Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-23
cotton va earn.

Cotton We. IOFn.
The Mississippi floods have certainly
had the effect Of causing the affection
policy of Southern planters to be more Sc
riously considered than ever. and to show
them, by a most unhappy experience,
the folly of longer shutting their eyes to
the necessity of being guarded against
future disasters by devoting more atten-
ton to the production of home supplies.
An examination into the ruinous results
Of continuing the past policy Of neg
lecting grain and meat products
for that of cotton alone has devel-
oped the fact that the excess of
consumption over production in the cot
ton States is 4, 252, PA bushels of wheat;
1876, 6S4, 279 bushels of corn; 1902, lO0
bushels of oats; a total Of 2S6 COS, 6S2
bushels of grain, besides 4.011, $50 tons
of hay. According to the Louisville Cou-
rier Jt urHdI, these figures are astound-
ing, but they are correct. They mean
ultimate impovelishment if maintained
and increased. They mean that the
South can keep not less than $3.50, 900. =
600 OF 500, 600, 900 at home by devoting
a larger area of land to food and forage
crops instead of planting all cleared land
in cotton.
One of the strongest arguments which
has ever been made against the South
ern crop policy. and in favor Of diver
sitY of crops, was presented last year
before the Mississippi Valley Cotton
Planters Association at its Memphis
convention, by Mr.. F. c. Morehead,
President of the body. 1t is so full Of
wisdom, and presents the case so forci-
bly,, that, for the benefit of our planters,
we reproduce an extract from his re-
marks If needed, they will be produc.
tive of much good, not only to the
planters of the Mississippi valley, but
throughout the cotton belt. He spoke
as follows:
eff the price of cotton has declined
from eleven to eight cents as the crop in
creases from 5, 800, 900 to 6, SOC, 900 bales,
it will be somewhat interesting TO our
people, from analogous reasoning. to
know that we could scarcely expect
more than an average of six cents per
pound for crop Of Z 800, 900 or s. 900, 600
bales. You cannot say that my hypo-
thesis IN regard to such ciop is an i'm
possibility, for have we not increased
the crop in a few years from 9, 200, 900 to
$500, 600 bales7 the increase for the past
year alone being about 1, 900, 600 bales in
round numbers, with similar increase
for this year confidently predicted by
the buyers and splnners, and looked for
ward to with trepidation by our own
people. Let us anticipate the what may
happen, and suppose our growing crop
reaches 8, 600, 900 bales, or 3, 200, 900, 900
pounds, which at six cents would give US
1892 600, 900, or $28, 200, 900 less than
5000, 600 bales brought US and $18, 600,
900 less than our G, 100000 crop. Now,
if we are to hold our own, as the crop
increases and the aggregate sum received
for it decreases, we ought to be able to
buy our mules at a lower price; We
ought to be able to hire our cotton chop
ped out, picked and ginned at lower
prices; we ought to pay less for our bag
ging and ties, and we ought to be able TO
purchase all our supplies at less rates.
But what is the facti You all know
that prices are not materially lessened to
the planter for anything, and, on the con-
trary, big crop means 10 all the world
who sell to the planter big prices for
their goods, no one counting its suicidal
cost, and all believing that such crop
must render the planters rich and
prosperous. But, ali! my countrymen,
too well you know, or at least will
know, the mockery of such prosperity.
And say to you if such a thing does
come to happen, the tabled Tantalus
surrounded by water, with not drop to
drink. will not be in more pitiable con-
dition than you, surrounded by your cot
ton bags, with not a cent in the world
YOU can call your own. Even now, on
all sides, the cotton factors have become
our largest planters, many of them own
ing from five to as high as fifty planta-
tons, and make the assertion without
fear of contradiction, that not one was
gotten from a planter who made cot
ton a surplus crop, but from men
who knew nothing and would
learn nothing but to make all cotton.
With one mere remark l will return to
nv calculations, and it is this-if the
god OF dire disaster, storms, pestilence
and famine sees fit to urge our people to
pursue their present all-cOtton system of
farming until they shall produce $780,
900 bales, there will not be one Of this
category of planters sound financially
left in the country. Providence, on the
other hand, with far seeing wisdom,
knowing only bankruptcy and ruin will
ever make some planters give up the all
cotton plan, may be taking this terrible
manner of saving them at last, on the
principle of the surgeon who cuts un-
sparingly to save the patient who has
been given up as a forlorn hope"