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HOST GATHERS
111 (fj n NJ ^ {-< Ot/Q'PT VV UIVLL-ttiN F" A T\i J S
To Attend Annual Meeting of South¬
ern Cotton Association.
ENTHUSIASM IS GREAT
Notable Addresses Delivered by Presi¬
dent Jordan and Others in Resume
of Work of the Association.
With a large and representative at¬
tendance from the cotton growing
:-dates, the Southern Cotton Growers'
Association opened a three days’ ses !
sion in New Orleans Thursday.
'1 in: hull was crowded when Pres¬
ident Jordan called the convention to
order. a feature that attracted at¬
tention was the presence of a negro
delegation from H.ids county. Missis
sipiu. Seer*tary Woods of the Mis
>■" ip|-i as,.delation -ttfd tic were i •?
ul , delegates and entitled to seats.
President Jordan was given an ova
Hen. Invocation was offered by Rev.
Dr. Heverly Warner. Ex-President
John M Parker of the New Orleans
‘•"•‘tton exchange delivered an address
of welcome in which he said the spec
ul a tor is the greatest enemy tin? far¬
mer has. He counseled the farmei
not to “kill" the golden goose by put¬
ting up prices so high as we will soon
bn vi an active competition from other
countries. j
Mr. Foster, member of the Louis! |
in a railroad commission, and a large I
ention planter, responded. When Mr '•
Foster concluded President Jordan de !
ii veivd his address on the southern j
■farmer. I '
President Jordan reviewed at some
ion,Ah the objects of the association
ami its accomplishments. He re-
1 erred tn the discovery of dishonest
practices in the bureau of cotton sta¬
tistics in the department of agricul¬
ture at Washington and tbe fight
made by the association for purity
there. He then discussed the reasons
for the demand made by the associa¬
tion 11 rents for cotton.
“It has been ascertained by Inves
tigai ie;: he • aid, “and has not yet
!- denied, that at the prevailing
pifei :-. Of tft(TffitefffTOl A'?a ■prwnflfr
"his season spinners could easily
ii.ni paid 12 cents for the entire
crop to the growers and declared div¬
idends on their investments. on
tills basis a crop of 10,000,000 bales
should have brought the producers
$000,000,000. If we demand and re
reive 15 cents for the balance of the
■unsold portion of the crop, basis mid¬
dling, at interior points, we will still
be unable to average tho whole crop
at 12 cents a pound, due to the unwar¬
ranted low prices at which more than
one half of the crop has been sold.
The proposition to hold the balance
of the crop at a maximum figure of
15 cents is, therefore, based upon
conservative reasoning surrounding
uie present legitimate laws of demand
and supply.
Concluding his address, President
Jordan urged the wisdom and neces¬
sity for compact organization among
the growers in every cotton producing
county in the south.
Mr. Irvine of Georgia said exten¬
sive Italian immigration would ulti¬
mately result in Italian possession of
southern lands. He thought the en¬
ergies of the south ought to be direct
ed to the education of Us youth in
the advantages of farming and to the
sending of city boys to the fields.
Mr. Smith of South Carolina said
that the south during the past year
had made all the cotton needed with¬
out difficulty, and with negro labor,
and there was no occasion for die
cussing the question of securing ad¬
ditional labor until the southern far¬
mers were assured an enriching re¬
turn on the cotton they were able to
raise.
At the conclusion of the discussion
Hon D. A. Tompkins of Charlotte, N.
C.. was introduced to speak on “Cot
ton Values in Textile Fabrics.”
At the opening of the afternoon
session announcements were made ot
members from the various states to
serve on the committee which does the
actual work of the convention. The
committees provided for are on acre¬
age and diversification, pushing the
work of organization and financing
the association, warehousing, holding
balance of unsold crop, trade relation?
and statistics.
The night features were a paper by
John D. Walker of Sparta. Ga„ on
closer relation between banker and
farmer. He was given a vote of
thanks for raising the first $10,000
for the work. Walter Clark, presi¬
dent of the Mississippi division, spmve
on organization, detailing the results
■which had followed the union.
