The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-09-06

sum bv the average price [see above price
listl Of ten cents per pound, or $40 per bale
The cotton States realized three thousand
one hundred and eight million dollars dur
ING thirty.six wears. Now, let us suppose
the Weld had been reduced one-foCrth dur
ing that period, by cooperation, and the
product would have been fifty-nine million,
six hundred andtwenty-fve thousand bales;
and we can safely say that the absence OF
over-stock and the comparative increase oil
competition would have swelled the aver
AGE price to fifteen cents per pound, or POI
per bale-say three thousand five hundred
and seyenty-seven and a naf mi hon dol
lars. and gain of four hundred thousand
dollars over the large crops; to ~hich add
the freights and other expenses on the
twenty million bales short makes thirty
million dol ars. The diversion OF acreage
and labor necessary to effect the reduction
of crous as above would have sufficed tor
enough home productions to supply all the
cotton States with all articles imported
from the West during the long period nam
ed, without lessening to the extent OF one
dollar the cash receipts for cotton; ana
estimating these importatlons at the low
figure of fifty million dollars per annum,
would have saved to the cotton States eign-
teen hundred million dollars, not estimating
the time consumed by the war. And mad
such policy prevailed we would nave
had no war, or else successful one.
A gain of nearly two thousand million
dollars-not in mOney-but INFINITELY bet
ter, in improvements for facilitating busr
ness, learning charity, science, arts, health
Ileasure, and all those things our Northern
brethren have enjoyed so largely at our ex,
pense, solely from our wantof foreslgnt ana
adaptation of the advantages we certainly
possessed.
Had the system of home production been
persistently practiced, the condition OF the
Northern and Southern States would this
day be reversed. As surely as cause pro-
duces effect their wealth would have been
ours and our poverty theirs. Alabama
would have supplanted Pennsylvania IN
procuring coal; Georgia eclipsed Massa-
chusetts in manufacturing cotton and wool;
New Orleans would have controlled impor-.
tations, exchanges and stocks in place OF
New York; wealth would have attracted
wealth. and prosperous population have
led TO 4 constantly increasing immigration,
until our lands would have all been re-
claimed and occupied, and the vast re-
sources of our soil and climate fully devel-
oped. 30 that the increase in the value OF
land alone would have equaled the vast
sums saved by home productions. and
have doubled the estimate Of gain l have
| made. ~.
This retrospection will be of little utility
unless II arouses n spirit of inquiry, and
leads TO the discovery Of remedy Tor tne
| future, which contains source OF weann
| as hmitless as that we overlooked I'D the
mast The difficulties to be surmounted
are of remarkable character, inasmucn as
the entire community of cotton planters
must act in concert, at the same time that
| all win he aware that any minority VINO
| NAV oppose the movement will be enriched
At the expense of the msjority-and the
smaller the number of dissenters the great
er the individual reward. To harmonic
these conflicting interests will be difficult
hut At the same time indispensable, for nc
majority will ever consent to- enricn mi
ror;ty as a reward for opposing and par
TALLY paralyzing their plan for the genera
welfare.
| / can conceive of but one mode OF recon
cling these conflicting interests. but ina
believe to be attainable whenever popuia
opinion can be convinced OF the universa
benefits that will flow from its application
And there are powerful agencies at work OF
exhibiting such convincing arguments ina
; few viii attempt to controvert them on
of these we have shown to be the contras
between the two last crops, and now y
8 have daily reports from all parts OF IN
! cotton region, threatening us with muc
!. heavier yield than the disastrous million
of 1870. 1t is to be hoped that the pros
meets are greatly exaggerated; but even tn
, exaggerstions which ought never to be II
|, dulged in] are having a most injurious III
Auence. and the price Of cotton, which ha
risen TO high figure under the stimular
E E of the last short crop is now daily drool
ING beneath the weight of prospective mi
lions. Not only are current prices serious
lv affected, but futures, deliverable out {
|" he growing crop, have declined from th
highest point full two and half cents, an
y this solely by the influence OF rumors-
clearly indicating q much larger declin
: in case the disaster of large crop rs rea
= ;zed. We may safely say that If the grow
ING crop should by possibility turn out nv
million bales, it will bring less money J
!, the elutted markets than if reduced by u
worms to three million bales-to winch ad
o the overlapping influence that would
felt disasti ously for years to come. liner
fore is it plain that what we call an INN
, ton would prove blessing If equally d'
= tributed. 4.
y How blind have we been not to see tn
the dispensations of Providence, IN sen
s. ing worms, foods, drouths. etc, have ben
fited instead of injuring the planting int
: { ests, by limiting the crops, which won
n otherwise have reduced prices to staryat'
rates; and even the poor sufferers on who
the burden fell most heavily were enabi
e 20 recuperate in the future by means OF G
y HANGED prices. It's strange that we snou
IS have been so slow to interpret the iesso
u intended to exercise our minds and tax o
mower of invention to the extent on II
8 proving on natural causes by originating
y plan to distribute the reduction OF GRO
le eouaIly among all concerned. 1t wou
Is seem that dame nature had tired OF o
n stupidity in solving enigmas, and thereto
d at length exhibited her cotton problems
s. glaringly by the incidents Of the last I
N wears. that there could be no longer,
l doubt of the proper course to pursue.
OF us profit BY her teachings, for fear she m
y tire Of sending worms, floods, etc, a
vs. leave us to eat our cotton, when over-p
Dc duction make it too worthless to exchan