The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-20
ON SELLING COTTON
sell a fsale of Cotton"

Bishop Warren A. Gambler. Of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church. South. and chancellor
Of the new Methodist University LIS of
the notable leaders of ecclesiastical and
secular thought in the southern States
His voice Is the voice OF conservatism and
OF common sense.
His wisdom comes etraight from the soil
from the common people.
In the current cotton situation. With the open
ing OF the markets, he finds slogan
a ~d IL is
Sell a bale Of cotton"
The calm reasoning OF his ADVICE comes like
"A draft Of cooling water after the heat and
hysteria Of the past few weeks.
We advise readers TO ponder the strong
words Of this ecclesiastical statesman We ad-
wise the farmers, the landlords. the agricultural
oyerl0rds to Go the thing.
One could never accuse Warren Gambler OF
flippant counsel Of being the side of
wealth, or against the poor man. Yet here
is what he says:
THE cotton grower who holds his cotton and
refuses 60 pay the merchant from whom he has
bought suppliee on credit is injuring his neighhor
without helping himself Ia this wise right?
Bishop Gamblers first premise Is that busi-
ness Is congested all along the line, because the
farmer, who Is The source Of motion in Southern
business. does not start the process of liauida-
ton.
The Constitution will go farther than Rishop
Candor. The farmer who keeps his creditors
waiting Is iniHrlne himself first Of all He cam
not plan his next years work. fast approach
ing the purchasing power of his customers liz
cult off a. the shoulder; circulation of money
oozes rather than bounds. and the back
he acres is the one first and most to feel the
effect
The Constitution doesn't advocate a general
dumping of the crop on the market But u is
IN sef-preservation incumbent upon the farmer
10 sell enough TO pa the debts he contracted
with which to raise the very cotton he is hold
ing. The farmer lives in the same business
world with the rest Of us. He cannot escape
the stagnation that may he threatened by con-
sestton Of business following the slowness in
movement OF cotton. AZ the man at the apex
Of the pyramid, he will be the first to catch
the impact
The Constitution in the opening Of tho
markets and the gradual increase in the move
ment Of cotton, sure indications that the advice
OF Bishop Gambler Is being followed. With the
following Of that advice, we see the quick dis
appearance of the last cliultner % gloom.
In this, connection. extract from one of
the foremost jobing houses in the South to
The Constitution protesting against pessimism
and apathy and "poor-mouthlng' in the South,
is apropas It says:
IF the calamity howers and the loug~facea
pessimists corld he pulled off of the scene, bust
ness would soon right Itself. provided The farm
ers can be induced 10 cell cotton. 1t seens to
ts the style TOW Tor everybody to try to tell the
worst siorr. Some Of the papers of the South,
we'll AZ the papers from OF her sections, have
been plying the South on account Of the great
disaster, and our southern people don't seem
90 have met this so-called crisis with the same
spirit as Of old. 1t Is useless to speak of the
past now: want to redeem ourselves In the
eyes OF the world. and 1t can be by spreading
the gospel Of optimism ana inducing the farmers
to sell their product, even If they lose q years
profit
Precisely!
Bury the calamity howlers,
The farmer is the keynote Of the situation
Redeeming himself he will also redeem the
South
Bishop Gambler la right!
Sell bale of Cotton."-Atianta Constitu.
ton.