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Farmers, Merchai Should Fight for "Twelve-Cent Prices are Jus mands, by the Crop Outloot tion of the Country and Afforded by the Federc A Campaign to Saw Southern < < (By Clarence Poe, Editor I beg space in your columns, Mr.; < Editor, to present a subject of the | < utmost importance to all our Southern j country. There is no doubt in most i ' thoughtful minds but that the South's < ^ cotton crop is going to be worth $750,- ' 000,000 to the men who own it next < .Spring, but it is worth only $500,000,000 t to the producers at present prices? 1 and it is to save to Southern growers '< r ;and to our Southern country this extra quarter of a billion dollars that j 1 ? . 1 *tne united energies of press ana people | J should now be directed. The funda- j I mental facts seem to me to be celar: i 4 1..Cotton, even though the new crop i i of 1915 lias started coining on the mar. s 'ket, is still selling on the b-isip of I prices fixed by last year's 17,000^00 i bale crop. t 2. These prices must soon be adJusted* however, to fit the conditions of a 12,000,000-bale crop (or probably only a 10,000,000 or 11,000,000-bale t crop), and this adjusted price ousrlit at ^ the Yery least to reach 12 cents a pound s for middling:. . e As briefly now, as clear argument t will permit, I wish to point out and I emphasize the truth of these statements. E I.?The -World's Demands Justify Twelve Cents. ? Assumine even a 12,000,000-bale yield of Southern cotton this year (and * it will probably be less), this year's B world production will be 3,000,000 0 bales short of the world's conserva- c tively estimated consumption during E L the coming twelve months. That is to v say, the world will consume every v pound of this year's crop and 3,000,000 r bales of the present surplus. Secretary Haster of the New Orleans * cotton exchange estimates last year's J Southern production (not the commer- F GALLEY FIVE e eial crop) at 17,004,930 bales. iThe United States government estimate * <16,134,930 plus 791,464 linters) is 16,- d 926,349?practically 17,000,000 bales. r This was over 2,000,000 bales in excess 1 of the 1913 crop. Now what happened with this bump er 17,000,OOO-crop in spite of all the * demoralized conditions of trade and i! finance?the crop of which it was said I last fall we should not export 4,000,000 bales? The facts are that the world used so much of it that the total e world's visible supply of all cotton in S midsummer this year was only 5,453,168 bales against 3,522,276 bales a year t Z before. In other words, with a 17,000,- t -000-bale Southern crop to handle, the c ? --1 J'- nnnnW inf>roocoH ATllv C WUHU s "V iaiuic SUffI-J luvi vuuvu 1,900,000 bales. What is going to hap- t pen this year then, with the South of- e fering 5^000,000 or 6,000,000 bales less ?and the" production of other coun- ? tries also decreased? And this query t > brings me to another point: t IL?The World's Crop Prospects c Justify Twelve Cents. * Mr. W. P G. Harding of the federal 1 reserve board early in the summer se- c * 1 I"? curea. reports iroiu cuusmai uuiviai^ all over the world indicating a total * cut in the world's cotton crop this year 1 of 5,000,000 bales, Egypt and Indian re- i porting "radical reductions in acre- 1 age." Since that time the prospects ? have further declined. 1 But even if we accept this early over-estimate of the crop we see that 1 if last year's crop, being 5,000,000 i +v.{r. vqor-'a vot infrPnSPH I 1 OlggtMT tII mio jv?*i j ??.? 4 the surplus only 2,000,000 bales, then 1 this year's crop will leave a 3,000,000- ( bale deficit?to be drawn from the sur- 1 plus. ( The facts, are however, that even a 12,000,000 bale estimate for the South now seems too high. This is not simfc. ply my view, but the view of many innlndin? ?o conservative and competent an authority as the New York Journal of Commerce, which has J i just declared that in view of present conditions, *the yield seems likely to be nearer 10,000,000 than 12,000,000 bales.