The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-11
GOLD FOR COTTON.
The Other Side of the Question.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.

Your invitation to all who wish to discuss
the "Gold for Cotton" doctrine started BY the
Mobile Board of Trade, has induced me to offer
some suggestions upon the subject, trusting 1t
may have some influence with regard to our
situation and lay the foundation of permanent
prosperity.
Your able correspondent ''R" looks only to
one side OF the question, colored to SUIT MS
fancy, and all Of his arguments show o reeilng
Of disappointment and distrust, perhaps Hom
the failure OF some pet scheme, which may
have been impractcable from the outset,
founded upon the obsolete doctrine that SCOT
ton is KING" wherein more Of our trouble may
be traced than to any other belief, the faith
in which, trust, has become entirely exploded.
First, the wants OF a country consists IN em-
ployment for all Of it's inhabitants devoted to
the supply OF such necessa1ies as are required
for local consumption, and the surplus OF such
productions is wealth. Cotton is produced in
South Car ,Iina to the exclusion of nearly every
article of necessity for domestic uses, those
being manufactured in other States where the
value of population is appreciated, and draw
ing from the cotton producing region all or
nearly so OF the wealth which should, and
would, stop at home if q proper system
OF manufactures were opened and pauonl5ed.
There is as much wealth in dollar earned by
a poor man making boots, shoes, hats, cloth
ing and any other article which the grower of
cotton consumes, as there is in cotton sold for
gold, and the cotton grower ought to consider
that If he sells hls cotton tor gold he wall have
to pay gold for supplies, as he will have no
other medium ot exchange; and to keep his
gold at home bis supplies must be produced at
home, or there will be but little gold left out Of
the one hundred and eighty millions OF dollats
which t'R" says the crop will sell for. And
from this kind of reasoning l draw the follow
ing conclusion: That all OF our TRANSACTIONS
at first hands should BE- made in the currency
OF the country, and Il any one mas more o. OF
grrenbdcks than to pay his debts, 1t should be
invested to opeu such avenues OF employment
for the people as will enable them to produce
such articles az are wanted in their immediate
vicinity, and thus pave the way for that inde-
pendence which "R" so much desires. But
Just so long as the white pc ople are compelled
to leave their homes for want Of employment,
so long will the cotton crop be required to pay
for those articles manufactured where indus
trles are patrouzed. Wealth is the surplus
after local wants are satisfied, aud that wealth
cannot accumulate IN community unless
all classes are employed about something
useful to the community, as all are com PEELED
either to earn euoue for their subsistence or be
supported by pubic or private charity, living
in community without work, pauper, sup
ported by those who do work. 1t ought to be
evident to those who have tho means that it is
for their interest and protection to use those
means to encourage the opening OF avenues OF
employment for every branch OF industry,
where the articles manufactured go for local
consumption, turning idle persons into produ-
GERS OF wealth, Tightening taxation, and forming
q basis upon which to build financial prosperity.
There is at the present time white idle labor
enough In the city Of Charlest n to manufac-
ture all Of the agricultural implements used in
the State, together With all the clothing, boots,
shoes, hats, &C., requisite for the trade OF the
entire section Of coun. ry about us; and yet all
of these articles are manufactured out OF the
State, and we are compelled to give our gold
cotton for them. and pay freights. insurance
and commission, all Of which comes out Of our
consumers, whilst the lumber and other mate
rials are at our own doors, and the labor com.
PEELED to seek that employment elsewhere
which is our natural wealth. Diversified em.
ployments to the extent Of supplying. local
necessities, and the employment of. all the cit
izens of q country in useful business; lis law OF
economy which cannot be violated witho It
suffering the penalty. Pro Bono PUBLIco.