The Louisiana Democrat., 1883-03-07
ADVICE TO THE SOUTH.

Quite 4 number Of Southern pa
pers have been for years advising
against the raising Of big cotton
cotton crops as injudicious to
Southern interests by reducing the
price OF the staple, but it is not
usual to see this advice given by
cotton merchants, as it has been by
the leading factors Of St. LOUIS In
cluding nearly all the officers OF the
Cotton Exchange of that city
These gentlemen, who handle three
fourtbs Of tho cotton in "the future
great" have just published a long
letter Of advice on this point, warn
ing the merchants, farmers and ten
ants of the cotton belt to radically
change their manner Of farming and
doing business.
The South is less prosperous than
it would otherwise be, they declare,
owing, first to the credit SYSTEM
which forces planters and tenants to
pay extravagant prices for supplies
and to rush their crops to market in
such quantities as to break prices
and often reduce the below tho cost
| Of production; and secondly, to the
overproductiou Of cotton. They
therefore, call upon everyone inter
ested in Southern prosperity to dis
courage the planting Of a large acre
age in cotton this year. Food pro-
ducts. they say, are what Southern
planters most need, and they urge
the raising Of grain, cattle and hogs
giving the remainder Of their time
If they have any, to growing cotton
They show that the present price o
cotton is II per cent below the aver
} age Of tho past five years, while corr
is 50 and provisions so per cen
above the average, thus causing tn
planter who is raising cotton only +
Lea &, Ton -ava
Such are the views the ST. Loui
/ merchants lay before the Souther
+ farmers in . very strong address
: and they call for a convention con-
3 posed of the planters aud farmers q
each State Of the cotton belt, to dir
, cuss their proposition; or, il this
I impossible they propose the agitatio
q Of the question until the South re-
9 oguizes the necessity for this propo
= cd change Of agricultural polio.
y I'm. o. Times Democrat.
i TIE WITNESS RERDELL.-Tt
Q Texarkana Inter State News, in r
t cent issue, gives the following .
count Of the star route witness Re
dell, whose recent disclosures
e Washington have so damaged Il
q cause, il they have not absolute
n sealed tho fate Of Dorsey and Brad
= "1t is alleged that he deserted &
=. Confederate army and joined She
,e mans forces when the latter reacl.
ID Savannah. Logan H. Roots, th
chief commissary for Sherman, q
r. now president Of the Merchants n
o tional Bank at Little Rock, appoil
70 ed him clerk. BY remarks which
~ made, he caused court martial
~ sit at Little Rock for the trial Of \
-, Roots, but denied his former sta
m ments, on oath, and Mr.. Roots v
~. acquitted. He is represented as
ia accomplished penman, who ireque
"a ly boasted that he could counterf
81 Mr. Roots handwriting so we'll Il
:, the latter could not detectIthe dec
It tion. Under the patronage Of G.
tv Clayton, he Was appointed Regis
% in Van Buren county, and succeed
,,n In making himself Sheriff Of
,st county, in opposition to the wfsl
a. of the people. About 1872 he '
~, driven from the county by the ind
nd nant people. Hs next turned up
ION Washington City, where Dorsey
r. pointed him private secretar
- While We are glad, says the Ne
OF that he Is now securing the con,
'ed ton Of the star route thieves,
must confess he is but sorry SEQ
drel.
IN.
.d -Ir is claimed by the Texas
mt pers that the profits on cattle-rais
II. in that state have averaged $50
he cent. in the past Eve years while
ok some cases they have reached
sr; per cent. The profit for the first y
nd is nominal, the second year it ave
an gee 10 per cent, the third year 30
st, cent, the fourth year 80 per Ct