The Louisiana populist., 1895-10-25
9.Ccnl Cotton VS.. Free Silver

All the goldoug papers are Sel
ling themselves hoarse over tn
rise in cotton which has occurrc,
this season notwithstanding tn
contraction of the currency undo
the gold standard.
They give this as evidence of TN
returning prosperity which the!
have promised so long and so vain
ly; and they desire free silver mel
and reformers to accept rise il
the price of cotton as settling th'
financial question in favor Of th'
gold standard and contraction.
The leading goldbug daily of th'
Southwest, the New Orleans Plea
yune, one day last week in iubila
ting over the situation, has the fol
lowing flaming headline
CURRENT COMMENTIN MIS-
SISSIPPI.
THE CALAMITY HOwLERS ARE LOOK
ING FOR A JOB
And the Wearers of Free Silver
Badges Growing Scarce.
TIE .'CRINE OF 'I3" HAS BEEN EN-
TIRELY FORGOTTEN
Since the Price of Gotten Has Ad-
vanccd."
In such articles they never men
tion the size of the crop on which
this little rise is predicated, nor the
floods. drouth, worms and blight
that must cheat mankind out of
more than kd! his labor before the
gold standard vii allow a reason
able price for the remnant.
But in its dispatches Of the same
date, we find the following evidence
of what is required to make 9-cent
cotton under the gold standard
THE COTTON CROP A GREAT DIsAPPoINT-
MENT
st. Joseph, La, Oct 17.-(Special. y
As the work of gathering and ginning
progresses the shortage of the crop be-
comes more manifest. On few favor
ed places. where four weeks ago the
yield was estimated at two-thirds OF
last years crop, it will not reach 80 per
cent. On others, where half a crop was
expected, 40 per cent Will not be made.
and On many places it is simply dis;is-
trous. Cotton has gone to seed. 1t re-
quires 1850 pounds of seed cotton to
make a 500-pound bale of lint, where
ordinarily it takes from 1900 to 400
pounds. and cotton houses which last
year held ten bales this year turns out
only seven.
A prominent planter remarked to the
Picayune's correspondent last night that
if he did not know such thing was i'm
possible he would believe his cotton was
being stolen, So disappointing is the
outlook with him. The same condition
exists in Concorlia. Madison. East Car
roll and the Mississippi counties. oppo-
site here With favorable weather pick
ing will be practically over in three
more weeks.
If such a crop as this brings but
8 cents, or even 10, what may we
expect of a full crop! The same
price or perhaps less than we re-
ceived last year on - fair yield.
Does such system bring good
times! Willssuch niggardly pros
perity expiate 'The Crime of 49,"
and make erstwhile Democrats en-
dorse that "Crime" and other John
Sherman policies!
Will 10 cents for 40 per cent of
a crop be any more than 4 cents
for 100 per cent! Is wheat bol,nc-
ing up all along the line! Is corn,
oats, pork, beef. rice, sugar and
wages! Net that anyone has real
lied, though he may have heard of
it. Then where Is our boasted
prosperityl
If under the gold standard there
must be worms on the cotton, hail
on the wheat, blight on the oats,
cholera on the hogs, fever in the
cattle, drouth on the rice. frost on
the cane and pestiIence on the hu-
man to give us fair prices for their
products, then may the good Lord
and the Peoples party deliver us
from the gold standard.