Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-03

cold, poor sand beach, cove ed half the
wear with snow, have lie themselves
the hub, and swing thS. ir union around
them and hold II In Tine swing. II they
had such monopoly as this they would
levy tribute on OIL nations as mercilessly
as the CAESARS did; swing the whole wor,l
around them. Nike the tail Of comet;
sing "John Browns Soul Marching o.
and thank God they were net like other
people. Only so much cotton Is needed,
and when there Is a surplus 1t goes
down eve carries WOO! with IL. When
the surplus continues from year
TO yea., It continues steadily to decline.
Stop It's excess, aud 1t Immediately goes
up. Seven millions bring no more than
six; six no more than Ave, and five no
more than four. And, II carried down TO
| 3 900, 600 of bales, aud held there for two
or three years, famine prices, which can
not be estimated, would follow. Then,
all that is necessary TO increase the price
| is TO reduce the quantity,
II cotton, like other great farm prod
ucts, had formidable foreign competition,
this could not easily be done. II pro-
ducers of wheat should, by artificial
J means, raise the price OF their wheat so
I that 1t would not sell IN foreign markets,
expectation would cease, and the home
glut would carry down the price In spite
of their efforts. But not so with cotton.
With increase Of price in it here comes
increase Of its price everywhere. Reduc-
ton Of quantity certainly and inevitably
brings increase Of price with this commod-
ity. Twenty-Five per cent. decrease in pro-
duction would increase the price 90
per cent, and so per cent. decrease would
hptpof Inn md If tha
decrease be adhered TO, would hold 1t
there Any one can see that 1t will not
pay TO raise cotton at a loss and buy corn
at four times its first cost and meat at
twice its first cost, especially when both
corn and meat can be produced in the
good lands of the South, with the same
cultivation and same machinery, cheaper
than in the Northwest. Still we do 1t,
but we do 1t at the cost OF orr soil aud
waste OF our muscle and sweat. Blu 1t Is
idle TO talk OF this; for every newspaper
and every speaker since the war has, with
one voice, proclaimed to the Soutn
LESS cotton and more corn" With alb
solute university this has been saldi with
equal universally IL has been rejected.
The more planted, the lower the price;
the lower the price, the more planted. 1t
seems that some demon OF insanity has
seized us, and that ourjudgment has gone
with our former power and glory. Then,
as a continuous decline IN cotton is
carrying down in value lands, exhaust
ing their fertility, increasing mortgages,
eXhausting capital, lessing political
influence, eating out the very yitnls of
the cotton belt, IL is plain, If this cannot
be arrested, that utter destruction is
only question Of time. Can it be done2
Experience says "no;" reason and judg-
ment SAYS Eyes" Rome bold, novel
remedy is demanded. Then, | propose,
as such remedy, complete organlza-
ton Of all the cotton planters into some
kind Of order or league, with a central
head, with subordinate state organlza-
tions, and each state into couRty and
township organizations, the object of
which shall be the reduction Of acreage
over the whole South, at a certain per
cent, and to continue to decrease il until
living price be obtained and there hold
1t. tits not difficult to see that If almost
all the planters will go into 1t, and that If
the central head shall decree decrease
of given per cent, and the state organ
izations shall through their county and
township organizations obey it, fine re-
ductlon will be made. And II done, all
can see that the consequences would be
prodigious and revolution would be
accomplished. The chief difficulties are;
/. The vast number of the producers.
., The indispositlon and want of habit
in the Southern people to combine.
3. The keeping Of the refractory mem
bers aud non-membels into line
First, the producers are numerous, but
they are all of one country, of one educa-
ton, one interest, one calling, one Ian
guage, one experience. All are doprC ssed
in business, and all see their utter help
lessness and the hopelessness Of their
present condition. We have always
claimed that the white people OF the South
are equal In intelligence, enterprise aud
business tact to any other people, Do
not others as numerous combneg Do
not the manufacturers of every kind from
the pinmaker TO steamship builder,
combine and successfully keep up the tar
III duties and, consequently, their prices2
And they and their employees are far more
numerous than the cotton planters. Have
not all classes of skilled labor for years
been successfully combined, from the
hod-carrier TO the manufacturer of tele-
| phones, each class for itself and then in
common union as knights of Labor
These classes have so successfully COM
bined that their wages are now higher,
considering everything, than in any other
country or ut any other time.
THESE COMBINATIONS, AND NOT THE
TARIFF DUTIES,
have kept up the prices of these artisans
in spite of their employers and the con-
sumers OF the goods they make The
Knights, claiming a membership Of from
| 500, 900 to 500, 900 composed OF national
tiles speaking all languages, with no
common kindred Of blood or common
education; with ceilings rs diverse as
the AFFAIRS of mankind; all Of them wage
men; few of them owners Of homes or
property; many of them illiterate; with
no common interest but the price Of their
labor, have formed combination which
is felt not only by the railroad kings but
| by the whole country. They are not
always right, ana sometimes are posi-
lively wrong, but they stick together,
right or wrong, with such cohesive power
as astonishes not only their en-