Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1893-01-26
PROSPERITY roR THg SOUTH
Sow 10 the Time ts aet-rhs Nest I'm
portsnt Move Of the Day.

40 Nnttou KrpelIcerN-
The mass meeting Of cotton producers
held in the city q Memphis. on the 10Th
day OF November. 1890. assisted By the
/ National Alliance. then IN session. ini-
tiated movement tia. demands Of
every producer. every factor. mannfze-
.urer and every citizen Of all occupa-
tons. their most hearty Endorsement
and cooperation Il Is a fact that
southern prosperity depends upon the
| profitable production % cotton The
world looks 70 Us for its available sup
ply. We produce s. per csR. Of the
worlds crop In 1891 We produced 80
per cent. OF the entire crop. OF the
amount available for the commercial
uses OF Europe and the United States.
in the latter rear. We furnished So per
cent We hold practical monopoly FOR
the satisfaction Of this demand. and
are acting in a manner the most short
| sighted 70 say the least. when we force
On tina, demand more than lis necsssi-
ties require This folly we committed
in 1880, and again in 1891. In isgs.
absolute inability TO secure advances 20
cultivate SO much land in cotton. forced
. larger body Of land 20 be utilized for
other purposes and thereby secured .
small decrease in area planted to
cotton. yet that decrease was not sutfi-
cient % meet the dictates OF common
sense. and IL remained for an overriding
Providence 70 interpose unfavorable
climatic conditions resulting in the ex-
haastion of the surplus that was being
held over from year 70 year. and permit
ted the stzeie "a again get back 20
above cost OF production This Pruvi-
Dental Interference. despite the mis-
guided action Of the producer. has
brought shout healthier condition in
values OF raw cotton. The menacing
influence OF surplus no longer hsunts
the market. and the experience Of those
who produced il has taught them 70 be-
ware OF another like accumulation. In
.-aching this condition forces have
been AZ work tending to reduce ex-
psnditures, and inculcats habits OF
economy among all classes | doubt IL
there ever was 4 cotton crop madeSt so
small an actual outlay Of cash as the
enc now being marketed Patching was
vigorously resorted to By the laboring
element. and BY others the old clothes
OF previous years were reconstructed
and made 70 serve the purpose Of new
ones Milk. butter, eggs and vegetables
were largely substituted for meats.
thus reducing the usual annual outlay
l. = =
such commendabIe practices will con
time until all ars cot Of debt, and the
Southern farmer may know no master
save the dictates of an enlightened and
profitable agriculture. The wealth
producing interests OF the South have
in raw cotton an element OF peculiar
value, moro important than any Other
one resource. probably. and for the
present more than ali others combined.
Il = doubtless true that cotton manu-
facturing. with its varied industrial
empl0yments. would tend more rapidly
20 build mp and develop general bust
ness artivity. Bus cotton maaufacs1r-
Ing Is not Indigenous % cur soil Il Is
not cur peculiar province to conduct
such enterprises They seem % thrive
unusually we'll in other sections The
time Eill no doubt come in the near
future when the bulk Of the American
crop will Be manufactured in the south.
but this in,eres. Is not here nov. be-
cause, unlike cotton production. il can
be probably condactcsi somexh here
else Bat the staple itself is ours. ours
20 enjoy, ours 20 preserve. ours 20 ia1-
prove and transmit % generations un-
born. because indigenous 10 our soil
and congenial % our climate 70 de-
gree surprising in peculiar fitness and
adaptation that Of any other known
region OF the earth Il - an inherit
ance that no power can wrench from Us
except we ourselves exert IT, Nature
has evidently constituted it 4 crop
specially for our section. and now wha.
are we TO do with it, We are praeti-
cally without rival in supplying the
worlds demand for cotton India has
long since reached her maximum acre
age; she is up TO the full necessities OF
the world for such short staple stuff as
she produces At the rate of 30 pounds Of
lint per acre Of staple ranging from
one-quarter 10 fve-eigh = OF an inch in
length Egypt also. though producing
an excellent staple from ono to one and
half inches, equal 10 American bend
FRS. has ceased 20 increase her acreage
and output She reached her highest
acreage IN ISIS, %, 90 acres. reducing
she next season 20 s74e00 acres To this
section alone Is perfect success in cotton
production possible. No vtssitudes OF
weather. Of finance or trade can long
depress IL below 4 standard OF reason
able pruft provided those who are
actively engaged in its production will
adopt ordinary common sense methods
IN the management Of their business.
They must live a. home and board NJ
the same plzce~-mske cotton a surrlus
crop by raising sufficient food crous 70
snstain the farm Have we not been
taught By experience during the last
few years that this is the only policy
the cotton-raiser can live under? IL
must be potent 20 every Intelligent
farmer. and every thoughtful business
man. that buying corn. meat and hay 70
make cotton with will bring ruin not
only TO the farmer. but to every calling,
trade and profession breathing tn.
same business atmosphere with him?
We havs in every community living ex-
amples CT the wisdom of diversity in
farming In every county in the cot
tlrf - -. Il.