The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-08-08
HOME INDUSTRIES.
WAYS IN WHICH THESE MAY BE FOS-
TERED.
One Sort of Sectional Patriotism that
Is Well EnOugh-That of Patroniz-
Ing and Sustaining Home Institu.
tions-Let Us Stand By them, All
things Being Equal.
Bridgeport { Ala. } News.

A great deal is said about Conspirac,
among Northern capitalists to keel
down the price of cotton and the like
and various legislation is proposed a:
remedy. 1t is a question whethe!
any legislation, even if it were desira
bic on other grounds could effect the
desired end ofpreventing manipulation
OF cotton values if such manipulation
do in reality exist. But in apy case
whether the low price of cotton be
dead to artificial or natural causes any
increase in the demand totally indie
pendent of capitalist influence or inter.
ference will tend to increase the
price. And the bringing Of the mill:
INTO the cotton fields will place pro
ductlon more fully in the hands of the
people most interested It's coming
TO be generally admitted that it i:
both desirable and practicable to locate
most OF the cotton mills in the South
We have already quoted largely from
our exchanges on this point and We
shall not stop to discuss it now.
We wish to awaken thought if pos,
slple on the question OF how we may
increase the demand for cotton, while
we save price OF transportation and
other extra costs of Northern produc
ton.
The South is most interested in thi.
question and from the South the solu
ton of it must come.
All countries, all sections of the
country must use more or less cotton
goods; in southern latitudes the amount
used could be greatly increased. AnC
an increase in the use of cotton fabrics
is the remedy we would suggest for the
present low price of cotton. We dc
not mean of course that this is to su
percede the suggestion. of Gov. Stone
and others as to the reduction of acre
age. That is the most obvious and
speediest method of reducing the over
supply which we believe to be the
principal if not the only cause of th'
low price ofCotton. The introduction
of cotton goods to more general us'
| in the South must be a matter o
slower development, but in the end i
would have its share in remedyint
the evil and would perhaps be NOR
advantageous to the South than an,
thing else. For in the South there ar
large areas where cotton is the natura
growth-can be grown to better ad
vantage than any other crop if onl,
the demand for cotton be at all equa
to the supply.
The possibilities Of cotton in work
ing up into fabrics Of suitable fnenes
and beauty for all kinds of clothing
have not been nearly exhausted.
The mills now located and to b
located in the South ought to tur
their attention to the production o
fine cotton fabrics and use variou
means to call the attention Of ou
people to their adaptability to all tn
requirements of dress for men an
women.
One means of doing this would +
an exposition of cotton fabrics in a
the principal Southern cities-makin
this at least the chief feature of the e,
position. There will it is hoped be e.
hibits of this kind at Atlanta in til
fall, but the matter ought not to sto
there.
If beautiful fabrics were exhibite
and the matter kept before the peop
by means of the newspapers and b
the thoughtful public men a more {
less extensive use of these goods f(
which other goods are now demanded
would follow and gradually percel
tlbly increased demand with a pc
manently ra ised price.
We would be glad to see section
patriotism since it does exis! and MAJ
ifest itself in various ways, mostly uS'
, less, exhibit itself thus for the praCtic
advantage of the South. We have I
r war to wage with any other section
r our own country, nor have we a pr
judice against trading with foreig
nations, if we can do so to our adva
;. tag, but we believe we will benei
ourselves wi,hou, seriously harmil
" others by thus using our own produ
}. and that we would be neither le
. beautifully nor less comfortab
4. dressed.