The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-01-13

: 1he COTTON planters have just had
very bad year and they are hoping f
a better one. The misfortune of IL
sugar planters is certain, the good 70
tune of the cotton planters for 1886
altogether problematical.
WHAT THEM
The answer is not difficult. W
hive grass bnt little. if any inferior I
the blue grass of Kentucky, and Glove
as fine as ever grew any where. Ga,
grow abundantly and corn can alway
be made with proper attention. L
utilize these natural and never failin
advantages weSmust raise stock, ho1
ses, sheep and cattle and hogs. Tb
climate and seasons are always favora
bic for stock raising and by ra;s'nE
only the fine breeds, the profits would
in few years be greater than have
ever been reaIzed from the cultivation
of eitbersugar or cotton With q scar
fcity of labor We must turn our atten
ton to such pursuits as require but lit
tie labor Stock raising just fills the
bill exactly and all the desirable con.
ditions are present. The cotton plan.
ter with only his land for his capital
invested in that pursuit, can readily
turn his plantation into stock farm
if he can get the money to make the
start. This he can get by mortgaging
his land and the profits from his stock
will more certainly pay the debt, than
cotton will ever bring him out of the
wilderness, and if he can't get the Ia
Dor to work or rent his land it is worth
less to him unless he does something.
The sugar planter has large capt.
tai invested in expensive machinery
and buildings, but he risks it all every
year that he plants cane on credit and
if lie does not need credit, he risks of
bis own capital every year, nearly if
not quite as much as all his machinery
is worth. He had much better let 9TH
ers raise the cane and get enough pro-
fit ont of grinding it, to pay him rea-
sonable percentage on his irves: ment,
and put his surplus capital into stock.
THE BIG PLANTATIONS.
But better solution Of the problem as
TO the sugar planter is to divide up the big
plantations and sell them out to small
white farmers in lots. Let him keep bis
sugar mill and grind for the small farmers
who will raise small quantities of cane ut
small risk aud have diversified crops of
other products and garden vegetables as a
main dependence. We have direct rail
communication with the North and West,
which will furnish ready market for eve
rything which may he raised, But it will
be replied there is no demand for land and
the owner cannot sell his big plantation in
small lots. answer that the experiment
has not been tried and he don't know
whether he can or not. Let him test the
matter by trying. The law of supply and
lemand will apply to this case as certainly
and infallibly as it does in all other cases.
One thing is certain, if the labor COOS
away, and it is getting scareer every year,
he sugar planter will be forced to adopt
his plan or his big plantation will be as
useless to him as the smaller one 10 to the
cotton planter, without labor. It 10 equal
y certain that white labor will not come
'ere and enter into competition with negro
abor. If the negro goes the white man
will come, but he will wont to come IS
'wner of the land he cultivates. If he can
my land he will come, if he cannot he will |
lot come. He cannot and would not wish |
o buy the big plantations. To induce him
o come the one big plantation must be cut
p into many small ones. When the in
ncement is offered he will come. do not
retend to say that because few colored
antilles have left and more are leaving
hat labor is going to be so scarce as to
ring either the sugar or cotton planters
ice to face with the present necessity of
1opting the plan above proposed; but l
o mean to say that the country is by no
Ieans to go to the "demnition bow-wows,"
they should all go and to suggest that it
onld not, perhaps, be altogether = mis-
'rtune, if by reason of the complete exo-
lis Of all the labor, our land owners we're
} be forced into policy and line of action
hich l am convinced would be profitable
them and more advantageous to the
'neral interests of the Parish, than the
sastrous cultivation of cane and cotton,
TOLD you 80!
But my! how the subject has run away
it'll me and how long-winded 1 am being
r sure enough. When do get wound
, do not know how long l have been {
ling. have clock, the striking appar- {
us of which is out of order, and when the
lildren want to have high old time they
* me to wind her up and when it is
ound up it never knows when to STOP
hey cnnnf ed 35l sfriEea tho nthar dn,, and 1