Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-08
COTTON COOP SEEKS 100000
IN ISLANDER SUIT AT CANTON
Jones Mercantile Co, Ac-
cused of Effort to Smash
Cooperative Marketing,
Six Officials Named

Suit for 100000 damages for al
legged slanderous and libelous charges
was filed in Canton. Ga, Saturday
against the Jones Mercantile Co,
Paul w. Jones, manager, and five
other officials of the company, by
attorneys for the Georgia Cotton
Growers Cooperative association.
The others named are r. 7. Jones,
II. l.. Conn, T.. M. Rudasill, L. l..
Jones and J. f. Johnston.
The complaint, which was drawn
by Aaron Sapiro, Bryan & Middle"
brooks, of Atlanta; Wood & Vandi'
we're, of Canton, and John w. Collins,
of Canton, attorneys for the cotton
association, alleges that the defend
ants have circulated false tements
in pamphlet form and in advertise
ments in country newspapers for
the purpose of injuring and Destroy
ing the credit of the Georgia Cotton
Growers Cooperative association,
which is part of the cooperative
movement in more than thirty states
and embracing more than one mil
lion farmers"
The charge is made in the com
plant that it is to the financial in
terest of Paul w. Jones and the
Jones Mercantile. Co. to break down
cooperative marketing in Georgia
because of the fact that they are
cotton buyers on large scale from
the producers in Cherokee and adj
joining counties.
Specific complaint is made against
the publication of a pamphlet en-
titled, Another Year of the Cotton
Coop t'nder the Generalship Of a
Raisin Professor" which is alleged
to have been issued by the Jones
Mercantile Co. on February 20, 1924,
and against an article said to have
been published in the Cherokee Ad.
vance of February 20, 1924, over the
signature of the same company.
]. f. Conwell, president of the
cotton co-operatives, made the fol-
lowing statement about the suit:
This action has been brought by
order Of the board of directors, NAM
ed by the members Of this associa-
ton. 1t is not a personal matter,
as / don't know that Paul w. Jones
or any of his associates, named as
defendants in this case, are even
known to a single member of our
SbLIIS Dpdlh VI bIICtLOI IL 10
brought solely for the reason that
Paul w. Jones and his associates
have published false statements
that are damaging to the associa-
ton and that deny the integrity
and honesty of the management,
All of our directors naturally know
that there are some individuals and
interests that don't favor co-opera-
tive marketing in some instances
because of lack of information. and,
in others, because of a selfish in
tereSt.
But the question involved in this
case is that this association is a
corporation legally organized and
doing business according to the laws
of the state the same as is the case
with the banks of this state.
ANY individual has the right to
differ with the association as to the
advantages of cooperative market
ing for any reason that may be suf-
ficient to him or themselves, but
no individual or set of individuals
has the right to publish false and
libelous statements against this as
ISOLATION and our directors are de-
termined to defend and to protect
the character and integrity Of this
association against those who may
attack it falsely and at all hazards"