The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1894-09-07

to get out of shower of rain. he woul,
either knock any man down who oitere'
him less than 10 cents per pound for hi
cotton. or he would do like the old wO
man did who took her eggs to town an'
when offered less than IL cents per dozel
she took them back home, saying he
hens could not lay eggs for less than l!
cents per dozen. If we would not sci
cotton for less than 10 cents per pound
we would get 10 cents. See'
A lawyer won't take less than $40 fol
his advice, doctor So to s. for visit. 4
preacher $500 TO $1,000 per year for hi'
sermons. druggist % cents for his bills
a newspaper 81 to $40 for subscription
and a washwoman 10 cents per piece fol
her linen. But the half-civilized cotton
planter must sell his cotton for the cost
of the bagging and ties because---for-
soOth,-it has not cost him anything TO
to make it ION the principle of "root hog
that 80 per cent of the cotton planters
are wrapped up in mortgages and at 6
cents per pound for his cotton there is
not one of them who can pay the interest
on his debts. Indeed, it is getting to be
disgrace to he cotton planter; they
are all so poor. Yours truly,
b. w. MARsToN.
Now Captain, you have very
cleverly outlined (partially) the
effects of a great first cause. These
of course, are not difficult to find.
They are all around and about us !;
the occult effects of vicious legiSla
ton LOOM up in every business ell
terprise we undertake. Ia other
words, if we had more money in
circulation we would all be better
clothed, making a market and de-
mand for more cotton goods. The
cotton mills would start up to sup
ply the increased demand for cloth,
idle workingmen would be employ
ed to supply the demand for labor,
these wOrkingmen would have en-
plOyment at wages that would, in
turn enable them to clOthe them
selves and families, and make still
another demand for cotton goods,
and all other branches of industry
would revive, the steamboats,, ocean
steamers, and the railroads would
have to increase their facilities in
order to meet the demand for in
creased transportation, thereby en-
plOying another vast army of idle
people, who in their turn would be
able to clothe themselves and fami-
lies, making still further demands
for cotton goods; merchants would
have to increase their statesmen
farmers and planters would i'm
prove their farms, giving employ
ment to another class of labor, and
they all in their turn would alb
sorb considerable percentage of
cotton goods, and this would of
course increase the demand for cot
tou, and would increase the price.
Do not think Captain that we
are endorsing the theory of over
production, for we are not. But
we do hold and contend that it is
under consumption that brings up
this heterogeneous family Of the.
"Devil and Tom Walker" for pay
ment, when there is nothing to pdy
with.
Now Captain, peruse your letter
to the Caucasian" (given above)
and see if you don't find a little in
consistency in your remedy. You
say that ''9O per cent OF the cotton
planters are wrapped up in mort
cages" (which is about correct)
then You tell these same planters
not to sell their cotton unless they
get ten cents a pound for it. Now
don't you know that a man in debt
is at the mercy of his creditor, and
that when pay day comes his cot
ton must go at whatever he can get
for it! Don't you know that nine
tenths of the country merchants
are in the same condition : Don't
you know that the same rule ap-
plies to the commission merchants3 2
= Don't you know that the manu-
facturer who buys for manufactur-
ing purposes can almost dictate the
80.