The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-13

Congress and Cotton.

We do not understand that the bill 10
regulate the purchase and sale Of cotton
proposes to force producers to sell the whole
of their raw cotton to the government at
twenty cents per pound for uplands and thirty
cents for sea islands; but st the same time the
tax imposed upon all cotton sold to private
persons, and the remission Of all taxes ex-
cept the income tax granted those who do
sell to the government, must operate with
stringent force in that direction. With cot
ton selling at thirty cents, the producer
could sell to private persons in open mar
ket, pay the government tax for 80 doing,
and net twenty cents per pound. But
thirty cents is wholly abnormal price,
and, in the majority of cases, the planter
would pay premium to his paternal gov
ernment for the privilege Of selling his cot
ton. ta
At twenty cents per pound for upland
cotton, free Of tax, the planter can make
money; doubtless, therefore, there are many
planters who will be inclined to support the
new cotton firm of United States & Co. But
the establishing a minimum price of twenty
cents would so stimulate the cultivation of
the staple that the crop would soon be
doubled, the market value would fall, and
the Federal Government would have no
choice but between paying for the crop and
holding it for rise, or throwing it on the
market and losing cool fifty or hundred
millions. There is also the absolute GER
tainty that the whole scheme would become
q vast plunderiBg machine, giving new life
to hOrdes of thieving agents, superinten-
dents, assessors and the like. The govern
ment would be cheated at every turn, and
the cotton ring would cause the whiskey
ring to blush with anger at being so utterly
outdone.
But even admitting that the planter would
sustain no loss, that the purchase and sale
Of the cotton would be honestly carried on,
and that the produce trade Of the West would
be benefited by the fact that the South
would give its whole attention to cotton, and
purchase its grain and meats in the West
ern markets, we should still oppose the bill,
as contrary to every principle of political
economy, and dangerous to the country at
large. |&a eIt@ 4
We do not attempt to revive any extreme
doctrine Of statal rights as opposed to Fed
eral powers; we do not discuss even the
nature Of the Federal compact; but we pro-
test against that centralization policy which,
if continued, will make this vast, country
the most grinding dsspotism the world has
ever known. We want tt,n no paternal govern
meat to send its agents into eur dwelling
houses, into our counting rooms, into our
fields, to bid us take this and reject that,
and dictate the manner in which we shall
breathe, and move, and live. This State can
take care Of itself. We: no help from
the capitol, and we say here that we had
rather deal with our own State Government,
with Gil its faults, than be given up to the
tender mereies Of political rings, and cotton
rings, and whiskey rings at Washington.
If we are not interfered with We shall pros
per and grow rich; Federal assistance we
neither want nor desire.
And whom the Cotton bill is brought up
for discussion, Congress will surely be able
to see how fatal has ever been the attempt
Of governments or despots to override the
laws Of trade--laws not Of mans making,
and wholly beyond his control. Congress can
not do with success what has been tried and
has failed in every country Of Europe; and
what, in the colonial times, was attempted in
this country. Congress cannot make cotton
worth twenty cents, or ten cents, 'wh atever
the laws it may pass; but it oan revolution
ize eur agricultural system, and, by laws
century old in folly, bring down destruc-
ton upon the heads Of the Southern and
Northern people.
Tho proposed bill is wrong in theory,
wrong in policy, and contrary to the prin-
ciples established by the experience Of all
civilized Europe. II would, in the end,
ruin the planter, make the government
bankrupt, and pave the way for destroying
what little 10 left Of the liberties and rights
Of the people.
Tho Hnr