The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-11-24
No More High Price Cotton.


mers, aud do not wonder that they feel |
discouraged at the low price of cotton. Under |
the present system Of farming, in this Sec
tion Of the cotton belt, especially, the
present price will do but little more than
pay the expenses Of producing it. But our
Farmers may as we'll make up their minds
at once to tho fact that the days of high
priced cotton have passed, and II they ex-
pect to make it profitable money crop
hereafter, Instead of sitting down and cal
culating how much cash it takes to raise q
bale of cotton, they must turn over new
leaf aud calculate how many pounds of ba-
con, bushels Of corn, wheat oats and other
supplies they will have to raise to produce
bale of cotton.
Until they get out of the delusire notion
that the cotton crop is the only cash crop
on the farm and take the more rational busi-
ness view that every dollars worth of sup
plies they raise wiM the cotton crop, is so
much cash in their pockets when they sell
their cotton, and farm with that in view, there
| will be no money for them in raising cotton.
The present low condition of the cotton
market, political demagogues to the contrary
notwithstanding,) is mainly the natural
result of "supply and demand" and caunot
legitimately be traced to the i'll effects of any
mand for laws of relief. 1t is simply this !:
| When the market opened this year there was
not cnly ON overplus of cotton on hand, but
| large stock of manufactured cotton goods,
both in this country and England, conse-
| quently the mill owners were iu no hurry
to buy, unless at The lowest price; and know
ing that the new crop would soon be forced
| upon the msrket to pay the debts incurred
for supplies TO make it, were in o condition to
dictate prices. 1t IS much like q farmer
with his cribs full of corn attending Sher-
| IFS sale where o lot of corn is put up.
| He has enough corn "to do him." and don't
want any just then, but if he can buy it low
down he makes the purchase. 1t is an every
day occurrence right here among ourselves,
and We can't expect anything better from
strangers.
We often hear Farmers say, "Oh, we
must raise cot on to get money to pay debts !"
Now, we contend that mau who raises, say
bales of cotton and enough supplies to do
him, will have more money to pay his debts
than one that raises 10 bales and buys his
supplies on credit. The great trouble is,
while every Farmer grumbles when the
cash is isauvt-a frum Ills cotton money, to
| pay for the years supplies, but few seem to
take into account the fact that home-raised
supplies are as much cash to the farm as
cotton.
Another important fact should not be for
gotten: In Texas aud Mississippi they can
raise cotton on their rich soils at 30 per
cent less expense than we can in Union
county, S. C. The amount of cotton they
produce is so large that the condition of the
cotton crop in those two States has as much
influence on the price as the condition OF
the crop in all the other cotton States put
together. We have been told by intelligent
Farmers that in large sections of those
I fihue 10 buck" against them and the cotton
specuhtors, by swelling the total cotton
crop beyond the demand and thereby low
ering the price to less than the actual cost
of product ion here, under the system of all
cotton farming, depending upon home stores
or State exchanges for supplies, to be paid
out OF the cotton money.
To US it seems sclf.evident that until our
Farmers change their schedule of farming
to "less cotton and more supplies" they will
neither get better prices for cotton, make
any money, nor get out Of debt.
Legislation will not help in the present
depression. The great boon we were prom
a.Ad by Lha-rsneal Of the silver purchasing
farming Interests Of the country than pour
ing water on a ducks back. God help
those who help themselves.