The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-07-26
Cotton Growers
Freedom,
American Association Will Blaze
Pathway.-Many in OPP
position

J The American Cotton Association is
j sues the following statement. prepared
by one who has observed its work:
If the American Cotton Association
should meet an untimely end and die
in it's youth, just now, it should GER
tainly be inferred with pomp and
ceremony and its grave should be
marked with one of the biggest tomb
stones in the land. For it will already
have earned the South enough money
to pay for costly funeral and for
lasting remembrance. Upon a conser-
vative estimate. it will have saved TO
the business interests Of the South
mainly to the farmers-the sum OF
$500, 600, 900. If the force Of inertia
| inherent in all human beings should
prevail against this youthful giant and
.ay him low, there should certainly be
| extracted from his estate a sum suf-
fcent TO give him monument
There are said to be certain persons
who would like to see the young giant
depart this life There have always
been persons who desired the very,
opposite of the things for which this
champion Of the cotton interests OF
the South has arisen-certain persons
who made fortunes out Of the losses
of the Southern farmer. Should these
persons succeed in poisoning the
champion. they should. at least, build
him monument Perhaps. in that
event there might be inscribed on
his monument this legend:
Here lies the body of A. G. A..
champion of economic freedom. pro-
tector of the women and children OF
the South. Slain by the bear manipu-
lators of the cotton market in the
interest of the cotton spinners and
of their own pockets.
But there is not going to be fun
eral The American Cotton Associa-
ton is in no mood to be slain in the
interest of any one. On the contrary
the saving of s500.000.000 to the cot
ton interests of the South is only
preface to the achievements that this
association intends TO perform in the
future.
Everybody believes that farmers
are the most difficult people to bring
together for cooperative activity, but
the American Cotton Association IS
going to bring together the cotton
producers Of the South. The difficult
tt is not so much in the farmers asi
in their situation. All people are hard
TO unite when they are separated from
each other by great distances and can
not exchange views readily. All thotj
the Southern farmer needs to bring
him TO cooperate with his fellows IS
10 talk matters over with them. This
is what the farmers are going 20 CO.
through their association. The work
of publicity that is being carried out
by the president and directors of the
cotton association is SO transparent IL
rs motive for the good Of the farm
ers of the South. and is so convincing
in the facts which it lays before thorn
that the farmers are not going to nc
deceived easily by persons naturally
opposed 20 their interests. The farm
er desires to "be shown" and this
campaign Of publicity is showing hHll-
Those who attempt a counter CAM
paigr will have hard tas' in show
ing the farmer CONTRA wise.
The first big achievement Of the as
sociation then. is to show the farmer
how outside Influences have long coG- !
trolled his affairs. and how he may
thwart these influences.
The cotton association proposes
shat there shall he available for the
farmer in future just the sort OF in
formation required by any business
man-for the farmer must be a husi-
ness man also-in order to conduct
his business pro1itably. The farmer
shall have definite periodical informa-
ton as to the world supply and Dc
mand in the cotton market. This In
formation is to be obtained and vouch-
ed for by his own. cotton association.
He will plant and will sell in the light
of this information and not IN the
dark as he has often been compelleG
to do in the past.
Bat ;liis information is not enough.
aud n sj.1ll have. besides. informa-
tioa periodically as to the acreage act
uai!!: piaated in cotton and as to the
state of the crop and probable yield.
20 this detailed information.
Moreover. when he calculates what
his cotton ought to bring. he Will
Judge, not on the basis of the PROB
able crop and the world supply a'fd
demand but also on the equally I'M
portant basis Of the profit which the
manufactures has been making tro'Ei
the manufactured cotton. The prin
ciple of profit sharing is to be brought
into play in the cotton business Ihe
American Cotton Association proposes
20 see 10 it that the farmer sha'l pe
periodically informed AS 10 wha; ii
costs to manufacture cotton into the
staple fabrics. and what price the'e
fabrics are bringing. He can then de-
eide what the mills shall ne willing
to pay for the raw cotton. Does til;,i
seem the least unreasonable?
Eat VIII the cotton producer hay"
won economic freedom even 'Ti1ri'
correct information a$; 10 world dc
mand cnalcs him to plant oniy
enough cotton to be assured of pro-