The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-02-08
Sanded Cotton.

|
AS Mississippi planter and cotton grower
upon a small scale, we feel it to be our privi
lege and to some extent our duty, to make
one or two suggestions upon this subject i
seems that the liverpool Chamber Of Com
merce has sent circular to the several Amer
lean Boards of Trade, calling their attention
particularly, to this alleged practice of false
packing or sanding cotton by Southern plant.
ers, and that special committees have beer
appointed by these Boards to investigate and
1 report.
Such report was made to the Board oil
Trade of Philadelphia on the 28th of Decem-
Der last, in which they say: ave find a
unanimous testimony to the fact that the false
packing of cotton, by the introduction of sand,
is new and growing evil that in this way
large number of bales consumed here are
increased in weight ten, twenty, and even as
| high as eighty pounds to the bale in some
cases, and that the difficulty of tracing back
| to the original party to the fraud increases in
! consequence of the frequency of the NAL
practice and the annoyance thus imposed upon
the shipper from the port sending the cotton"
Said committee conclude their report by the
following resolution
"Resolued, That the false packing of cotton
WIN odIiu " W HILL OuI hltCutlO1 HAS UCCu
called by the memorial of the Liverpool Cham
Der of Commerce, is a serious annoyance and
injury to the merchants and manufacturers of
Philadelphia, for the correction of which we
appeal to merchants and boards of trade in the
cotton exporting cities to promptly decide, and
in future to hold such cotton as unmerchanta-
ble"
We are not prepared to say this committee
have published to the world base libel upon
the cotton planter, but we apprehend they
have been duped and misled by manufacturers
and merchants whose interest it is, not only
to bring down the price of cotton, but to have
much of it declared "unmerchantable," so
that they can either get it for nothing, or have
heavy drawback upon the planter.
That there are some cases of false packed
cotton. as there are light packed salt or false
packed goods, is doubtless true, but that the
evil and fraud is to the extent that these cot
ton spectators and manufacturers insinuate
we do not for one moment believe.
As class, none are more scrupulously hon.
est and particular than the cotton planter
Drawing his support and wealth from the SOIL
he has been taught in no other school than
integrity and truth, and hence prizes his good
name more than his cotton bales.
He well knows that to be detected in a
fraud so contemplate, and at the same time
so criminal, would place him outside the pale
of responsibility and damn him forever. Not
only so, but it subjects him to heavy criminal
penalties in any cotton State in this Union.
That quantity of sand and dirt will be
found ifhcotton is natural consequence and
unavoidable, and that this will increase as the
country grows older, and the cotton lands be-
come exhausted, is alike natural and certain.
Upon rich and productive soils, where the
plant acquires afine size, but little dirt or sand
can be found, indeed none, except upon the
lower hollis, near or upon the ground but in
fields much worn and exhausted, and where
the plant is very short, almost every boil will
contain more or less dirt or sand, subject as it
is to remain, sometimes for months after it is
open, in the field, and exposed to the heavy
rains which so often flood the plantations of
the cotton planter.
When the reader casts his eye over the cot
ton growing States, and sees how many acres
of almost worn out and exhausted soil are cul-
tivated in cotton; he will have no difficulty in
finding the cause of this NEW and growing
evil"
Under these circumstances, and subjected
as our cotton is, before it is manufactured, to
the beating or blowing process, it is not at all
strange that much sand and dirt could be
found. Even in the pure white fakes of snow,
which are sent upon this earth by God HIM
sell, when subjected to analysis, will be found
much of foreign matter.
Another fact is we'll known to those who are
at all conversant with cotton farms. When
the cotton picking seasons are dry, and no
showers fall to spatter and stain our cotton, so
fine is the texture of our soil, that it rises into
the air, and not unfrequently clouds of dust
rise and settle upon the open bolls
We do not wish to be misunderstood. We
make these suggestions not to palate or ex-
cuse those who commit frauds in packing their
cotton, but to vindicate and shield the cotton
planter, as class from the malign and insid-
uous attacks now being made upon them. We
scorn and abhor the former no less than these
pretended fraud haters and detectors.
What would be the condition of the cotton
grower if the recommendation of this Phila-
delphia committee were carried out in the
spirit and tone recommended by them? What
would be the standard which would govern
associations, manufacturers and spectators in
testing the planters cotton; and how much
dirt and sand would they allow before they
declared it "unmerchantable ?'
We apprehend the planter would not tamely
submit to have his cotton thrown out as not
fit for market upon an arbitrary rule of such
men.
We consider all these reports and recon-
mendations as CANNON, simply throwing
sand in our eyes" for other purposes.
Ii these frauds are so numerous, and con-
stantly accumulating, why do they not expose
to the public the perpetrators, that they may
die under a public Indignation, as certain in its
whitening blasts as it is just in its retribu-
tons Why do they not hand over the Offend
ders to the criminal laws of the land? :
The punishment and exposure Of one cotton
sander will do more to suppress this wicked
practice than thousand reports from Boards Of
Trade, even though they may come from the
CITY of brotherly love, and be drawn up by q
" Philadelphia lawyer"
We have seen squeamishness upon this
subject, on the part Of commission merchants,
which is by no means commendable. If the
cotton of any of their patrons come back, as
f,les packed, they are bound to expose it, and
let the rascal be known, otherwise they are
to some extent accessory of the fact.
There may be some difficulty and trouble
| in identifying the cotton planter who false
packs his cotton but we have seen enough of
| the systems of commission merchants to know
that it can certainly be done.
| We remember to have seen IN the Memphis
papers last fall statement that some sixteen
or eighteen bales of cotton had been returned
| or reported false packed, which had been
sold in that city, and that the name Of the
planter was withheld from motives of delicacy.
| I'VE do not understand, nor can we appreciate
such motives of delicacy." Nothing should
palate or cover up such acts, and nothing
mid shield so infamous scoundrel from ex-
posure The commission merchant whose
delicate sensibilities are so sublimated, is him.
self in danger. lie does injustice to his other
patrons, and injustice to his city, and injustice
to the country, by withholding the name Of
the offender.
We suggest to the Philadelphia Board Of
Trade, and to the Chamber Of Commerce Of
New Orleans, and all other citizens, promptly
to expose those who false pack cotton, and
these memorials from Liverpool will cease to
circulate and be reported upon by special COM
mittees, unless it be to affect the price of cot
ton, or from some speculation. D.