The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-08-18
Public Discussion
ONE DOLLAR COTTON OR
2o-cENT COTTON, WHICH,


To The News scImitar;
We sometimes read somebody's esti
nation on the cost OF raising cotton
and that II costs csc, 30c. 25c or 40c
per pound to raise cotton. That dc
ponds entirely on what price the labor
rs calculated, II u Is based on the
price Of Chinese labor then II can be
raised for perhaps soc or s5c while the
producer goes half starved and wears
old rags, but II the cotton raisers'
wages are figured al the price OF rail-
road workers, carpenters bricklayers.
miners and other organized labor and
al decent living wage, II win cost
about 81 pound to produce this crop.
Cotton Ii not now selling and never
sold for more than half it's value The
land OF the South has been Empower
ished and worn into bitches raising
laborers have gone half clothed and
half-fed. ! never knew a cotton farmer
to accumulate anything for his old age
except by doing without the Injuries
and half the necessaries OF life.
II is a well-known fact that when
the seller has nothing to do with nam
ing the price ana he has to take what
ever the buyer offers that he will not
get more than half what his commodity
II worth and It Is exactly so with cot
ton. Imagine che farmer. after he and
HIS family have toiled all the year to
ihAHt AWu VT lilItt DhitS VI tDlNpH. lux
ing II to market and asking SOC for 1t;
they would laugh him to scorn and say
II was worth only 30C for December in
New York. although he has as much
right to set the price on his product
and labor as the manufacturer the
merchant, the railroad man, the miner
or anybody else
The price is set by the New York.
New Orleans and Liverpool gamblers
and the cotton splnners and neither the
farmer, banker or little cotton mer-
chant have anything whatever to say
we allow this to be done we will con-
tinue to live, in economic slavery and
viii never receive anything but star
walton prices for our cotton.
What shall we do? Shall we live In
this slavery any longer taking any price
or will we rise up In our might Ike
an awakened giant and assert our in
dependence?
The only practical and effective way
to do any good is to strike like All
other laborers and professions. Would
the railroad men. the bricklayers! the
carpenters, the miners and other labor.
ing classes be getting from 50 to Sl0
day now II they were not organized
and not In a position to at least have
a voice in what wages they are to get?
No, emphaticaly. no. They would per-
maps ne ketNlHk 20 10 20 per udS' NNhiiS
all classes of labor as well as the manu-
facturers, merchants, doctors. lawyers
and others, set the price OF their work
while the farmer takes anything ne
can get for his labor or products,
No manufacturer continues making
goods when he has surplus on hahd
and can not get profit on his prod
ucts and why should the cotton farmers
keep raising cotton when they can NOT
sell II for near what II costs TO raise
II when figured at decent living price
for their labor?
How shall We strike? Every, com.
In the cotton states should meet
and organize as soon as possible, set
81 a pound as the price OF this cotton
crop and each pledge not to plant
cotton seed In 1921, provided that 10
per cent of the cotton producers sign
a like pledge, and by next summer we
would get 81. And any cotton farmer
who will not pledge should be treated
az an undesirable citizen, Stacker and
criminal and ostracized by his nelRh-
bors. Every well-to-d farmer. aanket
and merchant in the South Should elthe.
buy or loan money on the distressed
cotton and keep II off the market and
II no would not help he should be boy
cotted. ....,.,o,
II we do nothing to protect ourselves
our masters will give Us about 3oc LOT
our best cotton and perhaps 2oc Tor our
worst this year and 'ess for the next
three crops, 40 tina: ne would have to
cell four crops fcr .he price OF one.
We can win the 'iE5t II We Will but
try. we are sick and tired OF wear
ing out our land raising COTTON AT nan
its value and those OF Us VINO we
landlords should gladly sign. a pledge
with rs per cent or more OF tne r"o
ton farmers not TO ASK any Co''"h i'"'
e II would be better for us all II neces-