Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-23
THE COTTON PROBLEM.

THE COTTON PROBLEM.
 The commercial world is summoned to pay attention to the rather dubious conn., plimeut-to Alabama, when correctly un- derstood, implied in our successful rivalry with Pennsylvania coal along the Missis- sippi, all the way up and down from Cairo to New Orleans. Beyond doubt 1t is bet ter to let the world have our coal by the ton and our cotton by the bale if there Is a set tied purpose on our part not to consume the one and manufacture the other on our own account, along the same line of uses and methods that both are favored with hundreds of miles away from the mines and fields.
 If these commodities be surplus of wealth with the first hands, burden tco heavy to leave to the care of a busy people absorbed with greater cares, take both away and be done with it. We shall only see both again, doubled or squadrupled in price, attached to the blow shares, weeding hoes, cotton gins, buggies we ride in, horse shoes in the one case, and textiles in the other, shipped to us and charged up against this boasted coal and cotton-sale commerce of ours at full rates of Western
 lEasleru high grade lshoi, Western or
 Ap rents ard profits. This exported coal comes back to Alabama in the shape of railroad construction tools, -hshbars, rails and engines and wheels, all paid for here, including profits, and All used to carry off more coal-an endless chain of self-stultification, self-insult and degrada- tion.
 Let us remember the Pennsylvania, which coal it is assumed we drive out the market with Alabama coal, is a surplus at Pitts burg; and a surplus there only because there is a home demand for an immense quantity. The Pennsylvania demand for coal is go great that the average price of farm lands in that State is ESQ per acre, in round numbers. The Alabama demand for coal is so limited that farm lands here aver- age, say s per acre. Whoever may have traversed the best farm lands of Pennsyl- vania-Burks, Montgomery and West Ches- ter counties-and who arrived there famil- jar with the prairie lands of fourteen Black Belt counties of Alabama must have been instantly impressed with the similarity of the prospective. The same gently rolling surface, the same calcareous formation, the same exhaustless fertility, the' two lands differing only in the feature of climate, with which the one is blessed and which in it's perfectness is withheld from the other. These Pennsylvania identical lands, where no petticoat ever ap- pears iu the field of agriculture, where coal is largely consumed, are cheap at S2G0 per acre. The Alabama iden- ticai lands will produce every staple crop that cau be grown in Burks or Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania, except, possibly, buckwheat (and as a substitute for that we have upland rice), besides cotton. There is no variety of grass or clover use. ful on a farm that will not grow as boun- teously and for longer period in the year in Barbour, Dallas and all the prairie counties as in the Pennsy lvania counties.
 These facts in successful agriculture must command the respect and veneration of Alabama. We cannot longer afford to ex. pect anything from tenacity of observ- ance of worn- -out methods. We have upon us a healthful season of transition from a lower to higher Industrial status. We need not look for a stand still form of life. That kind of life is not natural law. With great labor expended in the effort we may go down hill, ;, and go at it in the crawfish style of locomotion. We cannot stand still while tbe earth revolves two ways at one time. The AGE HERALD is far from censure in the observations it takes or the counsel it brings to cotton farmers. An industrial revolution, inevitable in peace, has been precipitated by an overwhelming war of invasion and social revolution. The things overthrown suddenly here were of long and happy growth. The people involved have no superior in the attributes of exalted manhood, even if the world can show their equals.
 Let us go to work in the manifested channels. Cotton can be marketed at @ handsome profit to the producer In the form of textiles. Let this reform be estab. Iished by home resources, so that all inter- est. commissions and profits will remain at home for reinvestment. What is it that recommends Alabama lands as collateral security in the money marketsf Tho capac- ity to produce cotton, and that capacity alone. The lender of money to farmet regards the cotton warehouse receipts and not the salable quality of the soil upon . which he takes formal mortgage. The crop lien in Alabama is more in favor with Icpders of cash than the real estate nort- gage. The crop of cotton in prevailing