* And now comes the Wail , Street Journal, itself quoting William S. Halliburton of Daniel O'Dell & Co., , as saying: "The current season's crop may be as low as 10,500,000 bales. It is entirely within the reach of pres ent conditions that we shall see 12 1-2 cent cotton before the end of the sea99 son. These two authorities base their estimates chiefly on condition reports from all over the South, but might have added the further testimony that the South cut its fertilizer consumpnt tion this year from 4,431,000 tons to 2,636,000 tons?almost in half?and the effect of this cut will probably make itself most evident from now on as its, nad Bankers 12-Cent Cotton tified by the World's Dek, by the Financial Condiy the Opportunities Now d Reserve System"? ? $250,000,000 to Grou ers. The Progressive Farmer. closer scrutiny is given the fruiting }f the crop. I he reader can easily see for himself iherefore, that if we have onlv a 10,-1 i )00,000 bale crop, the factories of thej ivorld would utterly drain the market i iry, leaving it subject to such condi-! ;ions as occurred a few years ago| -vhen speculators carried prices to 17 I ind 20 cents a pound. And now having pointed out that .2-cent prices are justified because the .915 crop is certainly 3,000,000 land >ossibly 5,000,000 bales short of the vorld's demands, meaning that facto'ies and munition factories will consume all the present yield with the greater part if not all the world's visble surplus, I also wish to call attenion to the fact that? III.?American Prosperity Justifies Twelre Cents. The American Bankers' association ias just been meeting in Seattle, Washington/ and what was the mesage that the president of this greatst organization of financiers brought he country? He predicted, says a iress dispatch, that "an almost unb,eievable prosperity is rushing on the Lation," or to quote his exact words: "TTrl- - ^i orn " Wnen uamv rcaci ??, ? j ;reater now than they have ever been n the history of the country, are disributed, the nation will enjoy almost mbelievable prosperity. The volume f money on hand is so great that it an not find a natural outlet. The Qovement of the tremendous crops, fith the attendant financial activity, rtll still further increase the bank i eserves." And manufacturers are no less opimistic than bankers. The Factory lagazine of Chicago recently took a oil of 163 Eastern and Middle Westrn manufacturers as to the prospects or business in the fall. Forty, or pracicallv one-fourth of the total number, eclared conditions "exceptional," 23 - ? 1 ? CA "o-nsxrl " niie, UX ttUUVC liuimoi, uv jjuv/u, | 8 "fair" and "fairly good," only seven I dull and poor," and only one "much elow normal and very poor." Another point not to be overlooked s? T.?The New Federal Reserve Act Insures Better Prices. President Hirsch of the Texas Bank?" -non/iiotmr. trvl/J fVi a hitr PflttOTl I O dSSUViaw/u iuiu u.q ^ ~ states conference of Southern bankers a Galveston: "For the first time in he history of the South, gentlemen, he Southern bankers have the finanial ability to market gradually this rop. It \yould almost appear as if he federal reserve act had been drafted for the benefit of Southern produc;rs." Just because the reserve act ' ,x ?^ -Po e\r*o oil + Vi d Viol n IU6SI1 I give cue iaiiiicic uii cuv/ hey need?just because it doesn't take he place, nor profess to take the place, >f the much-needed rural credits legslation?is no reason for denying or ninimizing the great advantages it loes offer. "The federal reserve system does enible the banks in the South where noney is needed, to draw upon the jreat reserves in other sections for naking loans on the cotton crop; or is Mr. W. P. G. Harding of the federal ? ?? _ core escrve uwiu uuiuauj "Banks have now ample facilities ivhich they have never before enjoyed 'or rediscounting the notes taken igainst such loans, and it is for them nore than for any other agency, to ietermine the policy of the South in regard to the marketing of the present1 lotton crop." And President Woodrow Wilson in i letter to Mr. Harding writes: "It is evident from what you tell me, that :he country banks with whom the farmer and other producers directly deal can get money at from 4 to 4 1-2 per cent. * * * I think that we can confidently expect that the banks in the cotton States and in the agricultural regions generally will content themselves with a rate not more than 1 or 2 per cent above the rate which they themselves pay." It is up to the banks to justify this faith expressed by the head of the nation. And the crop can be warehoused. Mr. Harding points out that even last fall the South had facilities for storing 11 577.465 bales, and these facilities have been greatly