The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-12-23
use COTTON Is BALANCE
GROW OTHER CROPS TO INSURE
LIVE AT HOME, POLICY.

southern Commissioners or Agricul.
turc, Through Col. Watson, Deliver
AddsCss'to Basmcfs If This Section
at Commercial Congress. ... ..~,
Columbia, Dec. 2O.--Commissioner
e. j.. Watson on his return from at
tending the Southern Commercial con-
gress at Norfolk, Va, and the South
ern Association Of Commissioners of
Agriculture brought with him a state
ment adopted by the latter body at
.ieir meeting in Richmond on Friday
night and addressed to the people of
the South. The statement, which
was prepared by a committee con-
sisting of Commissioners Of Agricul-
tire e. j. Watson of South Carolina,
w. A. Graham of North Carolina and
H. X. Bryson of Tennessee, deals
with the part the South will play in
the International reconstruction which
will come at the close Of the world
war and what the South, must do to
prepare herself for that period.
The South. says the statement, will
play a principal part in the interna-
tfonal reconstruction, "a role OF vital
concern financially and COMMERCIAL
~" 1t calls attention to the South,s
monopoly on the cottons CROP" q
world monopoly in this indestructive
commodity that is the basis OF Amer
lean finance" The South clothes the
world" 1t says. and gives to this ma
tion yearly wealth. to, the extent of
a billion and a quarter. dollars. ...>
1.-THE Southern Association of Com.
missioners of, Agriculture urge the
South to produce cotton as the major
money crop In a we'll balanced system
Of agriculture. and while pointing, out
that the national government has done
much for the South through the re.
serve banking system, the cotton. fu-
turet act, and through the national
warehouse 1T should go further and
throw every fostering care and pro-
tect'on around such q source of ma
tionhl wealth. not in a paternalistic
way. but in such a way as to insure
to .tae men who produce this wealth
from the soil q fair and just return
for their labor and the use Of their
land and to protect them by every
legal means from the professional
parasites the middlemen and the gam
hlers in futures" They favor a fed
sraderslaw. ...,au, 8.
ssaFAe statement urges the farmers OF
thes costa 20 tAke atlyaptase OF. ta,e
tneans which would dlaoatd. ths pre-.
'snt credit system and make thens ins
dependent OF This situation, and by
an independent home-making ana
BODYBUILDING citizenship smanci-
pate the people In tenancy bondaxe:"
They urge education as a necessary
step In freeing the people. : and en-
abling them to take advantage OF The
golden opportunities and to relieve
them Of the demagogues. I'VE feel
that ignorance and politics, the twin
curses Of every land, the demagogue
and his plaything, are the greatest
barriers to the development Of 1.-The
South such as the world has never
se1n. We feel that an educated cit
izenship is, our first great need" They
decry the use of 50 much commercial
fertilizers and urge soil building. ana
n rotation of crops as a means to
this end They point out the necessity
for business-like methods in .agricul-
ture and intelligent soil handling, and
the problem Of economic production
20 as to enable the farmer to know
his S Of production and what he
makes or loses on his years. crop,,
ut lis one OF the ,South's real tasks
to handle it's labor problem. Whether
II will be done by making the hsgro
more efficient or by the u~tilisat,on
gradually of other labor and the dis
tribution of the negro over the coun.
try, as farming becomes more divers.
fed and intensive. it is not fer as to
say. We believe 1t will be solved by
training the negro to be a more eff
and useful laborer, and throhet1
efforts to that end instead of by gen.
era education" they say. .' -
The need for a proper system of
marketing and general distribution'nf
fodstaffs is stressed. advocates gov
eminent and State. cooperation in
draining coastal lands along the, At
inntic seahoard. and the. q svelopment
OF the ports of hte South, through
which the South can ship her COM
merce to he.worid.
Licenses to marry have been issued