The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-02-04

remedy for the present condition Of
the cotton Industry"
1.-The only relief for the cotton
planters in the South is to plant
less acres to cotton. If they make
o,o0O,OO0 bales instead of 5000
ooo, and get l0c or l5c for the five.
they will have chance to diversity
their crop and raise their h ,me su.
Plies and be more independent. The
Farmers Alliance in some of our
cotton counties have recently re.
solved to plant less cotton in the fu.
ture. l think that will in great
measure help the cotton interests :"
CONGRESSMAN CHEATHAM's VIEW
II. P. Cheatham says our farm.
ers are generally hard up because
the people have raised cotton at a
cost OF 9 or 10 cents and sell it at 6
and Z cents. The remedy is to
plant less cotton and raise more
horses, mules, hogs, corn and wheat.
Several county Alliances have re-
solved to reduce the acreage and it
will be done.
CONGRESSMAN BRANCH's VIEWS.
Representative w. A. B. Branch
Is a large cotton planter from the
First District. "Our farmers,
he said, ''are getting along as well
as could be expected when we take
into consideration the starving
prices they get for their cotton.
they cannot afford to raise cotton
for less than 9 cents per pound at
the Gin house"
"Nhat, in your opinion, is the
remedy for the depression p
"Some change in the tariff Jaws
viii be necessary, and more money
IN circulation among the people,
What do you think of the plan
10 reduce the cotton acreage"'
Il cannot see how that would re-
suit IL any benef. to the planters
unless 1t was a universal thing all
! ov1r the cotton belt and every
planter would act in good faith.
The reduction in acres would be a
good thing if they would as unit" :"
CONGRESSMAN GRADY's VIEW.
Representative B. +. Grady, an
Alliance Congressman from the
Third District, when asked
about the condition of the cotton
planters in his district. said: "They
are not as general thing bankers,
but have to live by the toll of their
hands to make bare living. The
extreme low prices of cotton have
cramped them very much. We can
not afford to raise cotton for less
than 9 Or 10 cents per pound at the
gin house, but we have to take
whatever the spectators and buy
will give; so you see with the pres
ent price at 6 cents per pound
where we stand financially. AS to
the remedy, l should think we need
more money in circulation and
some change in the tariff laws. by
which we could receive in return
such articles as We most need from
other countries at a low duty"
"What do you think of the prop
osition to reduce the cotton area?"
81 am heartily in favor of that if
all of the cotton sections will enter
into it and keep the pledge in good
faith. But | remember that before
the war there was a big meeting
called of the cotton planters of the
South to take this same subject un-
der consideration. The convention
met at Memphis, Tenn, and passed
resolutions that each planter in
every cotton State should reduce
his cotton acreage. do not r.
member the exact nun Der of acres,
but it was enough to reduce the
crop several million bales. The
news spread over the country that
there would be a small cotton crop
in the United States, ard we all
hoped for big prices, but when We
got the crop ready for market the
price was lower than the previous
year. When the facts which
led to this condition of prices
were made known, we found