Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-01-01

lHA NNa AtAAlNNr
ADVANCING TO PLANTERS.

49,
The season for the usual annual
for advances, is now al hand,
and a few suggestions upon the
subject may not DO out Of place.
The very material changes Of busi-
ness brought about by the results
of the war may well engage theat-
tentiOn Of our thinkers, that We
may be able TO judge as to the ne
cessity of q remodeling Of the plan
upon which we have heretofore
worked. Old habits. aud modes OF
business are hard to shake oil, and
il Is true that VIC often practice
them long after the necessity from
which they sprung has ceased to
exist.
The old habit of advancing to
planters grew out OF the fact that
the money of the country was held
almost exclusively in the sea-board
aud exporting cities. AS fast as
property OF any description was
converted into money the money
found its way to the cities 10 pay
ment OF debts or for safe keeping
until ali investment was determined
on. Comparatively speaking there
was no money IN the country, il
was all in the cities. Out Of this
course of business grew the ability
as well as the habit OF making adj
vances upon crops to he grown. Is
such the course of business at pres
ent? and If not, does the necessity
or ability, either, to pursue the old
plan exist? Maniiestly not, so far
as the necessity is concerned ii
may be a question as to ability.
Possibility the Inflow Of capital
from foreign points may be a
great as the outflow 10 domestic
ones, but it Is not probable.
The course Of business at present
takes the money from the cities to
the interior. There are, compared
with former times, but few debts 10
be met in the cities, and there are
no attractive investments In them,
to our agricultural people. Besides
disIrust Of merchants and banks is
very general in the Country-Cer-
tainly much more general than OF
planters with the merchants aud
bankers. Again, In fOrmer times,
every planter was DESTROYS OF max
Ing himself strong with some good
commission house that he might
use 1t in the purchase of negroes;
hence IL he had money he left it
with bis house. At present this in-
centive to do so does not exist.
II Is we'll known to those who
are conversant with business, that
the proceeds Of sales Of cotton are
going rapidly to the country. There
Is no other reasonable mode Of &C.
counting for the long continued
stringency Of the money market.
The writer believes that no ne
cessity exists for advances next
year; aud that there Is plenty OF
money in the country to carry on
It's planting operations. Il may not
be as generally distributed as the
imprOvident and idle or grasping
would wish, but there is no ques-
ton as TO its existence. And oil Of
the money in the country will be
employed in planting. provided
commission merchants do not, by
their advances, get up On unhealthy
aud damaging competition for Ia
Dor, which would render the bust
bess unremHnerative. II II be true
that the country is in this respect
self-sustaining, nothing but harm
eau flow from a course which in
creases competition for labor with
out a corresponding increase of pro-
duction aud 1t ls we'll understood
that the tendency Of such Competi-
tiON is to decrease production.
The supply of labor In the South
Is limited and cannot be increased
By competition for 1t. Az much, If
not more, will result from IL with
out such competition, than with il,
aud the merchant who aids In slim
ulating II Is only increasing the risk.
The merchant who would cOniine
his advances to those who propose
TO introduce new labor into the
country would be a public benefac-
tor and would besides make q new
source Of profit to himself.
The young men Of the country.
those reared upon farms-are not
OF work as a rule. There are hon.
Orable exceptions. There Is no
reason why they should not work,
tcith their Ot0n hqnds, ct their call
ing, as do other young men at their
avOCatious. Making advances to
them, BY which they are able to
control a few hands, fosters IDLE.
ness aud gives them the opportu-
nlty 70 spenu 100 much time at
crOss-rOad and way-side groceries
damaging their morals and lessen
ing the productive capacity Of the
country. Ii they are capable and
worthy Of assistance and need IL,
they are sure.Of finding a helping
hand at home, where their abilities
aud worth are known.
Finally, may it not become q ne
cessity Of trade aud commerce that
the money now known to the cOun-
try should be made TO perform its
legitimate observation-disclosures an
active agent in the business of the
country, and not remain an idle
one. May not this be necessary TO
a restoration aud adjustment Of
balances at the commercial centres?
and, a a better mode to accom-.
plish the end be suggested than
that indicated in this article.
- 1899 -
From the Grenada sentinel, Doc. 18th
PRTFicide-A MA MS Threat Cut