The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-08-08
coTI0I eOneIRiIEI:ss, RiII:, CALLED.
COL WATSON PLANS CONFER
ENCE no PROTECT
IL PLANTERS.
Prealdent Of United States. Members
Of Congivss, Planters and Business
Me0 so Meet I'm Washington.


Columbia, Aug. Ain view Of the
tremendous uncertainty attending the
status Of the cotton crop the follow
inE extraordinary call has been issued
to the Southern Cotton Congress by
Pfssident e. J. Watson.
ITO the People Of the Cotton Belt:
TN 1911. in the face Of an impend-
ing disaster to cotton. with a 10000
000-hale crop almost certain to drive
the price to cents or lower. entail
ing ihcalcuiable loss to the producer.
ut the SUGGESTION Of the Farmers
Union. the cotton growers. the mer-
chats. the business men and the
barkers OF the South met In Montgom-
cry. Ala. and formed the Southern
Cotton Congress. inaugurating the
great night for the maintenance Of a
fair price for cotton. resulting by De-
csmser Of that year in a complete VIC
tory over the nianipuiators. and saw
ing millions Of dollars to the produc-
ere and to the nation. means being
employed that It is needless to dis
cuss.
when the congress was adjourn
inc. ~ the president Of tho body. the
uadtrsigned undertook to push the
hshs for justice to cotton In the mar
ksts and to be the watch dog on the
tower sounding the call for action only
whon cotton was again threatened
With disaster. The body adjourned
subjsct to the call Of the president,
and with the understa nding that suci,
next meeting would be held In Atlanta,
Ca. yit.-
since 1911 there has been no ne
cessity for the congress to meet and
hence have issued no call. for no
great disaster has been imminent at
any time.
Though the iniquitous methods OF
marketing that have been permitted to
prevail have not yet been cured by
national governmental action. and this
had become q vital matter to cotton
growers. almost necessitating the call
ing, Of the congress to wrestle with
the problem. we have preferred to
await the action Of the United States
congress In that regard.
Cotton 10 not alone the south g
chief asset: II Is tho chief asset Of the
nation. preserving the worlds balance
OF trade In favor Of the United States
and bringing to America her golden
strsam.
& In the past few days the great Euro
pean cotton-consuming countries have
been plunged into war. which 1t now
appears. brings the grower and handler
Of cotton face to face with disaster. In
two days the price Of cotton has begun
TO fall startingly. Cotton Is about to
move to tine markets. the markets are
about to be curtailed by millions of
bales and closed. From the standpoint
of the financial stability and integrity
Of tho nation itself. Of the producer. Of
the banks and bankers. Of the mer-
chants and business men, OF every
commercial interest Of our own textile
plants. Il is vital that the 1914 crop
OF American cotton shall not be sacri-
need to the irreparable damage Of q
prosperous and rapidly developing sec
ton Of the union and OF the nation.
'T do not believe In business nys-
tsria and for several days have wait
ID and watched the course or events.
II is clear that sreat damage has al
ready been done. certainly more than
can bs undone were there an i'm
mediate suspension OF hostilities. |
whether the danger Of total financial
Joss for one year at least to growers
OF cotton In impending is immaterial;
tho danger is sufficiently manifested
to show that the time for concerted ac-
ton between growers. merchants. bus
mess men. bankers. cotton manufac-
turers and even the National Govern
msnt itself has come.
II am. therefore. exercising the au-
thority voted In mo by the Southern
Cotton Growers. ana after consulta-
ton with officials Of the Farmers
Union. the most important regular or
ganizstion Of Southern cotton growers.
and With business men. issuing this
call for an extraordinary session of tho
Southern Cotton Congress to be held
on August 1914. 1914. In view Of the
fact that II Is important that oil men,
bers of the Congress Of the United
states should be given the opportunity
to confer directly with those so vitality
affected. the session Is hereby called
IN