Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-12-16
From the Vickburg Sentinel.
The Epils under achich the Cotton Planter
has labored, and their Sources.

Although the laoorlng population OF the
Southwest has increased at the rate of
6.46 per cent. annually since 1889, the
production of cotton has hardly increased {
at all. the average amount for that time be-
ing 2,I7O,O0O bales; the deterioration Of
our lands having counteracted the effect
of the increase of laborers-the average
increase of production will hereafter pro.
babIy fall somewhat short of the natural
increase of populations, so that the pre-
sent generation will never see any con- 4
siderable surplus on hand again. A crop
If .2.SOO.OOO bales would be entirely
cOsumed in lS4S.
Another cause which contributed in no
small degree to leave the planter at the
mercy OF the buyer when prices fell, was,
that he had been accustomed TO depend
upon other States for his principal necessa-
ries; living in a country where stock re-
ouired but little attention, his mules,
horses, meat, and considerable portion
of his bread stuff came from abroad. No |
country can be permanently prosperous
which depends upon foreigners for these
supplies; the history of Spain and Mex.
ECO demonstrates this fact. Those plan !
ters who lived within themselves almost
solely escaped ruin; they only felt not the
"hard times;" if they obtained but low
prices. they had few expenses. Now
that better prospects are dawning, let the
planter take warning from the past-raIse
his own stock and provisions-renounce
credit in his practice in small matters as
az we'll as great, and neither short crops
nor low prices can injure him materially.
The most serious evil under which the
planter now labors is the employment of
agents 10 sell his crops. 10 the shape of
commissions for buying, selling, acceptan-
ces, drayage and labor, he pays from five
to ten per cent, not on the proceeds of his
| ldbOrS, but on the gross, a tax amounting
often to more than the profits of the plan
tation. There is a completely between
the planters agent and the buyer, at least
to the extent of pIecluding the principal
from any personal agency in the disposal
or his own property; custom, stronger than
law or right, cOmpeIs submissions to rule
destructive sfthe highest privilege the ~'~--
srship of property confers. The commission
merchant contends that if an evil, he is a
necessary one, because, forsooth, he alone
can classify cotton TO correspond with the
Ill
into the claims of the Liverpool classical
ton to our favorable regard and adoption.
A classification OF any commodity should
be founded upon peculiarities which re.
gu!ate its comparative value; they should
also be of such a nature as TO be descrlp-
tive of differences of quality so as to be
. easily recognized by any person familiar
with the article. Does the Liverpool clas-
= sification fulfil either of these conditions?
= Is any definite idea attached to the terms
"middlng fair, good fair" &c! The fact
that no two commission merchants, who
pretend to so intimate a knowledge OF min
ute differences in quality, will not agree
: in their classification of the same sample,
" proves that this artificial classification i:
- totally destitute of merit as gulde-in
: vented by spectators, not for the purpose
of convenient notation of transactions, bu
- to keep the planter in ignorance of the
- state of the markets. Commission mer
chants profess to understand this ciasslh
cation because they wish to preserve 1t a
the strongest hold they have upon the plan
ter; they know their services would he dis
~ pensed with if a natural method of classI
no fication should be adopted. Cotton is va
u. liable according to length and fineness c
y staple and cleanliness and its classification
a. should be founded upon these difference:
y then our price currents would convey som
:" definite idea to planter, so that he couI
3" estimate the value of his own crop pre-
"a tv accurately. 1t may be objected tn;
Id then our classification will not cOrrespor
ire with that OF Liverpool. should appr'
: bend no widespread ruin if it did no
we are the great producers of cotton
a which thew must and will have, whelht
IN classed as short course, short fine, &c.
ere not; and even this Inconvenience wou
soon cease-the natural method OF class
a ficatron would soon drive the artlfcI
our from every market.
M Every planter feels trong distrust
MS his commission merchant, because he Is
ale ten the buyer of the article he sells
as agent. As buyer, it is manltestiy
In interest to purchase at the lowest PossIb
ana rates, and in this character he acts WI
the greatest zeal and diligence; It's n
ana in human nature to be equally Jealous
the the interests of his principal. The tenn
re- alton to enter an advancing market
atlc buyer, too often overcomes principles
Ten rectitude, and some "John Doe or Richf
this Roe" of commerce becomes the Purcl
ser of cotton in the agents hands. l
commission merchant claims the rIgh'
j IN buying of his principal at market Prl
with The injustice of this transaction is no.
! for the act of buying, but in the merchants
use- tive agency in fixing the price, and II
than accepting it as proxy for another. AZ
son who is at the same time an ag