New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-27
TALK WITH GEN. CATCHINGS.
HOPEFUL VIEWS OF THE FUTURE ~ THE
SOUTH.
FORCED BY HARD TINES. THE PLANTERS WILL
DIVERSITY THEIR CROPS AND WILL GROW

FORCED BY HARD TINES. THE PLANTERS WILL
DIVERSITY THEIR CROPS AND WILL GROW
LESS corrox-IMM1GRATIoN SOUTHWARK.
General Thomas G. Catchings. member OF Con-
gress from Mississippi is at The Fi;ih Avenue
Hotel General Catchings intends 70 remain IN the
CITY for several DAYS and then will 20 70 his home
IN the South Mississippi has a genera. election
next fall and already the lines are beng formed
Doubtless General Catchngs will ind his hands fun
when he gets home. but he has nothing 10 say
about the political outlook OF his state.
Referring 70 the condition OF the people and the
outlook regarding cotton. ne said You have seen
in the papers reports o. meetings held by painters
looking 10 a general understanding WHEREBY l'e
acreage OF cotton will be restricted In me iuture
Many OF these meetings have been held nov Only
in my State. but all over the South More ihee'-
ings are projected. and DO not doubt that some
co-operat,ve plan will be hit Ipon whereby the
cotton acreage will be materially decreased. The
need OF some such action is apparent TO al.
81 am inclined TO think that the results Will oe
obtained not only by meetings and genera. recos
milton Of the need OF cutting down the PRODUCTION
nm. also for the reason that planters VIII De
co4rced into cutting down their crop because IL
doas mt nav When cotton sold for 10 or u cents
. mound the man who had the biggest crop OF
course made the most money. but with cotton al
and cents pound. "a 1t now Is, the cost o. pro-
ductlon practically overtops the proceeds from me
sale and the man with the biggest crop is the
heaviest loser This country down in the south
is the richest in the United States. In many IN
stances bale OF cotton realized from an acre
With big plantations OF from 500 TO 500 acres you
can readily how the country vas prosperous
A' When General Catchings was asked to express
an opinion concerning the causes that ed up 70 me
a question that do not care TO enter INTO thor
oughly. Each man. according TO his ideas e en
in I hep
Rsni a4 ns SrOR que IN p o Ada
the general business depression that has isc
ever since the failure OF the Barings-and ,hlnk
that you have the prime causes. But in the South
think that great deal OF good will be wrought
from the existing conditions - u.oo-, .Aa. ,bo
q, w nSe Se e GoE G OF
to the price paid in 1851 1t has always ,b been b bn
eoton Of 'h Evsfhng se used on
such as machinery. livestock FOOD ana odder aa
bought w ana the price price Of Of otheP used
the plantation materially less the result was that
i In tbe country This idea Of making cotton buy
what needed in its production was wrong anu
the planters beginning TO realize tha; Inc , re-
suit will be diversified production Land that never
in the history of the country produced AWNING Dc'
wheat oats and 30 on Another mistaken notion
all along has been that the Louisiana sugar cane
would grow no other place but IN Louisiana IN En-
peruents have been made. and IL Is found that the
cane grows well In other southern states i an,
result many plantations that heretofore oEugf
all their sugar and molesseS are now producing i
right at home. During the war, When me ooutn
was blockaded and practically cut on from an
supply the farmers raised wheat enough to sup
ply about the whole South with flour. Now they
are beginning to realize that 1t Is unnecessary TO
make this annual outlay for provisions ana are
becoming farmers in truth. They are rals-
ing their own cattle, and have their own meal
supply The result is that people are becoming
more sef-reliant and industrious each day
THE South is the future OF the United States
One fact that / have noted and wondered that 1t
has not been commented upon is the great num-
Der OF people that have migrated from the West
to the South within the last year The idea has
been paramount in the past that the negro swarmed
in the South. This idea has deferred the lsborer
and the farmer from the West from going South.
The idea is wrong. The negroes really have their
home in the South. but they DO not swarm over the
country. They have sections Of their own, and
naturally seek their owf kind Large sections Of
country in the South practically free from
negroes. Excessively hard times in the West have
driven many to throw aside their scruples
about working with negroes, and hocking to
the South. They bring with them not only their
money, but their home, their virtue and their in
dustry, and the South Is benefited. This tide OF
immigration will continue and the South will build
up and expand, and much good will be the result
OF her present object lesson.