The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1878-04-06
COTTON, FROM SEED TO LOON.

was unjust and cruel, threatened t,
make American cotton a drug in tn,
market, and to prevent the pIantin,
interests from competing successfully
with Hindoo, Egyptian, Brazilian anc
other cheap labor in the new sources o
supply opened by the high prices pre-
yailing during the war. While Britisi
wealth and enterprise were freely Law
ished upon the cultivation of cottcr
wherever there was any prospect OF Sc
curing future independence of The
American staple. this southern in
dustry was fearfuily depressed
by restricted means, ineffcien,
labor and adverse legislation The
cotton tax, which did not increase
the market value anywhere. and which
produced actual dcstitution and suffer
ing among the freedmen, was but one
of the many emoarrassments to which
the planting interest WAS subjected.
The gloomiest view of the future was
universally taken. Happily, however,
variety OF causes contributed To an uns
expected revival of the cotton indus>
try and trade. The conditions of cot
ton culture and manufacture have been
materially changed since the close OF
the war The planter is each year
raisin- larger proportion of the pro-
duets necessary for the mainten .nce of
his household and laborers, approach.
ing more nearly TO the true policy oi
making cotton simply = surplus crop,
and Is becoming, II not now. entirely
independent OF the commission mer-
chant, laDorer, and OF all the influences
that have hitherto forced him TO hasten
MS crop forward In fact, The railroad
and steamship have rapidly modified
the organization and working power OF
the cotton trade in this country. Owing
TO long accommodating and diverse
causes, the influence OF which has been
developed by the Turco- Russian war,
the past year has been an extremely
cheerless one to the cotton goods trade.
However, Mr.. William. B. Dana, high
authority on this snbject, describes
the future prospect of United
States spinners ss encouraging In
the first place, it is not likely, as he
says, that foreign dry goods will ever
come here III such abundance as previ-
ous to 1873. And in the second place
we hold decided advantages over Eu-
rope. if we only have the wisdom 10
improve them, for sll North and South
American trade; while in every other
country, where quality is considera-
ton, our goods have already made for
themselves market. 4he exports OF
cotton manufacture from the United
States were &, ,947 ,52s in 1878, S3,09l :
1872 in 1874. 81, 722, ,s7s in 1876, and sl0,-
$50. .9Sl ia 1877. So Here is a rise in four
years from three millions in value to ten
millions. The total even now is of
course very small, but it is highly en-.
coursging And there is no telling
what point of progress will be attained
when the revolution already begun shall
be accomplished, and the invaluable
water powers of the South shall no
longer run to waste, but with steam,
and all other modern appliances, shall
aid in the manufacture of cotton close
by the fields where the cotton grows
That happy period will certainly be
fastened, 80 far as cotton is concerned,
by the Hood of light poured upon this
very important field OF American labor
and skill, and source of southern wealth
and national prosperity, by Mr.. Dana 3
F." Cotton from Seed to Loom.