The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-11-23
The Seed Cotton Thieves.

TO. the Editor Of the NeUs and
Courier: Questions Of vital Importance
to the agricultural interests Of the State
are being almost daily discussed through
the columns Of the Ne'Ds and Courier.
Ever since Farmer Tlllman" declared
himself to be the agricultural Noses"
and assumed the task of leading the
over burdened tillers of the soil out of
the land of Pharaoh and his burden
some task masters, the agricultural ques-
ton has been especially prominent be-
fore the public. Reduction in taxation,
the establishment Of an agricultural COL
lege, the prices of fertilizers, the oppres-
sive system of the cotton factorage
business, &C., have been, from time to
time, very forcibly brought to the atten-
ton Of the public. all going to prove
that the farmers of our State are begin
ming to awake to their interests and are
willing to embark in any enterprise
which promises to better their impover-
ished condition.
In view Of the fact, beg to bring to
the attention, not only of the farmer.
but Of every citizen interested in the
material welfare and prosperity of his
State. matter beside which all others,
previously discussed, pale into insignif-
canoe. refer to the growing evil Of
the seed cotton traffic: it is essentially
curse to thecotton planter. think it
safe to assert that at least S per cent.
Of the cotton made by the honest farmer
is stolen and goes to fill the Golfers Of
these seed cotton buyers, who open
their shops at every road crossing in the
country about the first Of September,
and offer inducements to the negroes on
the surrounding plantations to steal all
the cotton that they can. This, plainly,
is an enormous drain on the industry of
the country. Five per cent. of the gross
cotton production Of any planter will
pay his taxes for at least two years, or
buy ton of acid phosphate for every
plough he runs. But this is not the
only loss incurred. This seed cotton
traffic increases the price, and heightens
the independence of the laborer. When
the cotton field begins to array itself in
its robe of snowy whiteness, the darkey
draws the robe Of idle dignity about his
shoulders and says, give me fifty cents
nov h. updrod ~ ynur cottoo ,y;lI ,o,,,;o
unharvested. The farmer is forced to
concede to this unreasonable demand,
and then the probability is that he will
lose large percentage from waste, for
what negro will hurry himself to gather
cotton at fifty cents per hundred in the
day when he car gather it at night just
as easy, and by carrying it half mile
to the nearest shop realize $3.50 per
hundred?
This is not only great evil, but q
growing evil. During the days o: Radi-
cal rule in the State there was great
| deal Of cotton stolen, but even then it
was confined to sections very near to a
town or village. Dating from 1876, how
ever, it has steadily increased, until now
it begins to assume alarming proper
tions. Even the negroes are beginning
to open shops. A negro will commence
, with capital of $40, with which he will
purchase meagre supply of groceries,
which he takes to the plantation on
which he lives, and while the planter
sleeps and sweetly dreams of brighter
days that he will never see, unless he
stirs himself from tho lethargy into
which he has fallen, these groceries are
exchanged for 500 or 600 pounds of his
cottor.
Now, what the people of this commu-
nifty wish to know is, why is this condi-
tion of affairs allowed to exist? Is the
law-making power Of the land impotent
to protect US from this system Of plum
der? Is the midnight cotton thief and
his sccessory, the midnight cotton buyer,
|entitied to more consideration at tho
hands of the law than the honest, hard
working farmer? The people of this