Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1877-10-24
ALL COTTON AND STARvE.

The cry comes from many sections
OF the South that the recent storm
and the cotton worm have great,
destroyed the cotton crop, and il
many places completely ruined tn,
planter. Will this he ever so; vii
our cotton planters never learn
especially as cotton is going down
down. down! and grain and porl
upl mp! up!
On this subject, the Hon. b. II
Hill, of Georgia, made the following
terse and pointed remarks in q
speech recently delivered by him in
that State. lie said:.
/ tell you to day, | care not what
seasons may come, what large crops
you may raise, still, under existing
conditions, you will ever grow poorer,
who produce cotton, and they will
over grow richer who handle it after
it is produced. Without q great
change, the Southern States are DIES.
tined to become so many plantations,
practically owned By the Northern
people, and the Southern people so
o many hireling slaves to work them |!
And in this condition you will reap
scarcely the wages, and not half the
respect you accorded your former
slaves. And yet the very reverse of
this fate is in your power. Under
the present policy the next genera
ton of Southern people will become
the poorest, the most pOwerless and
the most contemplate of earth's in.
habitants, while, under wise policy,
the next generation of Southern
people may become the richest, the
most powerful and the most re-.
,spected Of peoples Which destiny
will VIC chOOsei
But, you ask, how can this better
destiny be securedi Twill tell YOU.
First-Make cotton your surplus
A compl'Lnahnse five words lie the
crop! In tsen in conf. "'tnrc power.
Sampson locks Of your rt... bad ,e rnI
Make your own fertilizers by rest
ing, cropping, grassing and manur.
ing your lands. Thus you become
independent of the guanO merchants.
Raise your own provisions. Thus
you become independent of the pro.
vision merchants. Your cheapest
and safest line Of transportation
runs from your own fields and hog.
pens to your own barns and meat
houses With no debts for your
supplies, you will need no accopmo.
datiOn credits at two per cent. per
month. Thus yon become indie.
pendent Of brokers, cotton factors
and lien merchants. You can then
sell your cotton at your own time,
to your own chosen buyers, and will
get your own money. None of these
things can q cotton planter do who
plants on credit and borrows money
to buy his provisions.
But, you say, the Western States
raise provisions 50 much. cheaper, |
we can make more money BY raising |
cotton aud buying from them. This !
Is the teaching Of figures and q
greater lie was never taught.
Now, | affirm it is cheaper for vou
to raise your own provisions than to
have them brought from the West,
and given TO you at the nearest depot
free of cost and charges! How is
this 7 In the first place, if we raise
five millions of bales of cotton we
will get no more money for them
than We would get for one. half that
number. Then, out of the same
amount realized, you pay for raising
the five millions just double cost of
production Half the labor and
supplies employed in raising five
million bales of cotton could be EN-.
ployed in raising supplies without
reducing the value Of the cotton
crop one dollar. But half the labor
would raise more than you needed
for supplies. You could employ
much OF 1t, also, in enriching your
lands and improving your property
In many ways. Then you would
como to the end of the wear with
your cribs full of corn, your smoke
houses full of meat, your family full
OF smiles, yourselves full of indie.
and your pockets full of
money for investment. And how
would you invest iti In cotton fac.
torres on the waterfalls which God
has sent ell through your country
70 run spindleA This would make
you independent Of Old and New
England both. Then, also, you
Wooid nine your own implements Of