The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-10-15
Food for Thought.

That the condition of the mass of the
cotton planters of the South is not envi-
able is generally admitted fact. 1t
is we'll known 10 the commission mer-
chants, who advance the cotton planters,
that the risk is too great to advance sup.
plies without collateral securities. Enor.
nous per cent, is charged upon these ad.
vances, and they are generally secured
by mortgage on the plantation. Some
merchants have advanced to such an
extent on plantation mortgages that they
have been expelled to foreclose and buy
in the plantations, as they would not
bring at public sale the amount advanc-
ed on them.
In the opinion of the New Orleans
Times. Democrat, the usury upon money
advanced to planters by commission
merchants is tax greater than any legit'
innate industry can bear" 1t has Ger.
tainly driven the cereals and the grasses
from the field and the cattle and hogs
from the pasture. Home comforts have
disappeared, and Western pork, bread,
corn, oats and hay are imported. A
Western paper prints the following esti-
mate of Southern production and con.
sumption:
"On an average the cotton crop of the
South is worth $780, 100000 per annum.
The Southern people buy yearly of the
Northern markets meat and bread to the
amount of S260,000, 900, which leaves
only s40,000,000 for the purchase of
$150,00O,000 of other articles which the
South cannot do without"
If these figures are true, says the
Times. Democrat, they only show in the
aggregate what we know to be true of
the individual planter. We, as people,
are consuming more than we make, and
it is only question Of time when the
all.cotton producers will eat up the value
of the land and it will pass into other
hands.
In slavery the negroes consumed only
about one.6fth of what they produced.
Twenty years ago they became consum.
ers to q much greater extent. Food
crops and live stock were neglected for
cotton, and the work of depletion has
gone steadily on. The neglect of drain.
age and repairs are the direct results of
planting with borrowed money and share
laborers.
The negro having an interest in the
plantation for only one crop, will not
open bitches, repair fences and houses or
fertilize the land. The life of the land
goes off to market in the cotton seed, and
the negroes wonder why the soil does not
producc as before the war,
Some of the Georgia papers are wailing
over the fact that English capitalists are
foreclosing the mortgages on plantations
in that State, on which they have loaned
money. 1t was only few years since
that these capitalists were invited to
bring their money bags into the State to
loan to the planters. These invitations
have been extended by the press of every
State in the South, and if accepted, says
the Times. Democrat, the result will prove
as disastrous to the planters as they have
in Georgia, unless the present system of
Cropping" is discontinued.
Our planters must look for relief in
different direction. 1t is idle to expect
to continue the same system of cotton
planting with borrowed money, which
will but afford an easier solution of the
question in the bankruptcy of the planter.
The way out of the difficulties with
which our cotton growers are surrounded
is plain. Let every cotton planter be-
come farmer. Let his first object be to
grow on his farm sufficient food crops
and live stock to supply the wants of
"man and beast" necessary to work the
farm. After putting in an area amply
sufficient for these, then put down the
remainder of the farm in cotton.
This good advice is given by the Times.
Democrat: If all the planters Of the
Cotton States would be governed by it
they would require no advances, and
money would be drug in the market.
If 5000, 900 bales of cotton bring $780,
100000, 100000 bales of cotton would
bring the same amount of money, and
could be.grown on one.half the area of
land required to grow the 100000 bales.
1t is fact which can be verified by re-
ferring to the statistics of crops made in
former years that small crop brings as
much money as large crop. By this
means the meat and bread being made at
home there would be no necessity for
sending S246, 100000 to the West, and
the proceeds of the entire cotton crop
would remain with the farmer.
A few years of genuine farming would
give independence, home comfort and
happiness to our agricultural population
Al.