The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1922-05-10
THE COTTON FE e>NSE
AND I%$ FSC,EJ EMS.
By: j. O. Thompsun Voc oresi-
dent. Alabama j3,ri&.uI, T.. c.


dent, Alabama N,vi&.uG, =. c.
A.. Roba, Ala ban3S.
The message OF d. -:-rence
Poe, editor Of the Progressive Far
mer to the New DrleaGs otton
Conference, has Ceegly ::!G"e "essed
me and I hope eve Southern far
1ner and every M inter so ed in
the Southern farlhcc WI vvad II
and give careful Thought . the
same.
It has been m. contention for
some time, that ">ir minds, have
been so set on worr.ae iabo- cheap,
that we have lost si9lt Ct o.: high
er opportunity Of fighting fer high
er prices for the p:oGrcl OF chr Ia
Dor. We could then pay labor
more and have mo- ut The f; lit of
the labor here at NOME, rather
than sending the pruGGct to distant
lands to be enjoy-G ~ :'?stant
people.
Among other tnjnGs ~. Poe
says: 1--WE are new going - get
on a basis Of permanently rcofit-
able cotton prices until the coages-
ton or disproportion Of, cheap
negro labor in cotton production is
remedied." True, and we al know
that this labor will r.ver be rlt on
a better basis until we can get more
for the product c: i. We will
never get more for he product OF
If until we learn &c organ;Ze and
tlgnt for it.
Through the American Cotton
Association we naoe the tigil;, last
year. for reduced acreage. and we
made the moveme,;i - directive
that when the talnrs OF cotton
found what the req. S.'lua.-"n was,
the staple went W ~ ieaps and
bcunds until it had r%&cEled IN ad-
vance of 100 per cent, thereby
doubling the value OF the 2arry-
over and doubling the val2s Of the
crop then in the process OF produc-
ton; adding hundreds Of nIllions
to the wealth of the Southern far
1mer and to the banaAoie cap. al Of
the South.
I have been identified Wit far
mer movements for so years-hlt no
movement ever started III the South
rendered the service 10 The south
as the movement so AMY led "y y
S., Wannamaker OF ST, Matthews,
S. c.. No one individual! sair has
ever been so valuab'v 10 the South
from a material standpoint. % this
man If We Of the South are wise
We will capitalize OF him Gno de-
rnand his continued services 81 long
as he can lender them. -.
Wannamaker knows the srory.
Wannamaker loves mis- people.
Wannamaker has a dep syiarathy
for the white and negcl lapor=r in
the field. Wannan>aEer knows
"The laws Of chang@tess Justice
bind oppressor with oppressed and
close as sin and suffering Joined
we march to fate abreast. sssisIFE7 an
namaker knows that the Ssatnern
farmer suffers from the Application
of this idea in his dealing with The
negro, when in reality sss !sS :heRs
cotton takers wi1o: .vss.s.:z-sie.
!, ,fsr st. hy their robber sysEsn
s,aanI pa la ting tse .l1asss g
III
sger preston sssrs asit
become fpp scoRar diy to light . ssse
see ;ow signs Of he eff>'1Tt s@
man >humbied ana, debasca - debt
and poverty !. We will Seco1oe SO
habituated; to the situation as % ss-
come callous to the horrors of <.
We call ourselves free men and Ect
we submit to a policy that binds a.
to our masters, the gamblers anG
cotton 'takers--tafne1y subc2i.ti,G.
to our rigorous destiny.
We face: this year in the South a.
inevitable calamitous situation. /:
the weather permits there viii. :"
an reproduction Of cotton .*,ta
the consequent slave labor prices.
If you doubt this inquire IN any
neighborhood of the Statc ard VOC
will find that John, Bill and Jake,
are going to increase from a little .
bit to a heap. We are up againss
a paradoxical situation, VIZ: II we
succeed. in. production or q: large
acreage. greater will be cur tatllru
than if we fail in product:9h!
So much for an unorgan::"G pro-
gram and it's consequent SiipahnA
methods.
Yours truly.
JOS. O. THONP PSNN.
CUT COTTON ONE