“ WHERE IS THt fi0NEV ”
* s Colored Policy Holders ia n
Atlanta insurance Company Want
to Know-Go to Court.
At Insurance investigation has been
.' j rt< 1 iii Atlanta. Ua., by three ne¬
groes, policyholders in.the Industrial
Life and Health Insurance company, a
local institution.
The investigation takes the form
of a suit for $200.00') and for injunc¬
tion on behalf of all the policy hold¬
ers of the company, the defendants
being j. N. McEachern, president; I.
M. Sheffield, secretary; R. H. Dobbs,
J- Covington and J. N. McEachern,
as directors.
The plaintiffs are Estella Evans,
Caura Manning and Gus Davis, the
latter of whom sues in the name of
his next friend, Laura Manning.
They allege that the company,which
has offices in the Austell building, and
which insures negroes almost exclu¬
sively, is a mutual concern, and that
they, as policy holders, have a right
to participate in the distribution of
:,!l f " nd<i lett over after the payment
of all claims and proper operating ex¬
penses.
The several plaintiffs aver that they
have paid sums of from 10 cents to
25 cents a week each, and that nei¬
ther of them is now in any way be¬
hind with his or Iter payments, or
in any way indebted to the company.
It is alleged that in the last report
of the company the balance on hand
was set down as only $17,000, while,
it Is alleged, this should have been
an amount of from $300,000 to $400,
° 00 ’ Tliey char S« that the officers of
tho have 111 soms way int¬
D r( >l>cily gotten rid of or lost at least
?20u ' 000 belonging to the policy hold
’ !ind suU iB brought for that
^*
Tho cllargo ls specifically made that
thu >’ ear ]9U0 the officers, of the
have diverted $50,000 a year
justly should have gone to the
who, by virtue of the
being mutual, are alsoi stock¬
The following allegations concern¬
the year 1903 are used as an illus¬
It is alleged that the income
the company during that year was
and that the claims paid
to S'-3.421.90, or $21S,311J
than the igtome for the yeyj,
all but’ $1,969.83 was
in some way by the officers of-the
“contrary to equity and
good morals."
It is alleged that each policyholder
is compelled to give up his proxy to
one or two officers of tile company,
and that they now hold the proxies
of all policyholders, by which means,
it is alleged, the officers have managed
to maintain their control of the com¬
pany. It is alleged that President
McEachern administers the property
tho company as though it belonged
him personally.
The further allegation is made that
the officers have threatened to wind
mi the company and transfer all its
business by February 15 to a new
company, for which a charter has
boon secured, and the name of which
is to be the Atlanta Industrial Life
Insurance company.
If this alleged intent is carried out,
so the petitioners declare, they will
be absolutely without recourse. There¬
fore. they ask an injunction forbid
ding the transfer.
Si N4I0KS Af HR CRITIC BIGELOW.
Author Must Answer for Aspersions on
Members of Canal Commission.
The senate committee on interoce- |
ante canals Thursday placed in the
bunds of Sergeanat at Arms Runs
dell a subpoena for Poultney Bigelow
the author and traveler, whose attack
on the management of canal affairs
was denounced by Secretary Taft In a
communication sent to congress by
President Roosevelt.
The committee's purpose is to let
Bigelow substantiate his story if pos¬
sible, and. If that is not done, to re¬
move the stigma placed upon the
names of several officials of tne lstn
mian canal commission.
HESTER 6IVES COTTON STATISTICS.
figures Indicate Decrease in Crop Marketed
of 1,0.29,000 Bales.
Secretary Hester's analysis of the
cotton movement from September 1
to the close of December, inclusive, j
shows that, compared with the crop
movement last year. Texas and Indian
Territory have brought iuto sight this
season, in round figures, 166,000 bales
less; other gulf states have marketed
754.000 less, and the group of Atlantic
states 110,000 less, 'making the de¬
crease in the total of crop marketed
1.029.000 bales.
