The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-01-18
BRING MILLS TO THE COTTON.
THE IDEAS OF GOVERNOR STONE

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At the cotton growers convention il
jackson, Miss, the opening speech wa
made by Governor Stone, from which
we make the following extracts:
"There is no concealing the fact thai
the conditions which environ the inter
ests of the cotton growers OF the South
ern States OF this union threaten ul
innate and utter destruction of that in
dustry to which they have hitherto
looked alone for profit in the cultiva
tioD Of the soil.
THE gloom and despondency which
hangs like pail over the entire South
supcrinduccd, in the main, by the low
and uni'emunerative price of cotton,
bringing within its embrace all classes
of citizens and every vocation, eXcitcs
in every reflective mind the startling
query, to what end are we drifting?
"As cotton declined in price. which
it has steadily done, the necessity OF
home production forced itself upon our
conviction. until now, with our 4-cent
cotton, it is freely and fully conceded
that he who would eat must provide
the whercwithal ut home, with his own
hand and under his own eye This
changed condition affects, and is felt
by every business element in the land.
Cotton has lost it's crown: cotton has
lost its credit The factor in our great
martS who once sought to lend almost
WITHOUT limit for its production, and
grew fat handling 1.-THE banker who
backed the factor as far rs his deposit
account wOiid enable him-the coup-
try merchant with his 1907 cent who
hoped to grow rich in single year by
advancing to his benighted cotton
growing customers and to whom q
cash dealer was a crying nuisance
and the professions and trades have
all lost their faith in cotton, leaving
scarcely vestige of hope to stimulate
eXcrtion when cotton is the only
promised reward.
THAT the farmers and planters
could thus be brought into unitication
is as visionary and chimcrical us it is
impossible. Conditions and circum-
stances are too diverse: interests of
different individuals too varied. They
are too numerous, and the cotton belt
covers too large territory, to say
nothing OF the enormous amount OF
capital necessary to create and main
tain such a corner.
That cooperative effort for mu-
tual benefit is desirable and ncedful
and praatiaaI j. not denied Init if, is
not feasible with the cotton in the
warehouses and every bale counted
and known to the spinners OF the world,
as well as to the combine OF association
itself.
sit is an axiom in manufacturing
that the nearer to the factory the raw
material can be procured, other things
being equal. the cheaper the finished
product can be made. The owner Of
an iron mine would not think Of ship
ping his orc Thousand miles if he
could find in his vicinity the needed
rcsolvcnts by which to convert his ore
into pigs ready for the manufactures
of all iron articles in foundry and ma
chine shop. The lumber dealer would
not think Of shipping his logs from
the long-leaf pine forests OF the south
to the northern merchant: on the con
trary, he cats it into proper dimension
stuff, not emitting to dress, and even
to tongue and groove it, ready for the
builders use. Hcncc, the inuumerabio
lumber mills Of the South. and our
immense export OF lumber. Why is it
that the old open-kettlc process of our
sugar making neighbOrS OF Louisiana
is discarded, and millions of money in
vested To improve the quality OF our
domestic sugars The question prOmp-
tlv suggests its own answer: TO add
to the value Of the sugar, which added
value secures to the planter IL greater
net profit ou his labor and capital eX-
p -nGcd IN growing, harvesting, grind
iDg and preparing 1T for market. This
seems to me q clear illustration Of what
may b" done by the cotton planter.
II these things are true ANA applica-
BILE as suggested In sugar planting and
other Industries, then why cannot the
cotton growers, by cooperative effort,
establish in every city, town, village
or hamlet in all the cottOn-growing
states, factories for the manufacture
OF theirraw cotton into the more valu.
able commodities before final export or
sale? Thus saving to the grower, the
merchant, the laborcr and the capital
ist in their own midst the difference
between the value of raw, ragged and
condemned bales OF cotton and the
same cotton spun into yarn, ut least, il
not woven into fabrics.
This is altogether practicable,
feasible, can easily be done if deter
mined upon, and | believe | may
safely predict that it will b. done in
the near future. AS ST. Paul, Min
nrapolis and other western cites ship
luur to Us instead Of wheat, so we will
soon be driven to shipping yarns to
Fall River, Manchester and other
manufacturing cities
THE Touring mills have ever sought
the wheat fields of the northwest, why
should not the spindle seek the cotton
fields of the South So far rs we are
involved our jute-covercd foundling Is
to Manchester what the crude ore 10 to
the blast furnace. by exporting the
balCd cotton We lose IL percentage
which. at present prices, should H. all
means be Kept at home If We would
ivc--just ~ the owner Of LIc orc bed
would lose if he should ship from Ala
bama to the blast furnaces of i'ennsyl-
vania. He cannot do 1T and survive.
Neither can We cotton growers, a.
matters now stand, continue the course
heretofore pursued without utter ruin
and bankruptcy, and verify believe
that these conditions will continue for
an indefinite time without united
action on the part Of the cotton growers
of the Southern States. | have no faith
in higher priced cotton in the future
! Indeed, ! am not quite sure that il
would not be u calamity rather than q
blessing: though it can go far above
the present prices and still be very
| low.
" do not w.sl to he understood H.