The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-04-23

Boston, April 1S-oOSIoH el1o
Brooklyn opened the National League
baseball season today with morning
and afternoon games.
i Berlin, April 1S.-The Bavarian
anarchist Sendeimer has obtained
complete control Of the new COM
munist government in Munich, ac-
cording to Munich advices.
many and Austria idle, they artificial
ly increase the supply Of raw cotton
for their spindles and decrease the
j demand for raw cotton there
by increasing the chances Of buy
ing cheaper cotton. 1t is the cot
ton producers duty to decrease his
possible future supply in proportion
to the idle spindles Of the world. II
our present acreage reduction is not
drastic enough and peace has not
been signed by May the first, SO as to
open the markets Of the world. the
Southern Cotton Growers Association
should call or the farmers to plow
up an acre to the plow each week
peace is delayed until our present
acreage is down 10 so per cent Of
normal. And this should be done be-
/ fore it is too late, to plant these
acres in corn.
Mr. Cooper evidently has not at
tended any of the various meetings to
reduce cotton acreage. At all Of
these meetings, it has been urged that
every available acre cut out OF cotton.
be planted in food crops, that the
South might become self sustaining
this is the burden Of our song
Every principle that has been ad-
vocated by the Cotton Growers AS
sociation and by the editor Of The
State. has been sound.
1t has been preached at us always
| that the South has q monopoly on
cotton, yet each fall there is Difficult
ty to finance the cotton crop. Who
ever heard Of difficulty in financing
a monopoly, it might happen once,
but not repeatedly. Those who have
acclaimed cotton, King, have nlsplac-
ed crown-those who have bowed
to king cotton have bowed to an
empty throne.
It is the act of simpleton to raise
ten bales of cotton at loss when
seven bales would pay a good profit.
The fall of 1918 was the best on
record still large part of our crop
is low grade If this indicates any
thing, it indicates that we are nov
planting and have for years planted
more cotton and produced more cot
ton than we can get housed before it
has heavily deteriorated in the field.
Every bale Of low grade cotton is al
ways produced at loss, in adGi''"',
to subtracting from the value Of our
good cotton.
Thanks to four short crops of cot
ION what he editor of The State re-
plies to Cooper is true. The last
two years have brought a measure
Of prosperity to the farmer the av-
erage man is in better condition
than he has been for years Re
Gently a lawyer and n banker said
"The wears 1917 and 1918 have liqui-
dated or put in good standing thou
sands Of bad accounts" This speaks
well for the average farmer; it shows
he will pay when he can.
Z
throwing away and generally mis-
handling the hard money, he has
been able TO earn in the last two
years.
Unfortunately this is true, but no
persons handle with skill anything
which is new to him. a new man on
horseback is likely TO ruin good
horse before he learns his ability and
endurance A new man with an au-
devil is at his heels or he is not rid
ing.
A novice with q gun is most likely
to shoot at bird a hundred yards
!away. when his gun will not Kill Il
fifty yards.
Give the farmer a little money and
Ia little time and he will learn to use
It wisely be has not been accu;;-
toned to handling the cold cash long
enough TO know how it ought 10 roll.
Let no man think one or two years
of fair prices will solve the situation.
What we need is q period OF proSD':'-
ity, and no man or organization can
bring this about permanently uE'''
We realize our system Of farming IS
Fundamentally wrong. TOO many me-,
are farming 10 make cotton who
ought to be farming to make ~
ing
The political economist has 3r.ach-
Cd the division of labor or speciali%lHs
until we have passed the limit. World
wide conditions arc going TO force US
to produce everything possible ~
u home. and the most the Southern
Cotton Growers Association can hope
to accomplish. is t" educate the cot
ton growers TO produce their living
first and then look after the clot:i-
Ing of the world.
Let ii be understood that we are
not under any moral obligation TO any
country. kinG or people. to produce a
pound of cotton TO our own detri-
inert.
Louis T. Guion.
Lu.cn, 6 c.