D COTTON
FOR 15 CENT
Is :fc of Growers Decided Upon
at New Orleans.
DilERSIFICATION IS URGED
Sec d Day's Session of Great Coa
veition Was Replete With Host
• Interesting Features.
Tv a tnanimous vote the Southern
Co tn A ;sociation in session at New
Orb-ins adojited the report of its com¬
mit on holding, recommending that
the balance of the crop of 1905-6 he
hole for fifteen cent3 a pound. A
'committee of bankers and farrn
■oni each state and territory is
jrry the plan into effect. Co-op
with the growers of sea island
j'i is provided for, long staple cot
be held at 24 cents.
T G the sum of work of the South¬
ern ’ 'ton Association was to be a
deei i -on lor fifteen cents cotton
with r< motion in the form of divers!
fici >n was practically settled at the
Fri y afternoon session of the ccn
vo-. in when Chairman Dancy of the
con Jleseutation tfi- on holding, in advance oil
the of its report, an¬
no j’ d that the committee had unan
iriio fv decided favorably on that
prop .-.iiion. The announcement pro
vok■ the convention to a whirlwind- 1
oil i ering.
Ti'-jk- iiature announcement of the j
conci sions of the committee was
fore 1 by advices from New York to- I
the- feet that newspaper dispatches
and Vail street reports printed and
circulated there indicated a lack of
barn jy among the elements making
up f convention and dissensions
over the 15 cents proposition.
R. Dancy, chairman of the holding
comuSttee, then said that in view of
tfie reports which had. been circulated
east of dissension in the con
Jie desired to announce in
its report that the com-
1 unanimous in its decision
|convention to. stand by the
Jhat the southern fa rm ers
' Walker at Sparta, 'Cla.,
d over the- meeting of tho
aen announce!! that the
% i-uthusiasthsally adopted
Jo i resolutions.::
rn bankers in conven¬
ing the Southern Cotton
stien cm the success which it
ea ly att:. ledi tn its efforts to
malntjj n a Li: and equitable price
for tb.. south's apt© crop, and rec
ogniii fr that tin nterests of the far¬
mers, bankers and business men of
the sc ith are ins--parable; therefore,
be it
“Jiesoived, first That we, represen¬
tatives 0 f southern banks, hereby re¬
al tdge of moral and financial
|o the Southern Cotton Asso
n their . i'forts to carry out
pose; and second, we urge
brtance of a better and more
coni pi. Be system of warehousing and
caring (for cotton."
ChaF-man J. H. White presented the
report) of tho committee on foreign
trade relations. It indorsed that made
by the standing committee. The lat¬
ter signed by ex-Senator McLaurin,
as chairman, said the committee met
President Roosevelt and cabinet offi¬
cers ini Washington after the last con¬
vention, and explained to him the de
sire fo r a commission to enlarge the
cotton trade in foreign countries,
By invitation Secretary Blackwell
of the hfcitiqnal Ginners’ Association
made in address to the convention,
“The re are not 300,000 bales of cot
ton ye t to gin in the entire south,"
he sain "More than 50 per cent of
the gin ^ everywhere are closed. Many
of the others have only five to seven
bales o gin. Dry goods have been
const.!' itl> advancing in price during
the ye. ir past, and we have only to
stand together to get the reasonable
price he association has asked for
cott. u.
RE>ADS MIST PAY BACK TAXES.
Georgia Supreme Court Upholds the State
in Its Contention.
Georgia's supreme court decided on
Tue .la y that the Georgia Railroad
and B< mking company and the Cen
trai of Georgia Railway company are
ltabl. tja the state for taxes on 30,000
shar s of the capital stock of the
Wester n of Alabama railway, half of
which s owned b; each of the Geor
gia cor porations nkmed. The supreme
court hus sustains the decisions in
these c ises of Judge John T. Pendle
ton of Fulton superior court.
t
C0TT0NGR0WERS ADJOURN
~ry --—
Reduction of Acreage Was Preposition
Discussed at Closing Day's Session
in New Orleans.