increased since then. mhe next thing I probably ought to say is? Y.?Twelve-Cent Prices Are Justified, Contraband or No Contraband. Of the 8,543,000 bales of American cotton shipped to Europe in the fiscal year ending July 31, 1915, only 242,000 bales went 10 German ports. Of course there was more that went indirectl; to Germany, but we must remembe that a considerable part of Germany' jnoima'l demand for cotton was export ! ed to Germany's foreign trade and tha this trade will now be supplied b; other countries. The contraband orde , niav almost be termed infamous i England does nothing to compensate | us i'oi^ trying to make Southern farm ! cr; bear our burdens, but in any cas. i lo offset the contraband order we liav. (1) the greatly increased demand fo cotton for war purposes, (2) the in creased demand for American, Eng lish and continental factories that mus supply the trade formerly supplied bj German mills, together with the fac | (3) that Germany is almost sure to buj 1 and store up cotton right here in Ami erica to hold until sea trade is reopened. Even with the contraband order in effect, therefore, 12-cent prices are amply justified, whereas with oper seas to all Europe, cotton would likelj bring 14 or 15 cents. An able and eminent committee oe arbitration ought to be named at once by England and America, to muKe s fair and just estimate of the damage in price per pc:.nd resulting from the border in council" and contraband order, and England should then be reuuired to pay this amount per pound as a bonus to every American cotton producer this fall. I confidently believe that if England should change her contraband rules sc as to inflict corresponding injury upon any strong American manufacturing interest, some such settlement would be required; and Southern farmers should rise up and demand that the Fame recognition be given an agricultural industry as would be given a manufacturing industry. The practical lesson clearly taught by present conaition then is? VI.?Farmers Should Hold for Twelve Cents and Bankers Should Help Them Hold. Of course we must be reasonable. D? n't expect bankers to lend on cotton uot stored or insured, nor expect them to lend the full market 'value. Landowning farmers of good character who ^^ in V* n?Tr.O V?rvr*r_ nave uceu ucpusuuia m uaiiA^, uv?eve<\ will frequently be able to borrow without sucn restrictions. The thing to .c'o is for farmers in every neighborhood to organize, formally or inr'orirally, for standing to^othf-r in holding and marketing the crop, ?nd find out just what the local banks will do. Last year it was re peateOIy stated by the minority 01 bankers who were willing to lend mo.iey on cotton, that few farmers applied fcr such loans. Let not that be said *his year. Wr- must keep the crop from 'being rushed to market at present prices, and that means that farmers must avu themselves of all the co-operation afforded by banks?for many owners must have advances in order to meet pressing obligations. And let every farmer remember this: It hurts prices just as much for your neighbor's crop to be rushed to market as for your own crop to be. Consequently we should have neighborhood action everywhere, withh the stronger farmers and planta'.ion owners joining to help the weaker ones to hold, grade, warehouse and sell together. Only by the most thoroughgoing cor>f oil f nr?oc /"> a n TCP C3iVP tn vpc. atlUU \JL U.U IK'*, uvu VVAH V w WW rhe South the full quarter of a billion dollars of ha^d-earned wealth that will otherwise go iuio the hands of speculators and foreign interests. Nor must we fail to reaHze that the worst an<3 most dangerous "bear" of all, the mar we have most to dread right now, is not the Wall street speculator-devil who has been so often cursed and denounced, but the "bear" farmer righi here in the South who is willing tc prove traitor to the cause by offering to give away the crop at present price:! ?or the "bear" merchant or "bear' banker who forces him to sell. Yesterday morning's report of the New Yori cotton exchange, for example, announced that prices would have gon( highere the day before but for the faci that? "Some of the reports received frorr Georgia and Alabama predicted tha farmers would sell freely at eigh cents." And again in the earlier reports o the New York cotton exchange jus two days ago we also read that price: would have zone higher but "there wa< more Southern selling." Four Finiil Suggestions. Let me conclude this argument fo: 12-cent prices with four specific sug gestions: 1. Let press and people spread thi news that the crop is really shortcertainly 3,000,000 and possibly 5,000, 000 bales short of the world's needs. 