The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1893-02-04
PROSPERITY ron Ths SOUTH


1eCoftoa rreduecu:
Tho nass meeting Of cotton producers
h9ld IL thectty Of Memphis, on the 10Th
dag Of November, 1925, assisted BY the
National Alliance. then IN session, int
Hated movement that demands Of
avery producer, every factor, manafac-
tursr and every citizen Of al occupa-
tipns, their most hearty Endorsement
knd cooperation. It is fact that
Southern prosperity depends upon the
proftsblc production Of cotton. The
world looks to US for its available sup
My. We produce IS per cent Of the
uoxld's crop. In 1891 We produced 90
pee cent Of the entire crop. 0f the
amount available for the commercial
uees Of Europe and the United States,
II tho latter year. we furnished 81 per
cent We hold practical monopoly for
the satisfaction OF this demand, and
nrs acting In ) manner the most short
siehted TO ny the least, when We force
81 that demand more than its necessi-
ties require. This folly we committed
n 1870, and again In 1891. In 1872,
absolute inability TO secure advances to
cultivate 80 much land In cotton, forced
! lsrrer body Of land to be utilized for
other purposes and thereby secured
small decrease In area planted TO
cotton, yet that decrease was not sum-
Client 10 meet the dictates Of common
sense, and It remained for an everything
Providence to interpose unfavorablc
climatic conditions resulting In the OK
hsustion Of tho surplus that was being
held over from year to year, and permit
ted tho staple to again get back to
shove cost OF production. This Proyl-
Dental interference, despite the mis-
guided action Of the producer, has
brought about healthier condition IN
values Of raw COTTON. The mcnactng
influence OF surplus no longer haunts
the market, and the experience OF those
who produced 1t has taught them to be-
ware Of another like accumulation. In
reaching this condition forces have
been At work tending to reduce cx-
ucndlturos, and inculcate habits OF
economy among al classes. doubt II
there ever was cotton crop made at so
small an actual outlay Of cash IS tho
one now being marketed. Patching was
vigorously resorted to by the laboring
element, and by othcrs the old clothes
Of previous years were reconstructed
and made to serve the purpose Of new
Dnss. MIX. butter, eggs and vegetables
wero largely substituted for meats,
thus reducing the usual annual outlay
for Western meat. Il is TO be hoped
such commendable practices will con-
tfnue until all are out Of dcbt, and the
Southern farmer may know no master
ave the dictstes Of an enlightened and
profitable agriculture. The wealth.
producing interests Of the South have
In raw cotton an element OF peculiar
value, more important than any other
ono resource. probably. and for the
present more than all others combined.
Il IS doubtless ty9e that cotton manu-
featuring, with i'll varied industrial
employmerts, would tend more rapidly
to build up and develop general bust.
ness activity. But cotton manufactur-
ing Is not indigenous to our soil. 1t Is
not our peculiar province to conduct
such enterprises. They secm TO thrive
unusually we'll In other sections The
time will NO doubt come in the near
future when the bulk OF the American
crop will be manufactured in the South,
but this interest Is not here now, be-
cause, unlike cotton production. 1t can
b profitably conducted somewhere
else. But the staple itself Is ours, ours
70 enjoy, ours to preserve, ours to i'm
provo and transmit to generations I'M
horn. because indigenous TO onr soil
and congenial to our climate 10 de-
gree surpasslng in peculiar fitness and
adaptation that OF any other known
region Of the earth. 1t isan inherit.
ance that no power can wrench from as
except we ourselves exert 1t. Nature
has evidently constituted It o crop
specially for our section, and now what
are we TO do with IT.? We are practi-
cally without rival in supplying the
worid's demand for cotton. India has
long since reached her maximum acre.
age; she ID up to the full necessities OF
tho world for such short staple stuff as
she produces at the rate Of 10 pounds Of
lint per acre OF staple ranging from
one-quarter to flve-eights Of an inch in
length. Egypt also, though producing
an excellent staple from one to one and
half inches, equal TO American bend
En-, has ceased to increase her acreage
and output. She reached her highest
ncseage IN 1855, O4s, 900 acres, reducing
the next season to $4,000 acres. To this
section alone is perfect success in cotton
production possible. No vissitudes OF
weather, Of finance or trade can long
dsprcss 1t below a standard OF reason
able profit, provided those who are
actively engaged in its production will
adopt ordinary common sense methods
In the management Of their business.
They ''must live at home and board at
the same place'-make cotton surplus
crop by raising sufficient food crops to
i sustaia che 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? 1t
must be potent to every intelligent
farmer, and every thoughtful business
man, that buying corn, meat and hay ia
make cotton with will bring ruin not
only to the farmer, but to every calling,
trade and profession breathing the
same business atmosphere with him?