1 ^ tth the matter acreage as the
a-ost important question remaining to
be settled, the Southern Cotton As
sociation began the last day of its
v/or -' : in New Orleans Saturday morn- j
ing. 1 he question of permanent
headquarters, the election of officers
an <l the proposition to establish an of
ficial organ will bo settled by the ex
ecutive committee at its sessions to
be heid later.
The executive commitee will also
arrange to put into effect the plan
of holding the remainder of the cot¬
ton for 15 cents. It is directed to
select one representative of the as¬
sociation from each state and territo¬
ry, one banker from each state and
territory and five cotton men at large
to perfect the following plan:
The adoption of a form of contract
by which the farmer or owner cf cot¬
ton can deposit with his banker the
receipts or pledge's to hold his cotton
for 15 cents, the contract to provide j,
that the cotton cannot be sold for less
than 15 cents, teals middling, at
southern ports, except with the con¬
sent of this committee. The owner
of the cotton; has full power and au
hority to sell this coStan at 15 cents
or over, the blanker to retain 1 cent
per pound to be held' in trust until
such time as all of this- cotton so
pledged has been disposed of, when
this committee will meet and arrange
disposition of the balance as the
Interest may appear.
A resolution by Ml V. Calvin of
Georgia was adopted; instructing the
executive committee to publish for
distribution of 100,000 copies of the
proceedings of the convention.
Han. John Temple- Graves of Geor¬
giy was introduced and addressed the
convention. He was given, a special
vote o-f thanks.
At the opening of Hie- afternoon
session, Chairman W. D. Nesbitt pre¬
sented the report of the' committee
on warehouses. It recommended the
extension and improvement of the
present warehouse system.
Chairman Hancock reported tor the
finance committee. It provided for
dues of 10 cents per bale, allowing 20
per cent to national fund. 1 per cent
to tin; state fund and tin remainder
county exscuti v e
Hon k Smith of South Carolina
-E. D.
as national organizer to more: com¬
pletely organize the various states.
The association completed, its- labors
with its afternoon session and ad¬
journed without delay. Declaring, the
adjournment. President Jordan con¬
gratulated the convention on the suc¬
cessful' manner in which it had per¬
formed its work. The new executive
committee will meet in 'New Orleans
the coming week and arrange- to carry
out the various recommendations
which have been made 'by the con¬
vention. it will probably h® in ses¬
sion for two or three days.
DE4TH DEALT EOS "DISLOYAIIY.’
Russian Student Loses Life for Refusal to
Honor the Old Regime.
A St. Petersburg dispatch, says; A
tragedy in which a student paid his
life, the penalty of refusing to do hon¬
or to the old regime, took place in
the famous restaurant, “The Bear,”
shortly after midnight Sunday night.
The annual ceremony of watching the
old year out was being observed. Up¬
on the stroke of midnight the orches¬
tra burst forth with “God Save tbe
Emperor.”
The guests, with -the exception of
a student named Davidoff, a member
of an aristocratic family, rose to their
feet and tbe officers, present demand¬
ed an encore, being determined to
turn the celebration into a loyalist
demonstration.
Count Sherometieff applied an epi¬
thet to Davidoff for refusing to hoiu>.
the national anthem and pulled his
chair from under him. Hot words
followed and suddenly in the miav.
of joyous acclamation of new year,
the guests were startled by five shots
in rapid succession, and the corpse
of the student lay on the floor.
"RED SUNDAY" SCARES RUSSIANS.
Government Looks with Anxiety tor the
Cominq of January 21 and 22.
January 22 is the anniversary of
"Red Sunday” in St. Petersburg, but
preparations have been made to cele¬
brate it this year on January 21 and
22. Intense interest is felt in the
manner in which the people will com¬
memorate the day. for it will show
to what extent the Russian govern¬
ment has succeeded in restoring quiet.
