The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-04-05
: s..ez z.-.
COTTON FIGHT IS
SOUND AND RIGHT
R. H. Edmonds States Broadly
Principle at Stake and How
II Affects South.
PRESENT SYSTEM A CURSE
TO ENTIRE COUNTRY
Healthy Sentiment Everywhere
Would Back Acreage Reduc-
ton Movement if Advised

st. Matthews, March 30.-The fol-
lowing is a copy OF a letter just re-
ceived by Mr.. j. s. Wannamaker,
chairman of the South Caroline Cot
ton Association, from Mr.. Richard H.
Edmonds, editor Of the Manufactur-
ers' Record OF Baltimore, who in the
strongest terms and on the highest
economic and moral grounds, en-
GcAses the fight which IS being made
in South Carolina and the other cot
ton states for acreage reduction and
Il fair price for cotton.
Baltimore. Mdl, March 81, 1919.
Mr. J. S. Wanuamaker,
chairman. South Carolina Cotton
Associa ION. st. Matthews. s. G.
Dear Sir: AS I wired YOU in re-
sponse to your telegram. I greatly
regret that it will not be psosible Tor
me to accept the invitation to deliver
an address at your coming meeting
on April 3.
am in hearty sympathy with the
effort that is being made to secure
higher prices for cotton. AS .,ave
repeatedly said, every. man whatever
his business or wherever he may live,
North Or South, who seeks 60 break
down the price Of cotton 70 figure
which wtll rot give a fair margin
OF profit to the grower after The
grover has paid {: good living wage TO
the farm laborer Is, to the extent CT
has ability, forging the chains OF eco
no1nsc slavery and poverty around the
cotton industry. I have often heard
isadinS cotton manufacturers of New
England, who are generally CHI, rsye.
with trying - beat down the price OF
cotton, say that they are perfectly
willing TO pay a good fair price. pro
vlded they could have q fairly uni
form price from year to year. The
tom makes the cotton manufacturing
business exceedingly dangerous be
caase the cotton manufacturer never
knows what may be the sudden :ild
great changes IN the price OF his r:sw
material. This makes his business
something of a gamble. I know OF
no other manufacturing business SUB
iect to such serious vicissitadc III
rapid fiuctuation in raw materials ss
the cotton manufacturer has to nee!.
It should, therefore, be borne in mind
that these very fluctuations prac-
tica!ly compel the cotton lnaaust:-
turef wherever he may be loca:ed TO
desire Tow prices for the raw mater
ial because the fluctuations then ao.
rot count SO heavily against i..s
production costs.
II. any way could be devised 70 sta
bil.ze the price Of cotton so that the
fluctuations would not be SO ,ws!d.
T believe that, the. great majority: Of
cotton manufacturers every sshere
would be entirely satisfied With q
price which, would yield a sooG pcclii
TO the srower. The Wild fluctuations
10 which the cotton trade has always
beeh subject have in effect practically
compelled manufacturers to be beers
in their desire Tor a low price. THIS
IS not Because. they seek to imP37er-
ish the cotton grower. but because
when prices are high the wide tiuc-
tuations endanEer the very tinane:ssl
life OF many mills
4 fair degree Of stability by the
establishment Of warehouses is one
Of the prime essentials III. sbrine:':s 'la: s;
about better conditions in the cotton
industry These. warehouses should
be able to issue receipts. cr cert!tf-
Gates. which would be good iat any
bank in America for there IS no
other agricunaI+a, product col::Gsr;'-
bic 10 cotton as a basis Tor sSfe bank
ing. Cotton dees not detcrforTafc IN
quality even when kept for years. IN
this respect It IS unlike wheat or
corn or other agricultural prod IS.
unfortunately there has been IN
the South as well as in other sec
tons many cotton spectators who
care nothing for the welfare Of the
grower and who are only concerned
as TO their individual profit il? tl,d-
ing in cotton. Long accustomed 90
the low price OF wages or the farais
OF tho South thc"e- spectators. :snu
many others who have nct understood
tho situation, have been entirely SON
tent TO see farm wages continue &:
what have been IN :imosS starvation
basis! Neither the white nor the nc
gro tenant, nor the laborcr or She
farm in the South. has ever had 4
fair living price for his work. .Aad
this has necessarily meant. that the
land owner, whether he produces the
cotton himself Or rents out his land,
has never had Il fair profit on his in
vestment.
This crop should rightfully hria;; 20
the South 4 far larger profit than
wheat or corn should bring TO the
Western farmer, because the South
has ,fa., more Of monopoly in cotton
growing than the West has in whe3t
or corn. The conditions which h;irr
prevailed since 1865 have, however
constantly burdened the cotton ::e'ow-
ing interests OF the South. and the
struggle 10 get a living wage for the
farm laborer and q fair profit for
the landowner has never been intelli-
gently and persistently carried out.
We have had many sl':slnoGic at
tempts to get higher prices for cotton
bat these have been shoit-iivcd and
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