American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-03-06
SHARPsBURG, Feb. %, 1880.
lifor American Citizen ;


Editor American Citizen
have noticed Nv" very sensible
articles IN the CITIZEN, giving n
timely warning of The commercial
danger of Canton. But while your
correspondent is undoubtedly car
rect he does not point out the Cause.
nor suggest any means to avert the
danger. Holding mass meeting
will do no good, as it will only result,
in sumo long winded speeches and
some bIgh sounding resolutions.
The prosperity of nearly all towns
IN this s ate depends entirely upon
the more money; the more money,
the greater the amount OF goods
sold. Canton, to prosper, must draw
every bale to her doors thai belongs
10 her by right OF location. Is she
doing this No. Enquire of the
feri lyman at Goodman how MANY
bales have been passed over the
Big Black fiom Madison county. Do
the same at Fickens. You will be
astonished. You will be still more
astonished to learn that Messrs.
Sharp g. Tucker have bought more
than eight hundred bales at their
store, Ouly IL miles north of Canton,
and shipped the same from Ways
Bluff. vi course, since tue exten-
sion Of the railroad to KOsciuSkO,
much of the trade from Leake and
Alfalfa has been drawn TO that town
Madison Station draws largely from
Canton also. Your correspondent
is wrong in rupposiDg that either
Jackson or Meridian hurts Canton.
The merchants in Camden, Thomas
town, and other interior points, are
buying largely Of cotton, aud SHIP
pug direct 10 New Orleans, and,
strange to say, nearly all OF these
points are paying about as much
for cotton as Canton, or sO nearly
as much that it does not Justify the
farmer in hauliny the extra distance.
These little towns have an equal adj
vantage with Canton in shipping
therefore the trouble is not i'll the
freight. they have tue same facil-
tiles i'll the way of exchange with
New Or cans, aud eau get all the
money they want from merchants ia
New Orleans to buy cotton. 1t is.
then. clearly a fair fight between
Canton and her enteiprising little
neigh bors. L. is the merchant OF
Caution who must strip for tue fight.
Have they any shackles to throw
off Yes. ItdOes not cost the far.
mer any thiug to get his cotton
weighed at these interior points.
He stands by and sees it weighed
by tue merchant himself, or his
clerk, aud lie sees for himself that il
is correct to the pound. lie does
not have to take a ticket from
stranger and go back to the store
aud settle by that ticket, right or
wrong. Merchants OF Canton. make
4 note of this. You have had this
finger pointed at you before. You
are paying heavy taxes to keep up
city government that is Of no
earthly seavice to you. Could you
not fight these little towns better II
your own expenses were less Ia IL
not TO your interest 10 get the char
ter of the city of Canton repealed I
Cannot the property holders OF Can
ton combine ia an earnest petition
0 The Legislature, without offen>e
(as IN a TO, m-r petition) to the office
holders of the town, dating the re-
peal from The expiration of the term
Ut the present incumbeuts Would
it not pay ycu to establish i free
ferry over Pearl liver. near the
north borders OF Rankin, aud draw
to yOu the trade OF North Il ,nkin.
North Scott and South Leak-?
Ii ali these things fail you, then
you must have a compress, and turn
your cotton Northward, or tap til"
Mississippi or Yazoo with short
line railroad. But fight you must.
S-veral other cOmmunicai ions 20
over To our next. The opposite
side of the weighing question will
therein he presented.-Ed. CITIZEN.