Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-06
THE BAGGING QUESTION.
Cotton Bagging is on the Market-Wil the
Farmer Buy 1t or Patronize the Monopoly?
HF,rrs TRY SaDt 2 1894

Farmer Buy 1t or PatrOnize the Monopoly?
Mills, TEX, Sept. 3, 1889.
To the Gazette.
The bagging question is our theme.
The South to-day is peacefully battling
innovations and impositions upon her peo-
pie of hardly less magnitude than that
for which she rallied her SONS in 81 to
resist the ruthless invasion of the North
ern armies. Less offences have bathed
the earth in blood and laid cities into
ashes. Among these daring impOsItiOns
the H'iute combine rears its head,
equal in magnitude to the others and per-
haps more bold and arrogant. We DO
not expect, neither do we desire that
such means should be Tesorted to to free
ourselves from under the burdens heaped
upon Us by avaricious greed ana cOTpo-
rate power, when the power is vested in
US to peacefully adjust it; and in this
particular, by adhering to the old maxim
that self preservation is the first law OF
nature, what should it matter TO us il the
jute industry goes to nothing IN q min
ute? Are we responsible? l answer no.
Have we not patroniZed it and made 1t
what it is to-day, one of the most grind
ing monoDOlieS of the age. But when
we revolt at its extortiOn and tyranny
they cry out, con, you will ruin US and
the thousands employed in the produce
ton of jute; but the answer
is, ''You brought the calamity
upon yourselves by your injustice. -
There perhaps would have never been
cotton bagging factory reared III the
South if the jute manufacturers had not
combined to stihe competition. Combt-
nations are wrong and contrary to the
spirit Of our government. They are the
Immediate parent of despotlsm, I'M
American and undemocratic, brought
to our country through the rotten Re-
publican party, the offspring of mon
archy. If such principles are allowed to
prevail twenty years in this country,
anarchy, communism and ruin will be
the result. The masses are becoming
alarmed at the inequality of burdens
and some day there will be mighty up
heaval. There is a point beyond which
fOrbearance ceases to be 2 virtue. The
lutte combine has already aroused the IN
dignation of the cotton raiser, and we
sincerely hope to see their efforts in sub
stituting cotton baggIng ''fOr self-pro-
tection'' crowned with success, and
cotton bagging adopted as covering
for cotton. No quarter should be
given, no compromise made. Already
they have reduced jute bagging far
below last years prices to drive cotton
bagging out of the market that they
NAV again hold absolute sway, and If
they should succeed in this undertaking
the half has not yet been told of their
tyranny There is no reason why we
should not use cotton bagging. AS for
the difference in tare it will finally ad-
lust itself The only question is will it
financially benefit the cotton raiser? This
feature has been thoroughly discussed
by able writers and men in position to
know and the evidence prepOnderates in
favor of cotton, and one thing certain the
money will remain in the South in place
of going North to fill the Golfers Of mil
lionaires But there are some that will
continue to buy jute. There are some
Judas Iscariots yet, some Benedict Ar
uoIds who will sell their birth-right for a
mess of pottage, but God pity the sim
cere. honest man who will allow himself
to be duped and sold for the petty in
ducement held out by the jute manu-
facturers. Upon your faith cotton bag
ring is placed upon the market. VIII you
stand by it? VIII you help those that
are helping you? These should be no
neutral ground upon this question; no flag
of truce 1t is as plain that the way
faring man, though fool, need not err
therein. J. &. WILLIAMS.