The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-07-09
COTTON.

ATcHAFAIAYA, June, 1870.

ufaetnred Abroad.
A~TCHAFALAYA, June, 1870.
Editor Of the Opelousas journal The
welfare of this country imperatively de-
mands a remodefing Of her varied interests.
The manufacturing and mechanical depart
meDts of labor do not now and never have
sustained to- agriculture their true relations.
We have,.been andare now simply an agricui-
turaf people. Before the subversioD Of our
peculiar institution, all the capital of the
country was swallowed up IN land and Ia
Dor; toproduce more Of our peculiar staples;
and it was idle to talk about internal ias-
proyements, or manufacture, and the few
spasmodic efforts made, almost without an
exception, resulted, in failures for the want
of punctuality in the stockholders AL the
railroads or factories within my knowledge,
were sold pnder execution for the want of
funds TO pay the liabilities Of the company,
and bought by individuals who made mon
ey by carrying them Oh, And this is now
used as a stereotyped argument against the
probability of carrying them on now sue
c~essfnfy. But there is no parallel in the
present condition of the country and that
which existed under the old regime. We
have Row, and iii will be continually aug
msnting, sufficient capital, if judiciously
expended, to start factories sufficient to
convert all of eur cotton into yarn and we
have talents, energy, and executive ability
if properly directed, to carry on successfully
all the manufactures that would be required
/ to prepare our crops for ase, or at least add
one hundred per cent. TO their marketable
value. Why not create among ourselves
| the entire wealth of which the raw material
is SUSCEPTIBLE In sending our cotton
abroad, and buying it back in fabrics of all
| civilized nations, we stand alone. Does
England export her wool? Yes; but it is
in the form of the finest fabrics of which it
is susceptible. Does Great Britain export
anything until it's fullest value has been
createdf And even down-trodden ireland,
as she has been unjustly called, is as fam
Gus for her linen fabrics and bleached Jeans
as for her rebellions. Does the Western
farmer SCH his wheat to the Spectator, to
buy it back in flour? No; but the South
ern planter sells his cotton at twenty cents
a pound, (it does not nett him that,) and
buys it back, as far as required for domes-
tic use, at from fifty to one hundred cents a
~pound-and IN this way millions pass away
from the South to enrich other sections.
Such a course is the severance of all natural
relations. The relation between. agriculture
and manufactures is a natural one, and they
mutually support each other. The planter
begins a process which the manufacturer
completes, and beth are dependent upon
the aid furnished by the mechanic arts.
From these dependent relations, it naturally
follows that where the work begins there it
should end. The full value of which the
stable is susceptible, should be created be-
fore it is exported from where it is produced.
By SO doing we would not only benefit our.
selves, but we would be the benefactors Of
the consumer throughout the civilized
world. Why should we refuse to avail our
selves of the golden opportunity, the i'm
mense vantage ground which we enjoy, and
c,oaAa a xvol,,a 4bo+ rn,rd ho tho ,f
lpouring into the Golfers of the country I'M
told wealth? We do the work, raise the
staple and pass it to others to reap the profits.
Let US follow our crop through the expenses
of a tour to the North and back to US in a
condition fit for the consumer.
First. It pays freight to New Orleans.
Second. 1t pays drayage, weighage, stor-
age. brokerage, and stealage and last, but
not least, commissions.
Third. The manufacturer has to pay all
the above items at New York, and in addi-
ton, be pays freight to and from the facto-
ry. And he pays for the baling and ties
the same price he pays for the cotton, and
he has to pick and trash his cotton before
it is fit to card all of which losses he esti.
mates at twenty-five per cent, and adds
that to the cost Of the raw material.
Fourth. It pays the Northern operative
at the rate Of one hundred per cent. above
our own laboring population in factories.
Fifth. 1t pays for the capital invested in
the manufacture. t@ 25
Sixth. It pays interest to the banking
institutions for money loaned to mill own.
ers.
Seventh. 1t pays the wholesale merchant
in New York his per cent. for selling the
goods. @ .af
Eighth. 1t pays freight and insurance
back to New Orleans.
Ninth. It pays a profit to the retail mer
chant when sold to the consumer.
Thus our cotton passes away like tn,
mountain stream, carrying with it life, lux
uriance and vigor, the further it goes from
its source. These facts and considerations
bring me to my object in writing these ar
tieles. That is, to induce planters to unite
in forming companies, and Of q systematic
scale manufacture at least all the goods
needed on the plantations which produce
the raw material; and spin the balance into
yarns fne enough to command the highes,
market price, and which we can afford t.
sell to the Northern and European manu-
facturers cheaper BY twenty-five per cent
than they can spin it.
But / have already trespassed too far upor
/ - q 49, 49, ..a1 49, = - 49,