The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-08-23
& NOVEL WILL.
How the Southern States Can Make
TWO Billion Dollars.

have lately had it examined) /, t. J.
Eady, will and bcqueath to the ten cot
ton States over one hundred million dol
lars each year for the next twenty year:
OFT Of the good reserve Of the English
government, and appoint the ten COVER
nors of said STATES as executors and ad.
ministrators to execute and carry out a:
hereinafter set forth for the benefit Of
the said States and the people thereof
for school purposes, etc.
First, let each of the ten governors
of these States appoint three commits
sioners to represent them, and these
thirty commissioners meet and formu-
late this plan which will make all the
people happy Let each State pay the
farmer seven sents per pound for all the
middling cotton raised. Let each State
sell this cotton at nine cents per pound
and by this arrangement they make
ten dollars per bale profit. Now, sup
pose they make ten million bales and
they cannot sell over nire million bales,
then there is 10 per cent to be destroy
ed. Suppose Georgia raises one mil
lion bales and she is called on to de-
stroy ten per cent; she would burn up
one hundred thousand bales which
would cost her three and half million
dollars. While on her million bales sac
would have made ten dollars per bale or
ten million dollaIs, so she would still
have left over six million dollars profit
to run her schools and State govern
ment. By this arrangement the whole
business is in the hands of thirty com
,aissioners, and the other twenty-seven
commissioners will see that Georgia de-
stroys her part. So everybody would
be benefited, for ths farmer knows he
will get seven cents and is happy. The
merchant, banker and manufacturer
will be pleased, for it takes the specula
ton out Of their business. The factory
knows years ahead what his cotton is
going to cost and can make contracts
ahead for his goods, farmers credit will
be better for the merchant and banker
will know what be is going to get for
his cotton. This is the only way the
matter can be handled, for thirty men
can regulate tie price while millions OF
farmers cannot do so.
Second, | will give my executors
and administrators few pointers and
suggestions and they can furnish the
rest. Some one might ask how do we
know we could get nine cents? Eng
land has cried for our cotton at 81. OO
per pound. Why not want it now for
ten cents. England can go out of the
cotton market two weeks in November,
and by doing so can take off five dollars
per bale or $50, 100000 off the cotton
crop as it is now. Now England names
the price and takes the cotton; the
other way the States name the price and
England takes the cotton. But some
one might say trust. We do not trust
them, but England's gold would come
after this cotton, and she would have to
send more than one hundred million
dollars Of it to this country than she
did last year for the same amount or
cotton.
''You ask, how can We pay for this
cotton? All cotton delivered to the
State or their agents before January lst
pay them seven cents per pound be-
tween January and May, seven and
one.quarter and after May seven and
one-half cents. The States would sell
the same way, so all this cotton would
not be put on the market at once, and
factories would suit their wants in buy
ing. Each State would issue cotton
certificates to pay for this cotton in five
ten and twenty dollar certificates and
the banks, merchants and farmers
would help carry it. Certificates would
pass and be as good as gold, for the States
would have cotton behind each one Of
them that call for EnglanG's gold and
at our price. By this arrangement they
say farmers would make too much cot
ton. Put special tax on all corn
bought by the farmer of-say, twenty
five cents per bushel, like on his mules
so if he bought three hundred bushels
of corn he paid $75 90 taxes to tae State,
which would pay for burning up two
bales of his cotton. You say it would
cost money to handle this business.
Georgia would get difference between
five cents and nine cents on one million
bales which would be $50, ,000,O0 more
to come into the State and would re-
main here, for her farmers would get
ten million of it and the State the other
ten millions. Suppose the States had
to destroy twenty per cent or two mil
lion bales. Georgia would still have
three million to run her government,
for the school term could be increased
to ten months in the year, which would
take one-third Of the hands out Of the cot
ton fields. But say it only toook ne-6fth
of them, that would decrease the crop
twenty PER cent or two million bales, so
there would be no surplus to burn up.
The difference between five cents and
nine cents is $4,000 yer bale, which
would be 100000, 900 a year; in five
years the South would have one billion
dollars, enough to build factories to spin
every bale of cotton raised in the t n
States. TO make the farmers delive
the Gotten to the States and not sell to
outsiders, have every bale tagged like
guano and have the tags sold for ten
dollars each, but the States put the tags
on the cotton they buy The cotton
exported would bring into the United
States over one hundred million more
gold, So the whole country would be
benefited and made richer.
This is the only way the cotton can
be handled to advantage for all the
people.
"A company of two hundred million
dollars could be raised in thirty days
TO carry out this plan if it could be
controlled by private parties, but they
cannot do it, but the States can, by
working together, do this, and then