The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-02-08
Mr.. COTARAN EXPLAINS \
POSITION HE TAKES
Editor Manning Times:

ANieoh
In your issue of February 1st there
appears an article written by Mr.. c..
R. Sprott, in answer to an anuonce
lnent that l made through The Sou
thern Tobacco Journal published at
Winston-Salem, N. c., sometime dur
ing, the latter part Of the Christmas
holidays.
Mr. Sprott launches out in TRADE
OF paroligism and tries to make a
mountain out of mole hill. 1t is a
well-known fact to the tobacco grow
crs of Clarendon County that for a
number of years I have taken great
interest in the development of the
tobacco industry in this County. 1t
is also well known that l have from
time to time written many articles
on the tobacco situation and have not
only sent these articles to the State
and County papers, but also from
time to time to The Southern To-
bacco journal. The public knows full
we'll that have always championed
the cause of the tobacco grower in
everything that has come up that
thought would be detrimental to his
best interests. fully realize too that
there has been those that have NOT
always agreed with me in my posi-
ton.
Now replying further to Mr..
Sprott's article: TO me it is very clear
why the boys have jumped on me. 1t
is known fact that / am not a to-
bacco so-called Cooperative advocate.
And the boys naturally want some
thing to chew the rag about.
In this article or announcement
that I sent to The Southern Tobacco
journal l made no statement what
ever detrimental to the members of
the association. Mr.. Sprott accuses
me of saying that mot over ten per
cent was signed in Clarendon County,"
He further says that had the Mann
ing Times before me to draw my con-
illusions from. This is erroneous and
misstatcd.. I did not see the issue re-
ferrcd to until long after my an
nouncemcnt about the opening of the
Manning market. l did not mention
the amount of tobacco said to be sign
ed, but | only gave my opinion as to
the per cent of actual growers that
had signed. l heard before leaving
here that around two hundred had
signed up. / estimate that we have
around two thousand tobacco grow
ers in the County. So now, Mr.
Sprott you can again see my position.
CuC liAio my oplIllOI "I.lCn L am
fully entitled to. l still think that
am not far wrong. Notwithstand
ing the fact that many have signed
since then. Mr.. Sprott further states
l have suggested method by which
q Cooperative Member of the Asso-
citation, who is without principle or
honor, might break his contract Now
Mr.. Sprott are you going to accuse
your members of that? | made no
such suggestion. Do you think that
the members Of your association are
so ignorant that they would have to
have a suggestion from an outsider
if they wanted to break over? I will
have you to understand that l still
have some honor left. I have made
no such suggestion Sir; neither have
| bid for their tobacco. BY saying
that | expected to sell some tobacco
from that source isn't bidding for it,
l shall be the last man in Clarendon
County to go around and suggest the
breaking Of contracts. have heard
this in tobacco centers ever since this
movement started. 1t doesn't apply to
South Carolina any more than other
places. If | had said to any member
of the association from word of
mouth that ] believed this no one
I am the one that should feel in
suited when you accuse me of such
stuff. When you state that / am
getting ready to make traitors out of
the members, again l say that you
should be careful in what you say,
and not accuse your membership of
being traitors. | will leave this state
ment to your head affection and not
to your heart, because ] believe you
to be honest and upright.
Now Ny. Sprott there are two sides
to this important question or method
Of handling tobacco. I am not on
your side, we do not see this matter
from the same stand point. | want
to make it clear to you and the side
you represent that my side of the
question has just as much right to
be heard as the side you represent.
If was alone in this movement it
would be altogether different mat
ter, but | represent thousands Of
growers in this State and other
States that grow tobacco who take
the same view do.
This matter has several sides to it,
it has top side to it bottom side,
inside and outside. You are on the
out side Mr.. Sprott trying to look in.
You probably could tell your asso-
citation more about the practical
working of peanuts than you could
tobacco. BY the way I have some
North Carolina seed. When will be
be a good time to plant them. Par
don the depression. I am on the in
dependent side of the tobacco uucs-