St. Landry democrat., 1878-04-20
All Cotton Means Starvation.
From the Natcbitoches Vindicator.


The Hon. B. H. Hill, of Georgia,
made the following terse and pointed
remarks in speech delivered by him
in that State. He said:
tell you to-day, [ care not what sea-
sons may come, what large crops you
may raise, under existing conditions,
you will ever grow poorer, who pro-
duce. cotton, and they will ever grow
richer who handle it after it is produced.
Without a great change, the Southern
States are destined to become, so many
plantations, practically owned by North
ern people, and the Southern people SO
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 reversed OF this tate
is in your power. Under the present
policy the next generation OF Southern
people will become the poorest, the
most pOwerless and the most contemp-
tible of earth's inhabitants, while un-
der q wise policy, the next generation
of Southern people may become the
richest, the most powerful and the most
respected of people. Which destiny
will we choose -
But, you ask, how can this better des-
tiny be secured? will tell you.
First make cotton your suplus crop !!
In these five words lie the Samson locks
Of your future power. Make your own
ing and manuring your lands. Thus,
YOU become independant of the guano
merchants. Your cheapest and safest
line of transportation runs from your
own fields and hogpens to your own
barns and meat-houses. With no debts
for your supplies, you will need no ac-
comOdation credits at two per cent per
month.
Thus you become independent of
brokers, cotton factors and lien mer-
chants. You can sell at your own time,
to your chosen buyers and will get your
own money. None of these things can
planter do who plants on credit and
borrows money to buy bis provisions,
But, you say, the Western States
raise provisions so much cheaper, we
can make more money by raising cot
ton and buying from them. This is the
teaching of figures, and a greater lie
was never taught.
Now, I affirm it is cheaper for you to
raise your provisions then to have them
brought from the West and given to
you at the nearest depot free Of cost
and charge. How is this? In the first
place, if we raise 100000 bales Of cot
ton we will get no more money for them
then we would get for one-half that
number. Then, out Of the same amount
realized, you pay for raising the 5000 900
Just double cost of production. Halt
the labor and supplies employed in
raising 100000 bales Of cotton could
be employed in raising supplies with
ont reducing the value of the cotton
crop one dollar. But half this labor
would raise more than you needed for
supplies. :.
enriching your lands and improving
your property in many ways. =
Then you would come to the end OF
the year with your crib full OF corn,
your smoke-house full Of meat, your
family full of smiles, yourself full OF
independence and your pocket full OF
money for investment. And how would
Won invest it2 In cotton factories on
the waterfalls which God has sent all
through your country to run spindles. .
This would make you independent OF
Old and New England both. Then,
also you would mine your own lmpie-
ments of husbandry which would make
you independent of Pennsylvania foun-
drys and Massachusetts workshops:
In word, every improvement would
be built up in your own country, ana
all the profits of those, Improvements
would go into your own pockets.
Go on as you are now going, making
cotton your chief crop, and slavery is
the doom of your children and your
children's children forever. A people
who depend on other people for food
and clothing are and must be slaves.