2. Hold for twelve cents without bor rowing if you can. But remember "i is committing business suicide" to re fuse to borrow if you can thereby holi your crop. 3. Not only should cotton bring 1 cents, but cotton seed prices shoul< break all records. Our export trade ii cotton seed oil has jumped over 60 pe cent in one yaar?from 192,000.000 t >r 318,01)0,000 pounds And if good prices ' y: were paid for seed of a 17.000,000 crop, j r i what sort of prices should we not des mand for seed from a crop of only 10, 000,000 or 12,000,000 bales? t 4. With $500,000,000 for her new coty ton crop, the South will barely "pay r out." With $7f>0,000.000 the whole sec-1 i tion will have a jubilant and abounding j1 e prosperity. Bankers, merchants and ! - all classes, therefore, should join our j farmers in the fight for 12-cent prices 21 now and for a State warehouse system i r in every State to help insure fair prices - in iuture years. t FfT'P-TERN t|* r> THE LIQUUOR QUESTION. <* J * By T. J. Watson. S _ j i> <$> ; 1 Liquor or no liquor is the great sub-j L ject of conversation at this time. !And i r next Tuesday the people will have the j privilege of going to the polls and ex- j i i pressing how they stand upon this sit- j I - ? _!1. 1 ! : uation. this suoject is one or vuaij 11 importance, but we earnestly believe j that-it is being handled in the wrong] > | way, and so long as we keep it in pol, | itice we may not expect anything bet,' ter than wrangle, confusion, strife and ; j | bitterness to exist among our people. 11 Temperance is the subject to be perfected by those who ar$ upright at heart, or, in other words, by the ear,jnest devotional co-workers of the i Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ, and not ' i a subject to be handled by political greeds. Listen! David said: "Let the righteous reprove me and it shalJ : be oil to my soul." Then how can . we expect any moral good to come from the blind leading the blind? God forbid that I should raise my voice in favor of upholding the evil: of liquor traffic, but, my dear friends of temperance, when you try to regu- j late immoralit/y by legislation you will ] never succeed, the sin will continue; to go on. Prohibition? Yes, God give us pro| hibition, not in a political sense, but [ in a soul-saving sense. Prohibition against idolatry, fornication, uncleanI ness, lasciviousness, witchcraft, hati S red, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, ! siditions, heresies, reveling, gamblers ! liars, drunkards, reveling, gamblers i and whoremongers. Now read carefully over the different vices mentioned above and see if one don't stand as criminal in the sight! . of God as another. I am speaking to professed Christians If you want to evangelize the world, let's- make- a . clean sweep. Let's take it out of the hands of politicians, and take the matter to God in earnest, not onlyj from drunkenness, but from all other; sins that are dragging poor souls dow.i j to hell every day. I wouldnt' give the snap of my finger for any one who may be going around preaching prohibition and is living in the practice of any of those other ' vices. It is onliy the blind leading the , blind. If we are to have prohibition in the soul-saving sense it must come through the church and not by legis- * Tatton. It is sad. but nevertheless * true, that prayer-power has never been , tried to its full capacity in the church. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine grace and power wrought in place of wickedness, failure and dis> appointment let the whole church i answer God's standing challenge, "Call [ unto Me and I will answer thee and will show thee great and mighty : things, which thou knowest not.") Jei remiah 33-3.) 