The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-12-15
TIE COTTON PROBLEM.
TIE FARMERS MUST FIGHT TIE
DEVIL WITH FIRE.

The Columbia State 5ust'y Contends that
ssLons as Trusts Exist the Fa, mers are
justified IL Organizing One to Pro:ecs
rhe:nse!vss.
Pref. r Means Davis contributes to
The Safe thoughtful letter on the
issue O. ibe day IN the south-the
means Of raising the price OF cotton,
be reducing the acreage, cornerlng
the product, or otherwise. We print
it with pleasure, although we do no
agree with several OF his conclusions.
Oar friend IS teacher, professor
! OF poiiical economy It is mis- duty
| n lie 10 announce certain rigid doc
trines, 10 teach them and TO adhu.e to
ITEM reasrG!ess Of consequences. 1t
IS .he obligation OF others, in other &C
cupaticns, to make theory conform TO
necessity, to make an horest living
even at the cost OF subordinatiug dec
irines theoretically und. Farmers
may cis8p2rove OF trusts. out il trey
sse no present prosIec: OF destroyicg
those that already exist TO their op.
preston and have the hope that by
orsani2iag one Of their own they may
secure iiciag prices for their great
staple, thay will not easily &c persuad
sd 70 stsy their hands. TIE pinch Of
poverty is ever more powerful than
| the ailuremants CT ''blankad barren
ideatitE.' Hence We do not think
ehat any consideration o. consistency
vill keep them from goicg into cot
ton trust il shey think a cotton trust
ni:l relieve them from their present
tiraccial pligat.
As 1e have said IN previous ar!ic.es,
We greatly doubt the ability Of the
million farmers of toe south, widely
! scattered over great area, varloUsly
circunstanced and unused to coopera
jtioa, TO effectand maintain CON Gina
+; lion fer the purpose otreaucing the
: cotton ecreage; and The same ciitiicu!-
!Iies sitend the plan oforganiZing l cot
tcn trust to corner the staple. Yet we
would nct discourage either OF these
movements, because if either snould
happen TO succeed it would be OF great
value 10 The farmers and the people CT
1.-The south generally. Even il they
ishculd not be organized and operated,
the free discussion Of them would con-
centrase the minds Of the cotton plant.
ers upon the necessity for cuctall-
mert of production; and might pro
mote by individual action that which
could not be gained by cooperative &C.
tion. To realize the nature OF dis
;eas is to make al advance toward cur.
ing it: and tie disease we suffer from
is an excess of cotton on the brain.
Prof. Davis is seriously m!sinformed,
we think, as ID the area in Egyp: suls,
liable for cotton culture. Oar under
!standing is that it is quite limited.
! The India cotton IS very inferior and
can never take the place Of our hae
white staple. In Russia the industry
isin its earliest infancy. Ip none OF
these countries could il be rapidly ex
panded, in response to q rise in price,
ito degree which would supply the
mills Of tie world from other fields
than ours. Even atthe cotton famine
/ prices OF our war time, though the cul
ture was very profitable, the foreign
supply could uo. 2pr-oach the do.
mand. Il would take very high
prices, maintained for years, to maze
outside production formidable to US.
!: That the south can produce cotton
more cheaply than any other part OF
1.-THE worlc is admitted by Prof. Davis.
but whv should we for This reason
produce all We can? Because we can
raise it at q cost OF cents pound, is
il rational to raise 50 much Of 1t that
it can only bring cents2 Surely not.
II the crop IS unOrof.abIe it ought to
be abandoned by those who cannot
make money out ofi!-let those who
can, keep up their production, and in-
| crease il if they like. # the total crop
is so great as to make the price ruu
down to the average cost OF prCduc-
ton, then the total crop should be re
duced until the average farmer can
make something by planting it.
We entirely agree with Prof. Davis
that what we commonly call over
production is rather under-corsump'
ton, caused by the impaired purchas
ling power of the people under the
operation OF the gold standard. For
this we are seeking by the ballo: fin
ancial remedy, and when we get II a
crop Of 100000 bales will not be
too much. But for this relief We must
wait years; for the destruction CT the
trusts ne must va years; for every
thing save what we can accomplish
;unaided by law 19 must wait years.
Ia the meantime are We to GO on Civ
ling our time, labor aud thought to the
iuulimi:ed production OF q crop tnat
dossn't pay? Not if we have half.
sense.
The farmers OF the south wilI not be
likely 10 acquire love for trusts if
itheg make cotton com oiuatjCn. The
trusts pinch them, as well IS our
riend, too hard and il TOO many
| places They will De glad enough to
sacrifice their own for tie sake OF
sweepIng away the hundred others.
Meanwhile, it is possible tor them
with pcoQristy 10 Genounce al trusts
: - Iiic 81 ibS L4~L ~ 4DLtS 20 - IAa'0 a. :
pe mittsd they intend to create for
! ths hsnseivss Such IS they reg Iire.
While VIC 9ccept the GaAe 0: trust
SIS applied to Mr.. Roddsy's proposed
Organization ve DO not adnIt is &p-
pl;cabiiEy 70 the proposed ccmLi5a-
| i3n OF farmers to reduce The acreage
in cotton The two things are very
IQilEtrent il character and purpose.
IOae is 3 close corporation created to
! Istihs competition and pluadec the
guolic; the other g mere assoc;I::or,
aiming 10 ipcludea miiii0a men, h&v-
ing no p1rpos3 TO destroy competition,
aad aiming on.y al cooperation IN re
dGcing t2e excessive planting o an
improbable crop. : single plea viii
Justly Il, ana th2I;s, sell preservation.
-Sta,e
U4cie Sam Gcd :he widows.