Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-04-18
EDITORIAL
MORE LIKE HIM NEEDED.
THE South needs more men like

THE South needs more men like
Judge Robert Worth Bingham.
OF course you know who
Judge Bingham is. He is the Louis
vile jurist who became owner and
editor of the Louisville Courier-Jour-
nal after the retirement of the late
beloved Col. Henry Watterson and
who since has conducted that famous
newspaper in most creditable and
fearless way. continuing it in the
path of public service upon which it
was stecred by his able predecessor
for so many years.
Judge Bingham does other things
besides publish great newspaper
He helps his fellow men. He is
very wealthy man and numbers his
friends among the great, industrial
ly, financially and otherwise. Bat
he is a friend of the under dog; he
loves his neighbor better than him
self. Just now he is undertaking to
help tobacco growers Of the South.
Occupying the position of chairman
of the organization committee of the
Burley Growers Cooperative assoc
citation, of Kentucky, he has helped
organize pool in his own state that
now comprises 124 tobacco warehous-
es in 1870 in the state, putting the
organization over so successfully and
SO solldly that he has gone into his
native state Of North Carolina to help
organize the growers there.
Standing before meeting of rep
resentative men at Charlotte a few
days ago, Judge Bingham told his
hearers that he understood the grow
ers' pool would need 100000 by
July to finance the movement. And
1t didn't reuuire any pressure upon
nm to volunteer to put up the whole
amount or any part Of it if required!
That was the test of the man. He
told his audience that there would
be no trouble financing the PROPOSE
ton; that the banks of Kentucky had
lent $4,6O0,O00 to the Burley Grow
ers' association and that they wopld
be glad to do as well in North Caro-
Ina. But in case there should be
hitch anywhere; in case fight
should develop somewhere for some
selfish reason, he stood ready to die
down into his own pocket and finance
The whole proposition alone!
Judge Bingham's statement, COM
ing from man of Responsibility
brought forth loud cheers, but he told
ms hearers he deserved no credit as
ne was not taking any chance. ~
nope | would be willing to do the
same thing if were taking .
chance" he said.
Then Judge Bingham launched into
remuneration of the old wav If
Seiling tobacco, with the growers an
Ho'utely dependent upon the buvers
lot price. lie recalled how the com
pinatlon of manufacturers will nav
q nigh price one year to induce biob
eleage the next, then when the bio
crop comes pay prices so low that dis
aS'ef comes to the farmer, the cvcIe
'ontlhulng constantly, year after
year. with the grower the victim Ia
showed how the growers pool takes
me market out of the BUYERS hand.
ana gives the whip to the orowor
lie urged the growers not to bIan,o
the manufacturers for what had hoon
dohe IN the past, but declared tbo
blame belonged on the grower for
ms 1anure to use the remedy that
lay at his own door.
The movement to organize tho
burley tobacco growers of Kap+rol.,,
North Carolina and Virginia is in+or
esting to us of Georgia, for in il wa
see parallel movement to the cot
ton pool, organization of which -
Georgia has just been comnleted
Judge Bingham told the men of Char
lotte that the day of co-onnra+iyo
marketing is here; that it is no lonp-
er theory but practice; that if
IS succeeding in other products and
WI save the tobacco farmer from his
slavery. '''
What he said is >true-every word
And It applies with equal force and
truth to the cotton farmer. The next
I'VE years will see tbe growing and
marketing Of cotton in Georgia and
the South absolutely revolutionized
as 9 result Of cooperation OF the
growers.