The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-19
SOUTHERN SYSTEMS OLD AND NEW.
Some Pretty Sensible Talk.
Metr York Ba,Lxr's Safeguard.


The continued cry of "hard times"
sounding in Southern cities, leads us to
investigate causes Of depression and learn
the outlet to renewed prosperity.
The present etoppage of large and
points out one fact, that the South is un-
dergoing radical changes in its system of
business, being, as it were, completely
shaken up, and until it. settles down to
the altered situation and understands its
bearings, inactivity must be expected.
Before the war the Southern planter
raised his supplies on system Of part
nership with the factor. He was gener-
ally thrifty and Industrious, but reckless
as to his expenditures, and careless az TO
how high the debtor side Of the ledger
ranged against him, rs long as he was
fortified behind growing crop and a
Fall "squaring up" He simply ordered
what he wanted, his correspondence with
his factor was q communication of de-
tnand on his part and supply on the
other. He never examined his account
until settlement day arrived, and then
he generally accepted and settled on
faith. An instance of this carclessness
was shown in one of the large houses
where, at the close of days business, a
clerk reported to his employer that q sad
die had been disposed of without being
charged, nor could the purchaser be
identified. The proprietor instructed his
clerk to charge II e saddle against every
customer of thai day, who obviously
would have purchased such an article,
and 80 when settlement day came, the
party who had obtained it would pay,
while the others would reject this item.
Tho eaddIa oroorA;pDl,y ,Lo
against eleven customers, and when set
tlement time arrived, without dissent
ing voice or even question asked, the
eleven men came up and paid for the
saddle.
At the close of his season, if the plan
ter happened to fall behind, he could
easily recuperate Dy the sale of slave or
some surplus land, but even if he utterly
failed his lands would pass into some
other hands, who would continue to util-
ize them, and so the pro rata of produc-
ton in communities would continue uni
form and steady. The factor, who acted
as the planters merchant, banker, friend
and trustee, who met him with such open
aims and welcome, met him also with
compound interest and charges If he
bound on the good natured producer
burdens grievous TO be borne, he did it
in an affable business manner, and with
belief that his indolent country cor
sln mad nothing to do but bask in SUM-
shine amid seed time and harvest, while
the crop sprang up and brought FORTH
After the factor had sliced off his
charges for advancing. interest, storage
and commission, he delivered King Cot
ton to the seller, who again, after de-
ducting commissions, delivered it to the
buyer who, after his commissions, either
consigned it to some exporter or else
shipped it himself, but meanwhile it had
been further clipped by samplers, dray-
men, shippers and ifansporters, each and
every one taking lis bite from the rus
tics apple and illustrating Solomons
proverh that the king himself is served
by the field.
This is the faithful picture of the old
ante bellum system, those easy days of
jogging country wagons, and once year
settlements. A system 80 slipshod that
it shufied in easy ront!iaes without even
the knowledge of running down or cut
throat competition. This former system
of harmonious Fleeing pefished in its
midst under the iron chariot of war, and
since the revival of peace this star of
Southern prosperity has faded and waned
away in the glaring sunlight of direct
and International transportation.
This old timed class were succeeded
BY series of intermediate factors who
,prang up, and who like their predecess-
ors advanced heavily for high interest
and large commissions. They credited
up handsome fictitious profits until the
day Of reckoning came, aud then formed
along procession to the court of bank
ruptcy.
Maun,,b;1r h. IL, L.
ceived his supplies honorably and with
dlssoving prospects. A Geranged labor
j system and false idea of retaining former
proportions, showed him beginning his
4 planting campaign with large ideas and
i forces scattered over q larger area, and
j ending with scarcely any ideas at all,
some Struggling and uncertain freedmen
AMI portions Of his undertaken crop de-
serted and blistering amid weeds and
sunshine.
Now consider the present status oi
A cotton factors, the Southern Antonios,
since the spirit of innovation and coInpe-
q ton has arisen. Commissions were cut
down a quarter, q half, then aominally.
4 Foreign importers ceased to employ and
A utilize intermediate agencies and sellers
and retained special buyers, thus exclud-
ing members of the old regime from
lurther benefit and revenue.
And now even special local buyers are
# largely dMcarded, importing houses send.
~ ing their agents directly, who proceed
noslothe central market where one oI
more commissions have already been
slced, but to the viliuge or even the field
ol o. tile producer, anu there paying hi:
Nlpend, thus excluding the extra inter.
mediate forces we have described, ana
vl NOT benefitting the grower, as the
uuyer mas figured his quotations down t.
W ue lowest fraction. lAnd even where
- ue intermediate foIres rors still exist, compe
H'lon mas shorn their business Of all its
sr, s~mes dimensions of profit the strain
,Itsenuing down to the very draymer
b .n9se earnings are4reduced two thirds
a aaa the ,salaried skilled forces who were
e.aalaliy undermined by the wedging il
" ", azy adventurous experimentists
l,hN l"aeh we find in production md tht
n"sa Sor system so complete q revolution
,be ,ea slT, we account farther for stagnation il
RI ;;oS 10y neids from overreaching, or depress
or ~ ~ ~ the cities, from the large nnmbe
n br,nns ,ulesa Sing employment nom
no, aIn Sa OF business which is suspended i
Of uead, and a hitherto prominent elias
tb,M; M;;nmercial men who complain o
.p,.; ,a province being swept away by tn,
xnssiaS siIaS waves OF time just as their name
MIN os etiaced from sands within reaol
fsld tr Se ude. e!f tu.g1 0t - h
cal 'IIs AZ. :. = the Southern disease, thisradi
Ed " uls0rganization M .he labor svsfetn