The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-02-06
PUBLIC DISCUSSION

aisappointing still to know that the
administration at Washington connives
at II,
To-day Germany is crushed, a mass
OF incohsrent, impotent, bleeding hu-
mAnlty, as incapable Of prosecuting a
bar as n broken backed pugilist would
pc incapable Of standing up In the ring
against a Jim Jeffries. The German
factories are idle and asking for cot
ton. even some of the neutral countries
OF Europe are asking for cotton Their
people need clothing and employment,
which we have to sell them. II Ger
many should be permitted to buy cot
ton today the price would go up to 40
81 20 cents Q pound In less than 80
days, But England Ia not going 10
permit anything Of that kind and the
president will not do anything that
We we're all in favor N keeping cotton
out OF Germany as long as Germany
used cotton In the manufacture OF mu-
nltlons OF war, but there Is no reason
IN the world why cotton should not be
earth today, and II would but for the
influence and p%eouniosity OF Great
Britain. The world needs clothing and
me cheapest material Of which clothing
Is made Ia cotton.
"A few days ago Congress passed a
IN HFFtNfi 'NNANiH ~ HuiliIGu inlllIOI
dollars~lmposing a tax OF five dollars
upon every family In the United States,
TO ,bo. placed In the hands, OF Wilson
ana Hoover, to be given out In Europe,
40 charity, The cotton growers OF tho
south are contributing to that while
tney are az the same time being robbed
ana p~lundered with presidential ap-
proval In the interest Of the manufac.
turers OF Europe and America.
recall with distinctness tho presi-
uehts statement to the delegation Of
senators that called on him in 1914
ana urged the government to aid the
cotton growers Of tho South In order
to prevent the price OF cotton from
golng, down from IL cents TO s cents a
pound. We did not ask for n bounty,
we did not ask for charity. All that
we wanted was that the government
should lend us It's credit, Two hundred
and fifty. millions Of dollars, with which
we hoped to retire five million bales OF
cotton, would have bridged the chasm
ana saved the cotton growers OF the
South a half billion dollars on that one
crop But the President told us that
our proposition was 'sooialistic-
tnS1 Il wSs popullsm gone mad; that
think thoy are" Let the law OF sup
ply and demand" he said, Operate un-
hindered." Well, II operated and you
Know tho reHt, In 1918 the law OF sup
ply and demand. was operating, and
unhindered II would have saved to
thing like six hundred millions OF dol
lars upon this CROP But the benefic-
larisa were not the same, The effect
Of the law was different from IDA,
The sufferers In 1918 by the %unhindered
law Of supply and demand were the
manufacturers, and to protect them the
vSaS"T reached HsGG"i forth t oe nTrsst he h Srso
operation OF the law of supply and
demand. The results arc too we'll
known to call for further comment on
my part.
When ] tclegraphed tho boards OF
trade Of certain Mississippi cities and
towns IN September, urging them to
have tho people protest against the
presidential Interference with the price
Of cotton, my warning wNs ignored.
Some OF the distinguished presidents
OF tho boards evidently thought that
was playing politics, when, IN fact,
was trying 70 servo tho interest oi
the people Of Mississippi and America,
II u vigorous protest had gone up from
the masses TO President Wilson, de.
bouncing ne .unwarrantod and illega
his proposed Interference with the law
of supply and demand in fixing tn
price Of cotton, II might have had some
effect, | think II would have saved
them enormously, But they submit.
ted In silence like vRssala and nov
they must take the consequences,
My advice to the cotton rover OF
the South now Ia TO hold what cotton
they have II they are able to do IL
Wait untIl republican institutions ar,
r~e-established In America n tn,
strong hand Of autocraoy shall b,
taken off Of private affairs, Roll YOU
cotton under tho shed or put II IN 4
warehouse and have 1t insured and II
the course OF time YOU will get tn,
value OF your property; that il, / hon,
81, JAS. X, VARDAMAN'
Washington, u. G.