Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1847-01-06
From the Sentinel.
Remedies for the ,Erils under which the
Cotton Planter Ldbors.


dered cotton speculative commodity will
be consumed the ensuing year, makes the !
proposal of a remedy for over.prodnc,ion {
unnecessary, yet | will offer some consd. h
eratioas which induce me to believe that
we shall never again see large accumu-
lat;on of raw cotton. The consumption &c
cotton has increased more than 100 ner
cont IN the last ten years, while the num-
Der of laborers engaged in its culture has
increased only GIG per cent in the same
period. This fact renders it highly pro.
babe that the production will never ona;n
exceed consumption to any great extent.
another fact which renders this probohil;.
~ almost certainty, is that notwithstand.
ing the laboring population has increased
at the rate of GIG per cent annually, the
production since 1896 has remained
almost stationary, being an average OFF,.
10000 bale yearly, and gradual detoria.
ton in the quality of land having coun- |
teracted the effect of an increase of labor
employed; hence infer that the produc-
ton hereafter will not increase in an equal
ratio with the slave population. The favor
Indian corn is rapidly acquiring as an art- |
Gle of food rendering it certain that to a
great extent it will take the place of pota.
toes and barley in Europe, will so enhance
is.prIce III this country that planters will be
compelled to raise their own stock and
bredstufs, and thus employ portion of the
labor now devoted to the culture Of cotton.
The opening of the English market to
our corn by their new tariff, will enable
planters living near navigable streams TO
substitute the culture of corn for cotton
without Inconvience whenever the price
of the latter shall decline below a remu-
nerating point, and thus furnish a speedy
remedy for over-production, but that this
diversion of labor may not be retarded,
when circumstances shall demand it it is ne.
cessary that the planter should not be tram
melled by debt; if they will cease anti
cipating their income, cotton can never
again go on accommodating from year to
year; debt, and that alone, bonnd them to
continue its sculture within the past ten
year; The prices now obtained will enable
them to break this bond, and it depends
upon themselves whether it will be re-
sumed again.
The remedy would propose for the
evils which the almost unlimited control
commission merchants have over the cot
ton crop in its sale entails upon the plan
ter, is the establishment of State ware
houses and inspectors. The average an
nuaI crop of this State IS 800. 900 bales,
(worth about $4,000, OC0O on which the
producers pay from 5 TO 10 per cent, ST.
900 900 to $2,OoO,OOO) to commission
merchants; less than the half of this sum
would provide a sufficiency of warehouses
and planters would be forever relieved of
this enormous tax, which goes almost en-
tirely into the pockets of foreigners, and
is as absolute loss as would result from
the destruction of the same proportion OF
the crop by fire or shipwreck The exDen-
diture of rents abroad has reduced unhap-
DIV Ireland to her present state OF wretch
ed poverty, and retains he IN vassalage
TO England, and although our State has not
been reduced 20 poverty by the paid sums
TO commission merchants, her progress In
wealth has been greatly retarded by 1t;
but were even the same sum expended In
the erection of warehouses, the aggre-
cate whealth of the State would not be dl
mnished, and all would reap some bene'
fit from its retention among us.
But that State ware houses might RENE
DIV the evils complained OF, inspectors
chnsen by the people, or Legislature, are
necessary, whose duties should be to sam
pie and classify cotton, give certificates o
the quality and weight OF each bale sign
ed and sealed with seal Of office, the tai
fcation of which certificate should sub
iect the mitator TO the pain and penal
ties of forgery. If method of classtI
cation founded upon specific difference
of quality were adopted, the strongest an(
almost only reason urged by COMMISSION
merchants in favor of their employment
bv planters would be removed; for an.
person would be able to dlscrlmInat
classes founded upon such principles by
lille attention to the subject, and IT estd
bIished by the producer, buyers "ou'
soon be forced to accept it. The charge
for storage, shipping &c, would furnlS
AN ample fund for the payment OF al
ware house expenses, including inspectors
salaries, so that the establishment OF thl
system would entail no greater charg
upon the planter than he is now at, wlthou
reaoino any of the benefits 1t would con
fer. on the contrary, its adoption woul
cave the immense sums now paid the CON
mission merchants; for as sales would b
effected by the inspectors, planters coul
dsnose of their crop without the lnterVer
ton of their agents. The adoption
this system would also have tendency
hiring BUYERS among US, and by dIspersln
hem prevent in measure that concei
Of action they now exert to keep 90"
IN - ,,,inht he SLIGHT dItteref