no
one is to receive a dollar Of compen-
sation for his time and services) will
be very considerable, since postage
and kilograms will be included 1t
| will doubtless amount to 100000 if
| the committee has to wage a cam
| paign for State Legislative action to
reduce cotton acreage to point that
will make 1T safe for the national
government to do what we will ask
of it.
If this work is done effectively it
will be necessary Tor South Carolina
| to raise as her share of this fund
$500 to $4,000, according to the
length of time required and The num-
| ber of workers that will have to be
| employed. If the members had kept
up their dues in the union as the
value of its work justifies, I'd the
| farmers on the outside, who always
share in the good the union does in
such times as this, were in the un-
ion, there would be enough money
in our treasury to meet such an
emergency. l would rather see in
the ranks of the union every worthy
farmer contributing his mite of dues
and working toeether for every wor-
thy cause thai to have to make such
| a plea as his. But we cannot wait
to ger them in, The need of financial
{ assistance is right now. And all
! bankers, merchants, business and
. professional Hlel as we'll as farmers
are invited to contribute to this
cause as their ability and desire to
help may dictate.
This fight was begun by the Far
mers' Union. When our people were
serenely enjoying the anticipation of
the prosperity they felt this harvest
would bring, the Farmers Union of
South Carolina at the Anderson
meeting sounded the alarm. A few
days later it's cotton committee call
ed on Col. e. j. Watson to assemble
the Southern Cotton Congress, and
its cotton committee, by mail and
wire, exhausted its resources to get
all the unions from Texas and Okla
homa to Virginia lined up at Wash
ington. Members OF its cotton COM
mittee interviewed Secretary Nc
Adoo and members of Congress, and
we have backed every effort of our
fellow members Of the Cotton Con-
gress and Southern Cotton Associa-
ton and carried the campaign into
the National Farmers Union, where
we have enlisted the active sympathy
and support Of our fellow members
Of the great Northwest.
These things are here enumerated
TO SHOW that we are deserving Of
your sympathy not merely in words,
but in actual cash contributions to
help the cause. Personally | have
given my time and much of my own
expense, until | cannot give much
more. | was selected by President
| Barrett as one Of a subcommittee Of
four to go straight from the National
Union to Washington, just stopping
long enough at my home to give
| some general directions about my
own affairs and catch up with the ac-
cumulated correspondence. ! think
this compliment to our State was
due to the logical position which
took that we must first help our
selves to show that we are worthy Of
help. | would not go to Washington
at all just to raid the national treas
ury, but | am going to help secure
treasury assistance based on our
Willingness to make the treasury