1 The point which I want to make is ! this: If we are to have prohibition in j I ! i?ii. J in tTMlfh it TTIlKt I spirit tuiu yt uaiuiuuii ua (.xuvu, " come through the power of God and not through the power of legislation. } I voted and worked for prohibition ' during the administration of Ben Till| man as governor, and it carried by an overwhelming majority. And what did rfltnpn? TV, o nnAn hfl r TOOHIS ? C get XU ivtuiii . Jk 1AV ? ? L in a modified way, known as the State dispensary. After this system had run ' for several years the legislature passed L what is known as local option law, and our county called an election to vote I out the dispensary, and I did all in my " power to help get rid of the dispenf' sary, and we were successful, so far i as the law went. f What a pity our State has been ent joined in a political quarrel over liquor for the past twenty-five years. If 1 J could see any moral good that was coming out of all this wrangle and stir I would say, Amen! But it has only r , _J_ . t ^ Decome a stepping siuue yi *?uai jwu might call a leader for politicians. I believe that the prohibition side is go3 ing to win next Tuesday and the next legislature is going to pass a Statewide prohibition law, but you may just take notice, whoever lives to see the - campaign of 1916, if this is not the bet ginning of another one of the biggest - line-ups on the liquor question that i has pvpr hepn Irnnwn. Now, you may put me down as 2 against prohibition, if you please, but i I don't propose to take any part in this a election, but will stand aside and say. r | "Watch the leaders of prohibition and o anti-prohibition next year and see if To the Peo Town am T. M. S. 11 will open a n new Thursday, S? Store room forir ?. M. Lane & Cc - n i i ; "rr.TT*^ snoesi IP > Special liiw'ofJChildr Hood aiTd Red Gobse-jshi Ladies Fi t Latest'and finesttpatb Tailor, made coat suits._] Also Jnice line checks J; school jiresses.^ Specialjine'of Ladies' Latest jpattems_in_outin| - Extra value in towels, Gents Fi Complete furnishings: Hats, Hose, Collars, Tie Measure Clothes. Come anything in this line. I' A Few Rugs 27x55 at $1.75^ mestics at"5c the yard. J 5c the yard. 13 and 5 yd at_25c the yd. 8 l-3cent yard. 8,l-3jCents bleachi 20 yards to [customer. A Fine} Pre The first 100 ladies th day, .September |16, will present, i The_La Everything marked in to. all. t. m. a*/ 1 Cotton! Co1 Attention: Pinrmofc Mprrfii A UA iliVA 0^ ATAVA Store your cotton in o The state of South Ca ceipts and they are the I borrow money. Secretary McAdoo ha ? - >ii i sufficient money win oe if necessary without inte per cent, to the farmer v houses. For partici Soulh Carolina Stai Gervais and Pulaski St I two-thirds of them are not looking af ter office." HOWARD ESTABBOOX iy "the butterfly: Howard Estabrook is starred in th< World Film corporation's presentation of "The Butterfly,' in five parte, base< on Henry Ketchell Webster's wel known novel of the same name. The story relates how a hunchbacl in revenge against a woman who ha< repulsed him, lures her step-daughte to the stage and assists her to becomi a dancer. The girl, whose name i iple Newberry, d Country AINUtKS ew store with goods iDtember 16th a lerly occupied by h _ Shoes! en's .shoes. Red Riding Des.*Prices*right. urnishings erns in [fall {[dress goods. Sfewesci checksJand plaids? nrtrl -rkloirlc! -fV*r r?Vnlr^r?*n'c OjllKX jv'JLCiiV-iU XVI VilllUi. VUL kJ and children's underwear. rS7 8 1-3 and "Tocf the yd. 'table oil cloth and "linens urnishings forjgents, Shoes, Shirts, is, Extra Pants, Made to and see us before you buy Specials Sanders special fine do"ob lot < 1 Oc tginghams at length-iwhite table linen ;s window cloth at 5c the ng at 20 yards for $1.00, ' SSgSS1- I sent for Each atfenter our store Thurs each be, given] a nice st Word plain figures. One price I II U>ULIU i tton! Cotton! 9 mts and Bankers: I U7^ Wck/MiaA UI JiaiC tf cu wiivuav. irolina guarantees our rebest collateral on which to s assured the Public that deposited with the banks, iVAat to loan at nof nvpr fi nth cotton in storage ware liars write us. ? te Warehouse No. 2 Columbia, S. C. - Elaine, has two lovers, for one of wtiom, John Butler, she forms a sincere attachment. Her step-mother goes to see her dance and the hunchback, still ? enraged at her, murders the woman. The hunchback goes mad and is a killed by falling from a cliff. Butler, a Elaine's lover, is accused of killing him, 3 but Elaine clears him of the charge by 1 proving that the hunchback was the murderer of her step-mother. s i Elaine and Butler find that their mu 1J tual loves will make them happy in r I marriage. "The Butterfly" will be e ! shown at the opera house oil Tuesday, s | September 14.