The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-06-10
The AdulteratiOn OF American
Cotton.

Editor Patron: 10 behalf of the
cotton planters Of Mississippi, |
desire, through the columns Of your
widely circulated journal, to thank
the New Orleans Cotton Exchange
Tor its able defence against the
sweeping charge of willful adulte-
ration of American cotton, made
against them by the Liverpool Cot
ton Brokers Association. No
charge could have been more gross
or unjust, no defense more thor
ough and complete. The cotton
planters OF the South have cause
for graduation that their vindica-
ton against calumnies so gratui-
tous and damaging is in the hands
Of such able defenders of their
rights, such faithful guardians OF
their interests and honor
Although the Committee, as
stated in their report, were com
PEELED, from the gravity of the
charge, to employ stronger Ian
guage than is usual in the discus
sion of purely commercial ques-
tIOns, yet | deem tho terms en-
ployed to characterize the baseness
of the accusations as exceedingly
mild and temperate. In view OF
the crimiHality of the offence, they
might, with singular propriety,
have gone further and signaIized
their vindication by the use of
terms more sharp, severe and en-
phatic. To this extent they would
have been justified in going by the
aggravated nature of the circum-
stances which made their report
necessary.
In reviewing all the facts con-
nected with cotton production and
the Trade, | have no hesitation in
saying that cotton planters are
mere sinned against than SHINING,
of which fact, no body of men, in
terested in this great staple, are bet
ter informed than the Liverpool
Cotton Brokers Association. They
are the real complainauts, and il
they could be heard in court OF
equity. they would be able to sue
cessfully establish, not simply by
evidence, dIiunde, but by confess
sional testimony, wrung from the
unwilling consciences of its mem-
bership by compulsory processes
Of legal discovery, long deferred
and hitherto unasserted claims,
founded in organized fraud and
oppression. A large majority OF
the cotton planters are ignorant,to
day, of the fact that, instead of sell
ling, as cotton, the bagging and
iron which tie their cotton bales,
they are net sold and they get
nothing for them. True, they are
included in the weight Of the bale
and returned sold as SO much cot
ton, but the price of the cotton
covered by them IS reduced by that
much below its real marketable
value so as to exclude them altos
gether as factors in the transac-
ton. In other words, their weight |
is deducted in the reduced price |
paid for the cotton. This is one OF |
the secrets or tricks of the Trade,
and Cotton Factors and Cotton
Brokers understand it perfectly, |
while the cotton producer is de-
signedly kept In profound iguo-
rance of the fact. Neither are they |
paid tor "the dust and sand" that
inadvertently and uuavoidably get |
into their bales. On the contrary,
their pesence, il infnitessima
quantities, however slightly lndi> |
Gated, is made the pretext for re-
dnction in the estimate of it's value.
Sand and dust in cotton, according
to existing laws of the Trade, cost |
the planter per pound more than
he receives for like quantity of |
cotton, and all the charges in addi-
ton, with which It is taxed in the |
handling. Sp with the baggipe |!
and ties, fef which be gets nothing' |