The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1879-07-02
4 COMWON CAUSE.

4 COMWON CAUSE.
Low Ercights Necessary for the Prosperity
ofaN Classcs--Now tho Farmers arc In
tcreslrd.
WcSs,s. EdioyY: | was truly glad
to sec in Tuesdays issue Of TIE News
AND HERALD that tic merchants of
your town have had The nerve to make
up /, "tcst ease with the Railroad
Company as to the enormous freight
charges oncotton, and have determined
TO let tho courts adjudicatc the matter.
Not only docs not this cXorbitant
charge made on the transportation OF
cotton affect the Interest of the mcr-
chants Of your town, but every real
estate holder and every and each citi-
zen of whatever business, trade, call
ing or occupation in Winnsboro is as
equally interested in and rs seriously
injured by it. II is true the merchants
arc more directly affected us class by
it. for whatsoever rctartls or divcrts
the raw produce from II commercial
centre, in an equal degree curtails the
sic Ct Ill prepared and manufactured
articlcs Of merchandise offered for sale
therein. Cotton sellers will go to the
nearest home market, provided the
ruling prices Of the home markets and
those further otlarc in just proportion
to the trouble and Inconvenience OF
getting to The latter, for "intlcpendent"
cotton seeks the highest price, and
goes where merchandise can be pro-
cured on the most advantageous terms.
If the prices in the home market arc SO
much lower than those further off that
it will pay the producer for all trouble,
Inconvenience and wear and tarc on
stock and wagon to haul it, then there
it will be carried and sold. Where ii is
sold, there will the liens and contracts
for supplies for the next ensuing year
be made, and all surplus money will
be spent. However small the amount
may be to the individual seller, yet in
the aggregate, it is sufficiently large TO
greatly brncti1 or seriously iniurc the
uercaniilc prosperity Of IL place. If
trade i'll agricultural produce anguish
cs and ceases, then ali people living in
that centre suffer, the value ofrcai cs-
tate dcprccia.cs, houses become tenant
less, all businesses droop, -longuisl, and
finally die out. SO it is our interest
as farmers 10 do all we can 10 assist
the merchants in this vcXcd question.
Ii is as much Our fight as theirs, and it
bchoovcs It's to throw all the material
aid we can into this matter.
The cou .ty, town or home cotton
buyer gives as high Il price for cotton
rs he possibly can. His giving price
Of the day is entirely regulated by the
last reports from his shipping market,
leaving only Il sufficient margin to
cover expense Of landling, transporta-
ton and tactoragc per cent. for self.
His cotton undcrgocs sudden, .rnac-
countablc and unforeseen fluctuations
in price. lie becomes spcculator
(sonlc say cotton gamblcr) and de-
ponds entirely for his gains or loss
upon rise or decline in the price Of
cotton in his shipping market after the
day he has made the purchase, and not
upon the differences Of prices in the
place he buys, and the place he sells as
it was on the same day, but depends on
future rise for his gains. III fact,
home buyers frequently give to those
who have liens with them, I. higher
price than the margin between home
and shipping prices warrant. 1t is true
they make very large profit on the
liens, but then, very few, if any Of us,
can make crop without lien or on
credit prices, and we have to depend
on our crops and the price we get for
them to pay for the living of that year.
If we have good crop and get high
price, VIC have little over; if not, it
leaves us behind on the books.
SO it is our duty as citiZcns, and it
bchoOvcS lis as farmers, to throw all
the influence we have, and give all the
moral and material aid we can, to as
sist in putting down the rate of rail
road transportation and this grasping
spirit OF those posscSsors ola W0ulI-bc
monopoly, ard thereby enable the mcr-
chants to reduce tho margin between
the home price and shipping market,
so that we may get the benefit Of the
reduction of the margin. For it is u fact
that merchants (cottonO should, and
those who sell merchandise who arc
alive to their own interest, do throw
ont inducements to come to their
markets. And it is an indisputab!c fact
that the producer and tho consumer
pay for all these intermediate costs and
expenses. Just with the facility as
trade is diverted from place, 50 rapid
~ does the mercantile community COL
lapse. So let us all give q long pllll. q
strong pull and pull altogether TO nct
the freight on cotton reduced to its
true worth.