Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-02-23
COTTON MANUFACTURING,


The close Of the revolutionary war, IN
1-SS. only Tl.OOO,O goo pounds of cotton
were annuslly spun in Great Britain,
being about six days spinning in tins
c,untry 81 the present time. From this
small beginning has grown up a gigantic
industry. 50 important thst Tor a long
time cotton has been boaSttully called
oki,g." and cur southern brethren were
At one tine deluded into the belief that
they held the key OF the situation, and
that all nations must come 10 them lor
the all -important staple. After the war
Of 1872 when business had begun 10
revive, it is a matter Of history that the
distinguished statesmen OF south caro-,
lima. Calhoun and LOwndes, succeeded
in having the famous protective taria OF
1916 carried through congress, in spite
of the strenuous opposition OF the MasSa,
chusetts delegation. If the south had
not been held down by the incubus OF
slaye.v, it is probable the design OF these
statesmen could have been carried out,
and cotton mills would have been estab-
lished there instead of the cold regions
of the Tree north. The disgust of Cal
houn was very great when he found that,
intsead of furthering the interests Of the
south. he had built up IA great indus
try in the north, and he and his
friends became bitter opponents to
the protective system, while the
New England statesmen went
over to the other side as most ardent
converts to the new doctrine, We all
know how this bitter feeling eliminated
in the late unfortunate war OF the rebel
lion.
At the close of tho rebellion, print
cloth CHE plain white cloth on which
calico is printed was selling at twenty
cents a ward. This led to an overstock-
ing of the market, and prices began to
fall very rapidly until July, 1876, when
the same goods were sold for three and a
half cents. No business a bear such
extraordinary commissions as this, and
many manufacturing establishments were
compelled TO suspend operations and
others were entirely bankrupt. The
home market was so completely glutted
bv the sudden sale of heavy stocks of
Prints and plain cloths, that it became
necessary for the mill owners Of Massa.
chusetts to looE aooHt Tor foreign maf'S,
and the Fall River manufacturers actu'
ally had me audacltY TO snip thelr wares
directly TO Manchester. Since the exploit
Of Lord Timothy Dexter in sending
warming-pans TO the WeSt lhdles, noun,
ing so preposterous as TINS mas oeen heara
OF in commerce. VI course, the English
mill owners laughed ana the Joke was as
good as an extra bottle OF port after am
ing, until the meIahGhoiy discovery was
made by them that the American goods
were not only cheaper, but a great lea
better than Their own manufactures, ana
that the foolish people were disposed
to buy th,m at lnelr very doors,
The Lancashire mill owners found
themselves beaten on their ground
They had boosted that in the
nature OF things there could be
no great demand tor American cotton
manufactures IN competition with them
The American goods were OF a superior
quality, and tor that reason must Away
be confined to a limited market They
thought to themselves Lancashire
receives cotton from all countries; sht
can NIX America with Surat, Brazil o.
, West Indian, 50 as to give the requisite
amount OF quality and strength Tor TIT
minimum cost ms Is an advantage
which will always enable her to sell to
, great mass OF consumers, Il with which
cloths made from American cotton onl.
never can compete They might hay.
{ added that, by loading the cloth witt
China clay and patent sizing, they coul'
= cheafen them still more, and thus max,
: sure OF the markets OF the world. The.
0 are now beginning % discover that the.
j have oYerreached themselves, EveI
!, their own colonies prefer the American
' manufactures, and New England shipped
c 5000 cases OF cotton goods IN IS11, an,
y Will probably double that amount TIL
i year. We repaired l,5OO,OOO bales Q
cotton in 1876, ana IN 1877 consume
|, lOO,OOO more The struggles betwee
Il New England and Old England ma
now be considered as fairly %lnauguratec
Oid England IS handicapped by the pre-
Il ductlon Ct an inferior and aduIterate
/ quality OF goods; New England has
o larger staple, better machinery, ray
material close at hand, and an unin
q paired reputation. A direct trade i
U cotton goods has sprung up with man
foreign countries, and there is ever
prospect OF a continued increase If tn
manufacturers remain honest and al
II not trammelled by the tarltt-tinkers ]
Washington. And now comes the OF
portunity Tor the south, The north wi
a have its hands full in looking aftC
the itreign trade, while the ever-increa
"a ing demands OF the home market ougt
T. to be supplied by southern mills. A
ready mills are springiDg up in Georgi
le where, in Columbus alone, there are 81!
o. ty thousand splndles and four th0usan
ot looms. In North and South Uarolin
~ in the Old Dominion and in other stat
Is mills are going up, and the whole cOuI
Id try is alive to the importance of the ne
:; order of things. The southern stat
u, are recovering from the effects of Il
ID war; the whites are once more obtainir
control OF the governments of tho
~ states--and order, peace and securit
Il are restored. In the manufacture
d. F S.om E soDJ SoIf e" n"olI rP'ele .i
ASD 'N' N> HN' ~ NthA WHY