The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-05-09
The Cotton Question--A Plea for In
creased Production.

So much has been said in favor OF our
planters making small cotton crop, aud de-
voting more of their attention to the produc-
ton of corn and provisions, that fair pre-
sentation of the other side of the question
has become o matter Of very general inter-
est. An able and instructive paper on the
subject has lately appeared in one OF our
Southern contemporaries, from the pen OF
B. F. Nourse, Esq, of Boston, a gentleman
specially qualified by experience and train
inc to discuss the question, so momentous
to the future of the Southern people. The
article was written in reply to the counsel
given to the South by the New York COM
nae,rial and Financial Chronicle, that it
would be better to reduce cotton production
for time, until, by diminution OF receipts,
its market would again offer better prices.
It's the Pennsylvania theory especting coal
Mr. Nourse, after reviewing the entire ground,
proceeds to assail such advice as this with
the full vigor OF fact, argument and iilustra-
lion; and n his reply makes up broad and
comolete statement of the condition and
prospects of.cotton planting in this country.
He shows that it is fallaclous to advise the
South to abandon cotton and take to the
production of corn; and advises steady
continuance with cotton, arguing that the
wears 1869 and 1870 have been so exceptional
as to be held provdential by the planter,
and that, considering how Brazil, Egypt and
India are visibly falling of, this is the decis-
i've time for US to make that final exertion
which is surely to establish US as masters Of
the cotton market of the world, and after
that 10 enable us to 6x prices as we mainly
prefer.
The article of Mr.. Nourse is full Of interest
as discussion OF the influence OF full
crop of cotton upon the. individual and tile
whole Southern section, and thence upon
the interests and industries OF the "eutire
country. We will cite few Of the points
mado by him in the way both OF Illustrating
and enforcing his argument. In the first
place, he begs the planter to keep in mind
that three OF the last months OF last year
need not be expected to repeat themselves
very soon. Next, the large plantations are
cut up into small farms. Before emancipa-
ton, and when cotton brought ten cents, it
was reckoned that, in Georgia for instance,
oue-third of the crop was made by free white
labor; now fully one-ha.f is so produced
Every farmer can produce all the food crops
he needs, and from three to eight bales of
cotton 10 every able-bodied male member of
bis family. Cotton will keep, when grain is
perishable How can it be ascertaned 10 q
certainty whether it is less profitable to raise
it, even with fears of an overcrop, than it
would be to let the fields run to sedge and
wire grass! 1t is better to work the land,
and the taxes are just as heavy on idle az on
productive fields,
Considered in reference to value, Ameri-
can cotton can he probably produced more
cheapIy than any other in the world. Yet
we have never had but one crop before the
present that exceeded four million Dales
Foreign nations may plant one more lurse
crop in order to test their ability to recover
former prices for it,; but that furnishes all
the stronger reason why the South should 90
the same, that it may retire from the field OF
competition the master. Mr.. Nourse allows
to the South, after deducLing all possible
oullays from their last years crop, and every
offset Of importation against expectation,
remainder of over hundred and fifty millions
of dollars. To this be justly adds the obvi-
GUS value of continued industry, comfort
able subsistence aud health to the Southern
people, progress in agriculture and manufac-
lures, aud every improvement sustained and