The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-16
COTTON CULTURE AND LABOR.


year, aud the certainty Of short crop this
| season, growing ont Of the facl TINT where the
army worm and caterpillar have not committed
| their ravages, the late rnins have orcasioucd
serious iniury-shoulI make our people reflect
| seriously on what and shuui,l be done 10
increase our material prosperity. The abo-
lition Of slavery, while il destroyed large
part Of the money capital of the South, und
was very heavy loss to individuals, while il
has changed suddenly the system of labor, and
in changing Inns, TO certain extent, pnrnlyzed
our industry, viii not prove n disadvantage 10
the South, if she can preserve her labor. Her
| pcnsantry Inns not hcpn destroyed. On the con-
| trary il 10 st;-.naieu TO lnhor by The fact that
| the stomach requires food, and that food can
only be obtained by the labor of the hand; sick
| ness requires care and medicine and that care
Hnd that medicine can only be obtnined hy indus
! Try in health; old nge requires shelter and COM
fort, and that shelter and comfort can only be
produced by the sweat of The brow Of youth and
strength, by industry and economy in the early
years Of life. 1t is true that the Frcc,lmcn's $
bureau operates al present against this. hui The
Frccdmcn's Bureau will not 30 permanent in
siitntion, and education md his own necessities
will teach the negro the lesson Tint The while
man learned ages ago." In the swca, of thy
face shalt ttoH cat Thy bread
There is another reason why tho abolition Of
slavery will not he q disadvantage. Small in
,lnsiries largely increase the wealth Of a COM
mnnity. Where every Individual is obliged TO
support himself, where soil and climate COM
bine to render that support easily obtained by
ordinary industry aud prudence, small indus
tries will flourish. There may he fewer great
plantations than under The old system but
| there will he n more general, u wider sprend
prosperity.
There is third reason, which will operate
largely to the advantage of the South. Be-
fore the war it was considered part of tho
duty of gentleman to plant, and
The pride OF the pnner was 10 increase The
number of his acres, and add TO the number of
his laborors. The surplus produced by plant
ing went either TO the purchase of more ne
groes or more land. Tho planter never for
| fully cultivated added more TO his wealth than
did large body Of land, the larger part Of
which lay waste, doing nothing but consuming
|
Plus viii be applied to investments in manufac-
tories railroads mining operations and the
general development of the resources Of ibe
Sintc Every dollar not required in one indus
| Try will he applied 10 nnother; labor, which all
| ways follows capital, will be obtained for any
and evory purpose for which il may be re-
qnired, and the wealth of the State will be
lnrgey increased.
These views make us hopeful for the future:
but while hopeful, we must look ut things as
they are We must not shut our eyes TO facts.
nor must we deceive ourselves by persistentlv
refusing to stare the truth in the face.
The development Of cotton production in
other pnris of The world during the wnr has
operated 10 deprive the South Of the Inoponolv
Of that article. II is true that the Southern
staple is superior TO the staple produced in
other countries. II is furthermore trnc that
our staple can be used to greater advantage
hut IL is nlso true that machinery has been
changed and adapted to the staples of other
countries. Looking at these facts, it Is idle
for us to imagine that cotton can be kent at a
high price. Tho cost Of production must form
the basis of the value of an article to the pro-
'lucer, but supply and demand form the onlv
basis OF price in commerce. If the supply is
greater Than tho demand, tho price will necos-
sarily be low. If The demand is greater tban
the supply, the price will certainly bo HIGH
If the cost of ilie production of an article il
so great as to make it's value greater 10 The
producer than is The commercial price. then
the production of that article is only ruin to
the producer, and must be abandoned There
was time when indigo and tobacco were The
staples Of this State, when as tar.oceinp
statesman as ALEXANDER HAMILTON, then
Secretary of the Treasury, recommended in n
report advocating protection, that cotton should
moi be protected as the South would never pro
duce enough to supply The wants of the country.
Indigo came in competition with the same ar
tcle from the East, and tobacco turned out not
to he the most profitable industry to this State.
Indigo and tobacco were abandoned, md rics
and cotton proved to be sources of unbound
ell wealth to us We do not believe IL
probable that the cultivation of cotton will bav.
to be abandoned in our generation, because we
do not believe thai when labor is properly or
ganized, the cost Of production will be equal 10 |
its commercial price.
We must, however, open our eyes to the fol-
lowing factR: Our planters are paying loo |
much forthe use Of money. With interest at the |
low rates at which il rules elsewhere, il is i'm
possible for an article which Is produced
by money SO obtained, to be for any length of |
time competitor in the markets of the world.
It may be asked, what oan be done? The an. |
swer is, sell your surplus land, and If that does |
not give enough to plant the rest, then sell the |
whole TO some one who has money and can
cultivate the land more clienply, and apply your.
self to some other occupation. If you fail to
do one Of these two things, your lands, now
mortgaged, will, In few years, be sold under
foreclosure. You are now merely an oyerseer.
working for very small, and very preoarious
wages, although nominally master Of your pos
sessions
The cost of production of cotton, is today |
higher than was the market price before the |
war, even when the planter is not obliged TO |
borrow money. Cotton has been almost steadi-
ly declining aince the close Of the war, and the
lowest point is probably far from having been
reached. II We intend TO continue the oultiya-
tion, we must bend our energies to endeavor.
Ing to bring the cost Of production down to the |
pricc at which Il formerlv rva. To m, t,,,,,..