Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-01-28
WHO SHALL SAVE THE COTTON FARMER?

Who shall save the cotton farmers? VINO but them
selves with the help of the business and the bank
erg Of the South. VIII they do il"
This is the extremely pertinent inquiry Of J. 7 Hole
man shrewdly discerning business man Of Atlanta
who writes letter. published in the Atlanta constitu
ton pointing out that the farmer if he is BIZ
wiped out by the manipulations of cotton gamblers
must have help and quickIy-and that help must come
from the souths financial and business Ht
must have the backing here at home that he canno
supply himself
Mr. HoIemans letter has its pessimistic tone, but i
a condition face just now not theory hope
We are confronted by actualties and interruptions &C
tors We must be prepared for eventualties. Here il
what Mr.. Holleman says
Unless something is done stem the downward
weep of cotton prices We are going to face very
rous situation in the south-a situation fraught witt
disaster great that which came upon US in 1914
y am anti-cotton. All my friends and all those whc
have read my cards know how feel about cotton. W.
ought quit growing it, except in limited quantities.
has kept poor for sixty years and will wreck us yet
But while am the enemy OF cotton, am the frienc
Of the farmer; but my friendship for the farmer is no
wholly unselfsh All that 7 have-my business my prop
erty future and the future of my children-depend
upon the prosperity Of the farmer When ne fails sui
fer, and when he succeeds prosper.
THE loss on the Georgia cotton crop of 1918 aIon
must be close $1OoOoOOOO nearly 100000 for eacl
county in the Our public men, state and national
and the farmers themselves are fully alive 10 the DANCE
of the situation and are doing what they can But SCI
nothing to indicate that business men and banker
and citizens generally taking any interest in the mat
ter. We all so busy with our little money-makin,
schemes that we have lost sight of the great disaster
that threatens We are prone to look upon this matte
as one purely for the farmer to handle
When the struggle is over as it will be shortly an,
the cotton crop has been swept out of the hands of ou
farmers for less money than it to produce it, it vii
then be too late If the South to be saved from this
stupendous loss her bankers and business men mus
come to the Some means must be found for en-
abling the farmers hold this cotton until it can b,
sold for what it is worth, and is worth fifty cents PEI
pound Our business men have handled bigger problems
than this during the past years and they can and,
this For their countrys they have raised billions
Tor war purposes For their own sakes they must save
the farmers and thereby themselves from this mpendns
ruin
Because cotton has been selling since 1917 foI
more than formerly brought many people imagine thu
farmers are rolling in wealth. I have been in close
touch with them for forty years and they have never ha,
any money they could call their own until last year anc
all this is now about to be swept away To one VIII,
understands conditions and can see what is going on
the situation is tragic beyond words
4 call upon the business men and the bankers O
the South to rally to this fight If our finances are prop
erly and promptly modified we are strong enough +,
control the situation and ourselves from this grea
loss The farmers do it alone They need the hell
OF every banker and every business man We talk of
special session of the legislature of Georgia ia devils,
plans for building good roads Here is money enough
if we can it, to build good roads in all the Southern
states We talk of raising taxes and property assess
ments for the benefit of the schools Here is none,
enough if we can it, to erect high school build
ing in every county university in every state and dom
BILE the pay of every teacher in all the States of tn.
South
THE streets and warehouses in every town in The
South piled high with cotton The vaults Of eyer
bank in the country filed with cotton loans al twenty
pound. What are going to do when they beat
the price down to that figure and below it? And VIC