The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1922-05-12
SOME MORE ABOUT COTTON.

With the kindness of the editors l
beg permission to briefly answer
Prof. H. A. Powers questions.
Friend Powers, ! do not know the ma
ture Of Mr.. Huff's speeches in our
county. do know Mr.. Caliph inform
ed me that a number Of farmers of the
Wildersville section told him that they
wanted to plant Half and Half cotton
as it always made them more money
than any other, yet, they were afraid
they could not sell 1t since Huff's
campaign. Rev. R. L. Rogers inform
ed me that the farmers of the Sardis
section, or some of them told him
practically the same. ! do not know
what Huff and some of the other self
styled Apostles had to say at McCalrs
and also at Jacks Creek. Here are
some of their sentences
"That stuff" II am surprised to
know you farmers grow such stuff"
"There are 100000 bales unspinable
unstable cotton. Half and Half is the
cause of it," "You fellows will get
by with it this season, but you won't
find market any more;" THAT half
puzzy cotton--watch us knock it out.
And one of them in his eagerness and
desperation to do something for the
farmer, told Mr.. W. E. Ryals this:
"You fellows will have to grow other
cotton. This stuff has no staple and
the buyers are not going to buy 1t
next season"
| was not present, but B. E. Crook,
T. ]. Sparkman, Hugh Young, Rob.
Benson, w. H. Brewer and number
of other farmers of this section heard
a lot of the above false statements OF
gross misrepresentation pulled off
by some of the chronic knockers. l
never limited that II. A. Powers was
at McCall's School House. Powers, l
give you credit of being heightened,
Christian gentleman. Too much to
stoop to the foul methods to kill Half
and Half cotton that was pulled off
at these places. 1t was at McCalls
also, friend Powers that the boquet OF
rotton bolls were exhibited as a sam
ple of Half and Half. Powers, do
not know what name you have for
such tactics. / call it coercing, bluff
ing, gross Misrepresentation, mixed
with deceit and hypocrisy in its worse
: form.
Now as to the name of the buyers
who are not going to buy it. Bro
Powers, that is the very thing | have
been contending for j said in my
first article, "They pick up the old
thread-hare lie that the buyers won't
buy it next year to scare US into
planting Express" Who picked it up.
The conduct of the chronic knockers
at Jacks Creek and McCalls' School
answers the question. No Mr.. Powers
the buyers never said it. They can
not afford to say it, II would cut off
their heads so far as buying cotton is
concerned to say it, and have nerve
to stick to it.
Powers, / never limited that you
were responsible for the Ketchie cot
ton being brought in. grew it in 49,
is. This neighborhood was growing
Triee and Cleveland in 1919, 1913 and
1914. We got from 10 to IL cents per
pound for all of it in these years. We
also got the same for our Half and
Half. Not very much was used for
explosives then. In 1914 we grew our
record crop. In 1914 the World War
started. According to your theory,
Bro. Powers, the demand for short
staple would have picked up. | sold
II bales of Half and Half that year
for $500 per hundred for lint. / also
sold one bale King at the same. I. j.
Crook sold his Cleveland at the same
figures. / contend that the amount OF
cotton consumed for explosives had
nothing whatever to do with one grade
of middling cotton selling for more
than another grade. Isn't ii q fact
that linters and low grade cotton are
used for making explosives? Then to
think we have 5000, 900 bales carry
over of unspinnable cotton and still
the Government paying a premium to
get cotton for making explosives
Powers, the Government has not done
il. If it were to pull such poor bust