The Russellville Democrat., 1892-02-25
The Memphis Convention, It's
 Object and Work.
(Continued from last week )


 (Continued from last week.)
 The convention outlined an organ. ization aud recommended it's adop- tion by the several states embraced In the cotton belt, and now it re mains to be seen whether there is earnest and honest effort and de- termination on thIs subject; whether we mean business and seek practical relief as we'll as beneficial results.
 During the war all Europe was puzzled to know whence cotton could be obtained with which to keep her spindles and looms in motion and to feed her people. In vain they levied contributions upon the fields of India and Europe Tn the hope Of forcing enough of the feeey staple to supply their great needs, but notwithstanding her herculean efforts to raise her own cotton, It proved inadequate, and when tue war was ended and it Nas found that less thanS00, 000pales wereto be found in the Southern states the very hand some sum of $I90 per pound was freely paid for American cotton.~
 Twelve years subsequent the south made over 3,000,000 bales aud recicved for it from 30 to 32 cents per pound, and ten years later, with 5,000,000 bales, we got IF cents, while the following decade brings us face to face with S,652,000 bales at 6 to cents per pound.
 These things prove two things conclnslvely: First, that overpro duction Is the cause of low prices, and secondly, that the supply and demand govern the price of cotton as we'll as other things, and there fore if too much cotton is the trouble, to grow less cotton is the remedy.
 It will be asked, "Why not reduce to 30 or 40 or even 50 per cent" l will say that after the matter was fully argued and deliberately weigh 4 ed, 20 per cent. reduction was adopted to begin with, to reduce still further if found not sufficient.
 But again we hear it said thls very effort to reduce the acreage of cotton will actuate some men 3to plant more cotton than before. Ttls 1 will not deny, nor can you accom- fish any good or important under taking that all will take hold of and work with zeal and faithlulness to carry out to It's legitimate results, but on the contrary all of tue best organized institutions of the couu- try have their delinquent members, and there are dark colored sheep in all focks; there was even Judas among the disciples of Christ. We must apprehend that large number of our agricultural classes have the intelligence to sec that with 100 acres to cultivate, If eighty acres be planted in cotton there will be twen ty additional acres for corn, clover, tobacco, oats, etc, and eighty acres will bring them absolutely more money than the 100 acres all in cot- ton. It will pay them to put in that amount, and we further believe that there is no class of men to be found who will carry out their obligations with more fidelity than the planter and farmer of the south. Fms has always been our boast, and we still rejoice in that faith.
 It may not be necessary to remind thinking and conslderate men that the convention Of Memphis, in rec omending the reduction plan or the planting Of less cotton, adopted the idea on which the iron mills, the bagging factories, the cotton manu factories and many other firms aud parties have acted when oyerproduc tion was the trouble. They either reduced the amount of their pro- ducts or fabrics, and kept on, or they have shut down their factories and furnaces and closed tbeir business until the surplus of supplies was re duced so as to equal the demand and enhance the price. This only is the object of the organization in augurated at Memphis with the cot ton grown in the south.
 In view of the facts that farmers and planters who carry on their their business in business way. and are, as rule, prosperous and independent, and knowing that be- lore the war the agricultural classes of the south were the most prosper ous people known to history, that they loaned money by the thousands to keep up the banks and mercantile interests of the country, and lived Tn comfort and independence, we feel that no farmer should suspect for a minute that his business will not re munerate his toll when proper econo my and frugality IS used In other words, the depression of the times IS not inherent in the occupation It. self, but the direct result of over production and bad management of home affairs.
 I would like to produce few fig urea, and then ask the ia :mers how it would aid to our prosperity aud comfort if we kept this money at
 home, and how easy it would have
 been to raise these things in Ark