The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-04-09

|
and is unable to be about, although
his condition is not regarded as Sc
rious.
still be 3.423,0o0 bales greater than
/ the American supply.
There is no reason in the world
why cotton should not now be sell
ing for from 33 to 40 cents a pound.
We are going to hold on unit it does
/ bring that price. The old hapha1ard
and unintelligent market system no
/ longer obtains IL the South.
..On January 81. 1919, the New
York Commercial had this article:
Bear pressive forces new break
Cotton off 100 points. Spot markets
not affected by the break, and it is
! probable that they more nearly re-
feet the real situation This is a
| glorious announcement. gentlemen,
and an acknowledgment that you
and real cotton in the spot markets
rave become the dominating factors
IN the matter Of fixing prices.
t,T'he worlds supply Of cotton is
far short Of the worlds demand, and
the American supply is several mil
| lion bales short Of the worlds demand
! for american cotton. The cotton
producer is not unreasonable in his
price demands He is not trying to
rob anybody. Who ever heard Of a
cotton producer robting ANYBODY?
1T cost more to produce the cot
ton crop of 1913 than any other crop
ever produced in the United States.
The producer is entitled to a price
thet will cover the cost Of production
plus a reasonable profit. The spin
ners Of the United States have al
ready contracted for the sal, of goods
to be made from the 1918 crop on the
basis Of cost TO them Of from 50 10
40 cents per - Ind for their cotton
supply. The big money is in the
manufactured product. We want the
spinner to prosper. Unless he can
| make money manufacturing cotton
goods he can not pay US the price
that we arc entitled to receive for
the raw material. 1t IS necessary tor
the doctrine Of live and let live to
be recognized and supported by both
producer and spinner.
"The spinners Of the United States
got more money for the goods man
ufactured from one-third Of the cot
ton crop produced in 1913 than the
! producers received for the whole
crop of 1914, Of 100000 bales.
..In 1912 Great Britain paid s4o1,-
100000 for her cotton supply She
manufactured it, and after supplying
| the millions of her own population III
! the United Kingdom, she sold the
surplus to other nations for SELL
900, ,0oo-s210, 100000 more than her
| entire cotton supply cost in the out
ser.
Cotton mills OF the United States
have made more money for the last
two or three years than ever before,
and while cotton has sold for a fairly
good price, it has not sold for the
price justified by the price of cotton
goods. The Spinners are organized
and they are all of one mind when
it comes to buying cotton as cheap
~ as possible, they can obtain hnan-
cial backing 20 aid them IN a cam
paiSn 20 depress cotton prices. Be
cause they were able to do that they
absolutely dicta+ed the price os. cot
ton-foa, years and years.
But a new day mas dawned upon
the cotton growing States. There is
,, 4 tribune power at work now COM
posed Of farmer merchant and bank
er. standing in frort Of cotton's
mighty stronghold. saying to the bear
spectators, You shall not pass On
the far flung battle line in France,
our boys stood with faces to the foe,
our officers passed along the line
! just back Of them saying to them,
Hold them. boys and our boys an
swered We will hold Them and then
our officers said. They must not pass
and OUR boys answered back, They
shall not pass When bear specula-
tors, beth foreign and domestic.
raided the exchanges and commcnc-
ed to she'll us in the effort to break
our line and drive us from our po-
Sit;on OF holding cotton for a profit,
a5ic price farmers. merchants and
bankers drew themselves Up in bat
tie line and voices from ali over the
cotton belt were heard saying, Hold
them, And for the first time III the
history of cotton production in the
] Eilitcd states determined voices an
! swered them back, We will hold
them To break through our line
meant suffering and great financial
losses to our people in the cotton belt.
Shells Of falling prices Tell thick
and fast around farmer. merchant,
banker. and the enemy was advance
; ing in the effort to break our line.
! The battle ragged. the situation was
grave and serious. and / heard voices
again from over the cotton belt say
in:-, They must not pass; and then
I heard our farmers, merchants. and
bankers answer back, They shall not
pass .
Governor Cooper cordially thanked
Congressman Hefiin in behalf Of the
audience for the words of encoura gc-
ment brought The governor had
gathered from talks with many cotton
growers who had called at his office
that ''thev could not hold their cot