The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-01-31
Toe Cotton states.

New York SUM-
The States OF Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Caro-.
Ina. South Carolina, Tennessee add Texas are
known rs the Cotton States since the cultiva-
ton OF Cotton absorbs the labor Of the hus-
Dandman IN that region OF our country. The
total population Of the ten States in 1870 was
S212,223 The close Of the war found them
impoverished. Their property was destroyed.
We Of the North next overran them with car
pct-baggers, who stole from them, interttred
with their State Governments, oppressed them
in many ways The inhabitants Of the Cotton
States waited a5 patiently rs they had fought
courageously, and at last regaincd control OF
their own affairs From that time the onward
march Of the cotton belt toward the most
unprecedented prosperity has not faterod
an instant. The year 1878 was a prosper
Gus one for them, and they justly rejoiccd
over the result, For the year ending on
June 30, 1919 the domestic exports Of the
United States amounted in value to total of
S111 0S3,1U. Of this vast sum the ten Cotton
States, with their scanty population, are cred.
tied with $l62 ,304, $50 for their cotton alone.
Over twenty-five per cent. of the value Of our
expectation was received for a crop grown by
less than twenty per cent OF our population.
The Republican press Of the North is so
habituacd to describing the people Of the
south as riding up and down their lonely
roads engaged in their only occupation
except drinking whiskey in low bar rooms
of shooting and torturing colored Republ-
cans, tia: many thousands of worthy men in
The North really believe this to be true If, as
the Republican press claims the people of
the cotton belt did nothing but loaf in grog-
gers, and organize and execute "nlgger
hunts" they would all starve to death. There
is an old saw that by his chips you can judge
a workman IL is also true that by the bales
you can Judge of the work done by a people
Last year the people of the cotton belt found
time to raise over 100000 bales of cotton for
export besides supplying the United States
1t Is objected by the Northern Republicans
that this work at least a greater part of it, is
done by the coIorcd race Why not? Do the
owners OF farms outside the cotton belt do all
the work that is done on them? Do not most
all Of them employ labor and supervise it? Be
cause u man happens to be black and works
in a cotton field he is entitled to no more
credit for simply working than is IN Irish,
German or American farm hand who works in
the cornficlds on the lean soil Of New IIaMp-
shire or the rich prairles of Kansas. Because
the landlcss labOrng class of the South raise
cotton under the intelligent supervision Of men |
who own the laHd 1t is not Just to call the
land owners cruel, oppressive and murderous,
and deny them credit for the work done. To
read some articles written by Northern Re
publican about the labor done on Southern
plantations, one would be led TO believe that
the hiring Of man 10 work was the daboli-
cal invention Of dcvllsh Southern Demo.
Crat
SouthCrners are represented as hating the |
North with deadly hatred. If this were so
they would buy ne goods from Northern i'm
porters. They export much cotton and could
import merchandise if they wished. What |
say the statistics? There were imported into
the United States in 1878, merchandise, com |
and bullion to the value Of $46G,S12, 346 of
this valuation but S31 1881 81 entered the six
Southern ports of Baltimore, Charleston, Sa-
yannah, Mobile, New Orleans and Galveston.
The direct imports through the Custom Houses
situated in the ten Cotton States were $14, 190,-
1873. The exports from the same ports were
Sl43, 2S2, S39; or they exported $l29092G50
more than they imported. II is safe to state
that the balance of trade last year was at least !
$1,000 GOO in favor Of the Cotton States
The present year has been the most prosper
Gus ever known in the South. Not only have
the Cotton States made a large crop, estimated |
by competant authority at 100000 bales in ex-
cess Of last year, but the price obtained Is
larger. The crop Of 1878 brought an average
of seven cents per pound. This years pick
ing is selling for eleven cents per pound.
1t must be. remembered, when judging of
the probable future of the Cotton States, that
they constitute the only extent of cotton land
IN the world where the plant can be profitably
that where cotton cloth is once
used 10y Il people it is never abandoned; and
that SO long as the human race increases or
trade develops, there is no such danger as an
of cotton rs there is Of wheat.
All countries can grow bread stutfs. No other
country can grow cotton. The machine re.
Gently invented by Mr.. Clement, of Memphis,
must also be taken INTO consideration. This
machine is so simple that the stupid labor
used IN the South can manage it without diff |
Guilty. The invention enables the planter to
spin, at a small expense, the raw cotton into
threads. 1t is said to clean the seed more
than the old ginning machines,
and it Is estimated, If it he generally intro
duced, that it Will enable the planter to net %
per cent more on his cotton, while the money
paid for spinning, instead of being paid to
English and Northern spinners, will be paid
to the laborcrs of the South. This machine
of Clements Will probably create an industrial
revolution in the Cottoa States greater in ex-
tent even than was accomplished by the saw
gin, patented by Eli Whitney IN 179i.