The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-10-28

port or that great national Organiza-
ton in looking after the interest OF
the people of Georgia, and l promise
one year than Harris could do in six
years, will resign my job and put
my salary back into the treasury.
Let US see what it costs under the
present conditions to make and mar
ket cotton:
have one farm of thirty-two plows,
run by twentyfour tenants or crop
pers. Eighteen of them white families
and six colered: there are 1913 people
in the twenty-four families. 1t will
cost at the present prices $1,000 per
month each to feed, clothe and in ev-
cry way support these people, or a
total cost for twelve months of $780,
40: On the cropper system the land
lord furnished the land, the stock and
their feed, the tools and one-half the
made. These thirty-two plows. twent
ty.four families or 1913 people made
this year as estimated, 297 bales Of
cotton. 1t takes the seed to pay for
the fertilizers, but we are clogged up
now and can't seN them. This cotton
at 40 cents per pound would be $780,
90 per bale or a total of $59,4o0;, the
CHOPPERS or tenants part would be
one half or $29,70O. If it has cost
them to live, $30,720, we must get
something out of the pigs, chickens
and vegetables to make good this diff
ference of $1,020. They, of course,
can do this: but at these high-priced
times, if you pay them less than 40
cents, somebody will and must do
the favored class wallow in the lap
Of plenty. Shall this great Democrat
ic, Government protect the spinners
whose profits are fabulous and at the
same time depress. the producer,
whose burdens are already more than
he can bear?
Our great President has been mis-
led and we are being sacrificed to the
advantage of the New England mills
and Wall Street gamblers. Fifty
cents for cotton today would not be
equal even to the pay of other labor
in the South
Do you know that a common Ia
borer who worked on farm in 1914
at one dollar per day of twelve hours
is making $500 per day of nine hours
that negro firemen who worked for
one dollar and fifty cents on rail-
roads in 1915 for twelve hours a day,
are now being paid by McAdoo's rail
roads $1S5.O0 per month for eight
hours per day? Do you know that all
Government contractors are growing
rich and donating fabulous sums to
the campaign of their choice candi-
mills have made 100 per cent since
1914, and the Bibb Manufacturing Co.,
a cotton mill corporation in Georgia,
has increased its capital stock from
one million to five million dollars
SINCE 1914, and paid for this four
million with surplus and profits? Do
you know that the Georgia farmers
who actually make their bread by the
sweat or their brow and raises the
cotton to clothe the world is the only
class that has not made money out
of this war?
know the farm from beginning to
end. l am farmer, with a hundred
plows, raising all the supplies can
to help win the war. paid more war
tax than any man in my COMPRESSION
al District and did 1t willingly.
Y. M. G. A. than any man in nv coun
tty, and l am glad of it have bought
bonds of every issue and will buy
more. allowed my nineteen
year-old SON to go to France and
fight for his country before he was
called and he is still there doing his
bit. simply mention these things to
show that l am no Stacker.
If President Wilson needs our cot
ton to run this war he is perfectly
welcome to take it. We are with him
to victorious conclusion, but it has
not been shown and it can not be
SHOWN that 1t is necessary to do this
in winning the war. Ali the world
needs this small cotton crop, and as
soon as the end Of the war is i'm
signt, this crop of cotton will bring a
nigh price and We will for the first
tlme In forty years make some money
to pay our debts and improve our
condition. If President Wilson allows
the spinners and gamblers of America
and the European powers, who are
anxious for cotton, to take it from us
at prevailing prices, or if he allows
Baruch and his speculative commit
tee to keep talking it down, the Presi-
dent. is badly misled or does not ap-
vice to him and his party. The dam
age has already been done, the fight
must be made and neither men nor
party names should be considered,
Men and parties may come and go.
but principles must stand forever.
Let the newspapers have their say,
ana the old party leaders abuse me
fer freedom, Georgians must do so'
too, and they must do it from now un-
til the November election or leave
the yoke OF oppression upon their
children's necks for another half cen
fury.
Price fixing of cotton and cotton
seed will help the North and will hurt
the South. The Administration should
not allow the financiers of the North
to levy an indemnity upon the South
fifty years after we have surrendered
Any man in Georgia who refuses to
vote his protest against this outrage
Is political coward, and should leave
Georgia or be disfranchised.
Respectfully
G. H. WIsLLIAMS.
Dublin, Ca, October ~. 1918.