The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-12-29
Too Stringent.

Too Stringent.
The efforts OF those thai are gen
uiasly iAtevSSted in the program OF
cotton acVeaGe reduction and are
leaaing their OseoPtS 20 the und"T-
taking FOR the good OF the country
sAoulA be encouraged The agita-
ten 10 about fifty years old, but lie
afflcscy 10 y6t to be proved because
n hes never been given q fair trial.
All the newspapers are for IL; ell
eho AanksTs and cotton merchants
ere fcE IT, and all tAe farmers are
~ Il with reservations.
n 10 not On issue TO be enforced by
laws or by rules promulgated by
sameoOe else. any attempt to &C
csmplAsh the result by means Of pro.
acsiption will be resented by the
eaFmsro They do not take kindly 10
attsmpes TO inteFmeddle with their
AfsairA even 70 il 10 under the Euiss
e assistance, 1t 10 more matter OF
education than II Is % legislation. Il
o HAeso Q matter OF Individual de-
aasmlAation than OF collective bar
mAiAiAg. The farmer like everyone
eliza q going 20 do the thing he re-.
cards % most profitable and for his
best interest.
As q rule he IL o hard headed in.
dividual that requires no assistance
% reaching conclusions, and all the
aAvics in the world will not change
his fixed opinion
Already We ere hearing some dis
satisfaction expressed by the farmers
Aeeausa Of Q resolution adopted by
the cotton convention AZ Memphis.
vAich vent on record as determining
that no farmer shall plant to cot
ten. the coming year. (is2D more
than 80 Is per cent Of his lands I'M
der actual cultivation. 10 order that
fifty per cent reduction in yield
may be made effective through credit
restrictions and the utter denial Of
credit 10 any planter, farmer or land
aVner who refuses to join in the
'Yovoment"
We have no idea that. the great
arIiy Of farmers or land owners
r'i be bound by iron clad restric-
'nrs Some other method OF APP
trnp Il could have been used with
Greater efficacy In the first place
thore is general disposition to re-
auee the acreage in 1921 because OF
he existing price Of cotton, and be-
cause of the fact that there is
carry-cvSr Of about 100000 bales
that, must be disposed Of before there
10 a pressing demand for the 1921
crop.
II an organization has authority TO
adopt q resolution regulating the
acreage Of a farmer, or the cultiva-
ten Of given crop and the power
10 enforce its decree, there is no limit
10 the authority that can be exer-
cisSd over him. . .
II 10 q dangerous precedent to rec
ommend the denial of credit TO a.
farmer whose assets render him safe
for a loan, IL he does not see fit to
operate according to = plan formu-
lated by those who do not know his
sitUAtion and are not familiar with
the conditions confronting him.
Better than any law. resolution or
pledge that could be conceived would
be the impression upon the mind of
every farmer the words Of Henry w.
Grady. who said:
when every farmer in the South
shall eat bread from his own fields
and meat from his own pastures and
disturbed by no creditor. and en-
shaved by no debt, shall sit amid his
tseminS gardens, and orchards, and
vineyards, and diaries, and barn
yards, pitching his crops in his own
Weldon and growing them in indie
pendence, making cotton his clean
surplus and selling it in his own
time. and in his chosen market and
not at a masters bidding getting
hts pay in cash and not in a receipt
ed mortgage that discharges his debt.
but does not restore his freedom
then shall be the breaking OF the full
ress Of our day"
Grady has been dead thirty-two
years. There was nothing original
in what he said regarding the ne
cesslty for making cotton a surplus
crop. His words have been para
phrased. his thoughts have been ex-
pounded and the agitation started
during his day and time has been
carried on Internationally to the
present.
1t is through education that the
things he advocated will be attained.
It was through education that he ex-
pected to see them attained. Other
methods may be helpful or they may
be Injurious, but all attempts at CO.
ercion must ultimately fail.
Tariff Issue Returns.