The workmen’s council has called
a general pacific strike for January 22,
and there will be parades and meet¬
ings held in memory of the day.
SOLONS TALK
OF THE TARIFF
Democrats Show Where They Stand
Regarding tie Question
DISCUSSION WAS GENERAL
Opportunity Presented During Consid¬
eration of Philippics Measure.
Mrs. Morris Case Mentioned.
A vigorous speech, is favor of the
Philippine tariff bill by Mr. DalsslI
of Pennsylvania opened- the proceed¬
ings iiB the house Wednesday. It was
followed by several others against
the measure, most nctabte of which
was a two-hour address by the veter¬
an state s-saan, Mr. Keife-r of Ohio, an.
ex-speaker, who returns to the house
after retirement of twenty years. Mr.
Keifer besgoke “stand pat" doctrine
of the most pronounced type; and said
he should oppose the pending: bill, be¬
cause it was a concession to tfi© dem¬
ocratic principles.
Opposition to the bill was mads* be¬
cause of fear of rice competition by
Mi’. Pujo of Louisiana.
As- the result q-f an interruption,
Champ Clark of Missouri made 5 this
comment regarding the Dingley tariff
law-. “I think it is an infernal curse
to the whole American people.”
Mr. Williams,-, the minority leader,
interjected into Mr. Pujo's speech,
what he considered tile exact demo¬
cratic position on. the. tariff.
'It should be lavied solely with
regard to the maximum revenue -pro¬
duction.. If it protect? in certain
places, well and good; but that should
not be its primary objeet”
Mr. Williams explained that his
party did not believe- fa free trade;
and that tbe declaration in its plat¬
form that all forms of protection are
robbery, to which attention was call¬
ed by Mr. Grcsvenor,. (Lid not mean
free trade.
The recent ejection, of Mrs. Minor
Morris from the white- house office
was made the subject of remarks by
Mr. Sheppard; of Texas.
Messrs. Payne • and’ Gcosvenor raised,
the point of order that' Mr. Sheppard
was not discussing the bill under con
tained by the ehaii, and: Mr. Sheppard
continued, saying:
"If the president had:beard the howl
of a wolf or the- growl: of a bear in
the adjoining room, be would have
been on the scene immediately.”
He characterized; the- occurrence as
an “unwarrantable anx£ unnecessary
brutality, which demanded investiga¬
tion and merited. censaTe-.’*
"If congress,” hs continued, "com¬
posed of American i'atlmrs, husbands,
brothers, permits tltis incident to go
unrebuked, it will add a. passive and
cowardly approval of tals. violation of
the most sacred; prixeiplte- of American
life.”
Mr. Grosvenor replied, saying that
congress was not a police court, and
that he did not believe a sensation
should be spread abroad damaging to
the character of the- American admin¬
istration.
The house- adjourned until Thurs¬
day.
AiABAMUNS are pleased
Over Proposition to Have Convention Name
Members ol Supreme Court.
White there is all sorts of com¬
ment ca the action of the Alabama
state democratic committee in laying
out the plan of the campaign in the
state this year, it is a fact that every¬
body seems pleased with the provis¬
ion for a convention to name mem¬
bers of the supreme bench and ta
keep the party organization intact.
Batch of Senate Confirmations.
The senate, in executive session,
Wednesday confirmed the following
nominations: Frank Frantz, governor
of Oklahoma; H. J. Hagermann, gov¬
ernor of New Mexico; receiver of
land office, N. H. Alexander, at Mont¬
gomery, Ala.
APPROVE HEPBURN’S RATE BILE.
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce to Support Measure.
A Washington special says: For
the purpose of giving the house bill
some prestige before the senate,
Chairman Hepburn* and members uf
the committee on interstate and for¬
eign commerce, are endeavoring to
reach an agreement for unanimous
report of a rate bill. This developed
at Friday's meeting of the commit¬
tee at which the republican members
announced their purpose of support¬
ing the Hepburn hill with certain
slight changes.