The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-07-28
NO. 1
The Cotton Planter.
lYazoo CITY Herald.l


Nashville American was struck
with the earnestness of remark
made by one of these gentlemen,
in which he gave free expression
to the opinion that all the South
ern country was prospering ex-
cCpt the cotton belt. This remark
was followed up with:
"To what do you think this
state of things is due -
"To two things; particularly the
cost of raising cotton aud the ex-
cess of cotton planted. The plan.
ters cannot sell cotton for 6 and 10
cents pound gross which costs
them often Scents net to raise.
The planters in my section Of the
country must handle from $4,000
to $4,000 year to make each years
crop. They have, as u class no
money themselves, and must rely
upon commission merchants, usu.
ally at New Orleans, for advances.
Suppose | want to buy $1,000 of
mules. | go to my New Orleans
commission merchant aud in order
to obtain this am forced to pay
him, in the first place, a per cent
commission, and then s per cent
interest, and after that ~ cents
commission for selling my cotton,
which | must send to him. Or,
suppose want means for general
expenses on my place. / ask for
an advance of $1,000 with which |
am to feed my stock and hands for
a certain length Of time aud ro.
plenisb my stock of implements Of
agriculture. lie gives me, say
$500 in money and am forced
again to buy out the remaining
4 1900 in goods in which he is q gen.
orally dealer. BY the end Of the
year | win find that ! have paid
| II cents n month for the bare
money had to borrow TO raise my
crop. Then comes the loss nc.
count by unreliable labor, acci-
dents and overhows, glutted mar
kct, and the thousand contingent
owls that man is heir to. Beyond
and above all this, too many peo'
pie are raising cotton. Texas has
gone into II, and is swelling the
stock Of cotton in the world per
ceptibly."
"Is Texas cotton as good as
that Of the Mississippi Vallcy'n
"No, sir. The staple is not \,
long as the other, but il is not ap
) preciably of so much less value al
to be n formidable obstacle TO th,
! Yazoo Valley planter in placinI
: his cotton well in market"
: "Why is not bold effort mad
! to get ont ofthe hands Of the CON
i mission merchast, and why doe
! not the Southern press make
, true exposition of the species o
y slavery of the planter to his mel
Q chant, in order that public opinion
u supplemented by the determines
D and combined effort of the plan,
;. ers, may gradually effect chang,
i in this condition of affairs 7"
ave are enslaved. ~ You say
3 but It will be long before the plant
cr will be in aposition Of indie
pendenco that will enable him 4
rectify this serious hindranct to hi
success. Weare slowly approach
ing a crisis, and the development
U the South is undergoing Mt tn
c present timo will serve only {
;. hasten it's elimination. We can
u not go on under the present sys
l. tenn Of credit, large acreage an,
Il and low pric Of cotton, and tn
l. planter IN my opinion must inevits
& bly, go to the wall, at least m
u section, unless there is proyident
Il tally a change for the better soor
Q A planter of my acquaintance 70
l. thirteen years paid 10000 per al
], annum interest on loan of 800
Q 900. Think, ifyou can, what tn
G aggregate burden of the Souther
l. planters must be when single il
e stances of this magnitude may b
be mentioned.n
j, ais the question Of raisin
: your own grain any nearer solI
tion 7"
% "Grain may be raised in certai
p parts of the Yazoo country, br
y there are other parts where tn
y soil is totally unfit for grain of an
u kind. Our main trouble is tn
y credit system. You may say, will
u out fear of contradiction, that tn
e Southern planter who is so fort
y nate as to have his business upo
p cash basis has a clear 80 per Gel
VI cash advantage over his less 70
De tunate neighbor."
~ "Can not you agree among yC
IL that, in those sections where gra
Z, can be raised the soil an
=" energy will be directed