Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-04-11

price PAID or wheat, but to stimulate
production by insuring the wheat
growers a generous profit, land its
provisions extended for two years
The country was obliged to have
wheat to win the war. Hence the
wheat growers were guaranteed a
minimum price to stimulate produc-
ton. Some members of Congress ar
gued that price should also be fixed
on cotton. But our position was that
supply and demand were making for
cotton price that insured produc-
ton; that it was necessary to give
an inducement to the cotton grow
ers, but beyond this, the price pro-
posed for cotton was not to be a
MINIMUM price like the price fixed
for wheat, but was to be a MAXI
MUM price. In other words, the
wheat growers were guaranteed NOT
LESS THAN a stated and very gem
erous price on their product where
as the proposal regarding cotton was
to say that our farmers should be
prohibited by law from getting
MORE THAN a certain stated price,
and the price proposed was less than
the cost of production. Against
great pressure, Senator Smith stood
by US in that fight, fearlessly exert
ing his great influence against the
bill. Largely as the result of his
masterful presentation of facts and
figures showing cost of production,
the bill was defeated.
I'm September, 1915. announce
ment was made in Washington by
Bernard Baruch, chairman of the
War Industries Board, that the price
of cotton was to be stabilized by
ascertainino the cost of production
and fixing a price that would be paid
by single purchasing agent who
would buy for all the allies. Cotton
was then selling for thirty-eight cents
pound. Immediately following the
publication of Chairman Baruch's
statement, the market began to break.
He kept up his statements and the
market kept on breaking. In a short
time it had dropped from thirty-eight
cents to below twenty-five cents. Sen
ator Smith took up our fight in that
situation with his usual force and
courage. He urged the President
and Chairman Baruch not to carry
out their plan. He insisted that a
single purchasing agent was not nee
essary. He showed that the market,
already broken, was below the cost
of producing cotton. He made his
fight in our behalf without regard to
political consequences, knowing he
would be severely criticized. He
never let up in his efforts until in the
early summer of 1919 he succeeded
in getting cotton removed from the
embargo list, which had further oper-
ated to depress the market, and when
FMS happened cotton rose rapidly and
has held up well ever since.
These are not all of the matters
and measures in which Senator Smith
has rendered great service in behalf
of the farmers of his state and the
United States. His principal efforts
in the Senate have been in the cause
of agriculture and education. No
man that ever served in the Senate
has been a better friend, an ADLER
representative or a more influential
spokesman Of the man on the farm.
with these facts before me, |
could not refuse or fail to support
Senator Smith. As said in the be-
ginning, | regard him as the ablest
champion Of our interests we have
ever had. | repeat that the south
which furnishes the votes to elect
Democratic presidents, should fur
nish few of the presidential nomi-
nees. | am supporting Hoke Smith
as Georgia's choice for the nomina-
ton because of his record, because
of his ability, because of his tower
ing qualifications that make him the
peer Of any aspirant in either party.
If he is nominated at San Francisco,
as | hope he will be, my judgment is
that he will command more support
among the farmers of the entire
country than any other candidate the
Democratic party could nominate.
"What Georgia farmers, knowing
his record, can be against him? What
Georgia farmer, indorsing that re-
cord, can fail to go to the polls and
vote for him on the twentieth of
April?
"(Signed.) JAMES D. WEAVER,
"Vice President, Georgia Farmers
Union"
adv