Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-11
ESTABLISHED 1855
PLIGHT OF The PRODUCER
What Cotton Convention Thinks OF
the StuatlOnii !. 49, .. 9
BELIEVES THERE HAS Been UNFAIRNESS

If Farmers of the South Would Be
Helped They Must Help Themselves
There is a Probability, However,
That There Has Bsan Frame Up
Aaainst the Farmers and an Honest
Investigation Might Afford Satisfae-
ton.
Resolutions offered by j. Skottowe
Wannamaker, chairman of South Car
olina Cotton association at the state
meeting in Columbia on April 3, 1919
and adopted.
Resolutions.
The cotton producer Of the south
has always concentrated his efforts
upon production, and from the time
he first commenced to produce cotton
until today, he has left the marketing
banking and financing OF his product
entirely to others. AS a result the
middleman has received the lions
share of the profit The producer to
q large extent has eXisted-never llV-
ed. He has been largely a CONNER
cial cannibal existing by destroying
his natural assets. He has destroy
ed the forestry, destroyed the fertility
of the soil, absolutely ignored COM
fort and sanitation in his tenant
houses; his farm laborer being under
paid, underfed and scarcely NOUS
ed at all,-their houses being more IN
the form of a shelter than home.
In his own home he has been largely
forced to ignore comfort and conYen-
ience and sacrifice sanitation. In MS
life and the life of his family, he has
been compelled to sacrifice their COM
fort, education, hygiene, and such tnat
goes to make life worth living. Where
the producer has accumulated and
prospered, it has been largely due to
the natural enhancement of land val
ues and the destruction OF natural
assets and the sacrifices named here
in, and many other sacrifices; and the
accumulation has not been from earn
ings on cotton.
The Englishman first marketed and
financed his product. His northern
brother sold him the negro with which
to produce it. The shrewdness and
insight of the New England trader
next lead him to divide the rich field
with the Englishman, since which
time the marketing and financing OF
the cotton crop has been almost, II
not absolutely in the hands of the
English and northern spinner, specula-
tor, gambler and manipulation. The
producer has never had an oppor-
tunity or the privilege, Of naming the
price for which his product was to
be sold AS a result, we see the con-
ditions today. The west and the north
before the world war had outstripped
him in the accumulation of wealth;
in progress; in prosperity, and in all
that goes to make up the barometer
that indicates the wealth that is COM
ing into the country. The vast infia-
tion in values that has swept over
America since the commencement OF
the world war has added fabulously to
the wealth Of every section except the
south. AS a proof of the wealth OF
country, take the assessment for Lib
erty loan bonds, which assessment was
made in accordance with the wealth OF
the country For this reason, the as
sessment for the cotton belt based on
wealth therein was far, far below the
assessment of any other section True
we met it just as Loyalty, just as prac-
tically,-in fact probably more so
because it was absolutely necessary
to deny ourselves the necessaries which
where long overdue, and which it would
be possible to obtain If we shirked;
but no southerner has ever shirked
duty. The producer of every section
has long since snapped the shackles
that were binding him to the middle
man; and the manpulator and gamb-
Ter. He markets his own product; he
sets his own price; he is prosperous;
contented and happy The products
on which prices are set by the pro-
ducer are far too enormous to men
tion. They range all through the line
of production of coffee, corn, wheat,
oats and even up to apples. In fact
cotton was practically the first product
on which a price should have been set,
but it seems that it is to be the very
last. AS a result of this, rural life In
the cotton belt has largely driven, and
will continue to drive, the young white
man to other fields, and unless these
conditions are changed, the cotton pro-
ducing fields will be almost unknown
to the white man. Even the negro is
leaving. The negro returning from the
army. like the white man has differ
ent viewpoint. He refuses to be long
er satisfied with the shack, with the
hovel with the mere existence.
No Help from the National Govern
ment.
The southern farmer has looked
with yearning' eyes TO his national
government for help. He has sent VI
endless prayers and petitions. His
cries have been in vain. 1t is the mar
row, selfish viewpoint Of many that
prevents his progress and prosperity
from becoming a national question
a national necessity. They permit
their selfishness to blind them. There
should be no sectionalism. AS result
we realize that we can get nothing
from the national government; oul
strength is too weak, the combination
against us is too strong. Politically
the vote of the cotton belt opposed tc
the vote Of the north and west, who
are joined against them, is, of course
absolutely without result. If we ap'
peal to the west for commercial assist
ance in our fight against the capitals
tic oppressors of the north, we hnc
that we are jumping from the fire IN
to the frying pan." We find that th'