The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-09-20
CBARLEsTON'S LETHARGY.

CHARLEsTON's LETHARGY.
Under date OF September 9Th, a
gentleman from Summerton writes
the News and Courier as follows:
Il only want to ask q few questions
Why is it that Wilmington, n. c., is
getting all the cotton from these
parts? Wilmington got Yesterday IN
this place and nearby depots $50
bales cotton; Charleston 6 or Z. Why
can't Charleston pay as much as Will
mington? We have two buyers here,
one for Charleston and one for Will
mington. They paid yesterday from
5.95 to sos.
cit seems to me that as Charleston
is so much nearer she could pay more.
Perhaps the cotton men don't care to
handle cotton from Clarendon and
would prefer getting it from Georgia
and Alabama.
Commenting on the above the
News and Courier has the following
to say:
Charleston's cotton buyers claim
that they offer the highest market
price for the staple, and the railroad
men claim that there is no discrini-
nation in rates in favor OF Whining
ton as against Charleston. The Cot
ton Exchange, the Chamber Of Com
merce or the Young Mems Business
League should appoint committee
to Investigate this matter once for all.
We can offer two very essential facts
the distance from Summerton to VIII
rnington is I'll miles, and the dis
tance from Summerton to Charleston
is IS miles.
It is about time Charleston was
aroused to her interest, and we had
hoped that wher the News and Cou-
rier assumed the trouble and expense
Of sending August Kohn one OF the
most reliable newspaper men in the
State, to Wilmington to Investigate
and report, ii would have had the ef-
feet OF revolutionizing Charleston's
cotton business.
Mr.. Kohn made clear and an
elaborate report OF the conditions ex-
isting in Wilmington, and told how
that city was equipped to handle the
feecy staple. His report Of how the
Sprunts managed to 80 right under
the nose OF Charleston was a word
picture Of Charleston's Indifference
to her own business interests. The
News and Courier had this work done
to make the cotton merchants wake
up and change their business meth
DDS so as to put stop to Whining
tons coming here and taking away
a traffic which rightfully belongs to
Charleston. The cry used to be that
it was the railroads discriminating
against Charleston, but that will not
do now, the railroads are not discrim-
mating against Charleston, on the
contrary, the freight rates are less to
Charleston than to Wilmington. A
merchant in a neighboring town re-
ceived a telegraphic order from Char
lesion for 100 bales of cotton at $50
and at that very moment he was Of
fering 6 cents himself. We mention
this circumstance to show how back
ward Charleston is on cotton. If the
business men OF that city would give
heed to the News and Courier's cor
respondents investigation of the
causes why Wilmington is getting
South Carolina's cotton, they would
show some appreciation of the good
that newspaper tried to do fer Char
lesion.
The people Of this section prefer to
send their cotton to Charleston, but
they are forbidden by the prices Off
cred there, Charleston is South Caro-
lna's natural cotton market, and why
it is that her business men are so
blinded to their own interests, and
so needless of the News and Courier's
teachings in this matter, we cannot
understand.