The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-09-24
MANY OF THE COT
TON GROWERS ENEMIES
ARE SOUTHERN MEN

E. Co., prominent cotton dealers OF
New Orleans, issued circular which
we vigorously criticised at that time,
in which they endeavored to point out
reasons why, in their opinion, there
could be no combination of the cot
ton growers which would advance the
price of cotton. In the course of one
of their statements they said:
"It is we'll known that the great
bulk of the cotton crop is raised by
the small farmer, whose wife and
children constitute his only help;
hence all these ridiculous estimates OF
the cost of production. are unworthy
of consideration. For the same rea-
son it is now, always has been and al
ways will be impossible to coordinate
or organize this element and secure
any general concert of action"
Commenting on that statement, the
Manufacturers Record of August Il,
1919, said:
"Mr. Ellis thus claimed that the
great bulk of the cotton is raised by
the small farmer, whose wife and
children constitute his only help and
based on the claim of enforced slav-
ery for the women and children, ne
argues against price of cotton which
would take the women and children
out of the cotton field.
"Truly He who spake as never man
spake said:
"And mans foes shall be they OF
his own household "
"Many of the worst enemies OF the
cotton growers are men in the South
who live by the sufferings of the 'wo-
men and children of the small farm
er."
That Messrs Ellis & Co. are still
carrying on their aggressive campaign
against a fair and living price for
cotton is indicated by statement Is
sued by them on August 26 Of this
year, in which they said:
"We have been persistent and con-
sistent for months in voicing the view
that the prices of cotton and other
commodities could not be supported.
The writer notified the editor of COM
merce and Finance, when July con-
tracts in New York, under the infiu-
ence of fragrant manipulation, were
selling at 43.75, that we were seeing
the last of 40-cent cotton. Since then
prices have declined IL cents per
pound, $50 per bale, or double the
actual value of the article following
the outbreak of the war in 1914. This
great decline, however, still leaves the
price four or five times greater than
it was at the beginning of the war.
Meanwhile, Europe's buying power
has been immensely restricted. The
German, for instance, finds his
mark worth only one-twelfth of
what it was in ante-bellum days, and
with the price four times greater. if
he wants cotton he must pay about
forty times as much as he did before
the war. Obviously, he can't afford it..
The same argument applies in some
what Lesser degree to England, France
and Italy, and in greater degree to
Austria and the Slavic States. Hence,
Egegardless of what it has cost TO
raise this crop: We should consider
the inexerable law of supply and de-
mand. In July 1914, predictions of
less than ten million were current,
yet we raised sixteen million! Just
80 this year; from the threat of crop
failure we are presently promised one
! of the largest yields in the history OF
the trade. Seasonable rains through
out the summer have removed all fear
Of devastating drought, hot winds,
etc., and only an abnormally early
killing frost stands in the way of 4
bumper crop"
The men who boasted that because
the bulk of the South's cotton croI
was raised by small farmers, so hope
lessly poor that their wives and chill
dren had to do most of the work, are
still gloating over the decline which