The Louisiana populist., 1894-12-14

year, hence when their labor is un-
requited by short yield, or by
a lew price on a large yield, their
ability to buy, and not their aecessi-
tics. is cut off.
Another Ito our mind the most
potent of all);flctor in raising 6 the
price of cotton during the first
great decllnein production QS62-6),
was the fact that the producer was
not only being paid for his time
lost out of the production OfcOttOn,
but he as we'll as his brother on
the other side the line were being
paid in an entirely new issue of
money that was making the total
amount of money in circulation
greater every day until it reached
in 1866, fifty-twO dollars per capi-
ta. In 1923, when the cotton
production was again decreased
for two successive crops, the
amount of money in circulation
had been reduced to less than fif-
teen dollars per capita, and has
not increased since, so while the
wants of the people (the demand)
for cotton goods was as great as
ever, and greater, and tine supply
of cotton less than it had been for
several years, the price went on
down becaus the scarcity of mon
ey and unrewarded toll (spent on
IA decreased crop conspired to re-
duce the producers ability to bay.
SO now if we would reach the
desired result by the Cotton Grow
ers AssociatiOn-raise the price of
cotton; we must not simply stop
the production of the staple, but
we must put the producer at some
kind of work that will enable him
to remain a consumer of cotton, or
if possible, increase his cOnsump-
tion of cotton goods. We certain
ly cannot hope to raise the price of
an article by decreasing it's pro-
ductiOn when that very act decreas-
es its consumption in the same ra-
ito.
Therefore the labor that is now
employed in the production of cot
ton must be employed at some
thing which will continue it as
q consumer of cotton goods,
if the price is to be raised, or even
maintained by decreasing the pro-
ductiOn; but this can be done, and
will form some of the interesting
and profitable themes for discus
sion in the various (anti) Cotton
Growers Associations that should |
be formed all over the country.
Supplying the farm or plantation
with food products, keeping
the fences and buildings in good
repair, and the land renovated
and up TO its virgin fertility will
require the bulk of the time; while
all surplus might be donated to the
production of such food products
are in demand by neighbOring
towns and cities, and the produc
ton of sugar, rice, tobacco, and
many other things now brought
from q distance.
But we should never lose sight
of strengthening this plan as well
as bringing about permanent relief
by increasing the amount of money
in circulation, and taking the con.
troll of it and other great public
necessities out Of the hands of
bankers and private corporations,
who will always exercise such i'm
mense power and special privilege
for private gain, and to public loss.
And this latter can only be accom-
plished by healthy political educa-
tion that will bring about political
revolution against the plutOcracy
that now dominates both the old
parties.
Mr.. Russ plan for temporary re-
lief is a good one, and it too must
be brought into operation by edu-
cation and cooperation, and we
hope to see the good work OF edu-
cation on both of these lines 60 on
at a rapid pace. Our columns are
l. -. l. - q