The Banner-Democrat., 1899-01-21
THE MoMENToUs QUESTION.

y
independent. We believe that th
Outlook is on the right tract when j
says that the only salvation for th
Louisiana cotton planter is 10 follow il
the footsteps of North Carolina. whicl
can be done if there is unanimity il
such plan, and the cotton congress
soon to meet in New Orleans shoul,
discuss the matter thoroughly. Th,
Outlook says:
The most vital question which ha.
t confronted the South since the sixties
is, unques.ienably. the future of cot
ton. Looking back at the past. it may
be truly said that the Southern people
had never fully realized the capabilities
of cotton. nor the important role il
could be made to play in the upbuild
ing of the South. Our people were
content TO follow old grooves; that was,
by selling the staple abroad. regard
less of the fact that the foreign manu-
facturers were reaping the lions share
of the wealth that cotton yielded annu-
ally
And our people would probably have
logged along the same way. indefinitely,
had those who were getting the golden
eggs not grown so rapacious as to CON-
bine TO reduce the price of the raw cot
ton to less than the cost of production.
By allowing its cotton TO 90 abroad
/ to be manufactured, the South, in the
last thirty years. has lost enough
money to have paid the national debt
many times over.
1t required nothing less than the ob-
ject lesson before us to demonstrate
these facts and TO turn Southern pub
| lie thought, at last, towards the easy
solution of the existing trouble. The
cotton factory will restore King Cotton
to his throne, and every new one put
in operation will simply add to the
South's resources to create more. until
every pouad of raw cotton shall find it's
way to a Southern mill. This is one
case. where more mills. instead of
creating hurtfui competition. will oper-
ate toward the more rapid increase of
the South's wealth and toward its more
rapid developm ent on all lines.
Mr.. II. III. Hargrove, the able and
esteemed representative of the N O.
Picayune. in this city, has long since
perceived the want of cotton mills in
the South, and we take very great pleas
ure in reproducing strong circular
from his pen, wherein he announces
that he will soon proceed to the Caro-
linas to gather Information upon this
momentous question. Following is
the circular referred to:
SHREVEPORT, La, DEC. 29, 1898.
My Dear Sir:
After partial. though to me, con-
vincing investigation | am of the |
opinion that the establishment of cot
ton factories and the manufacture of |
our raw cotton into a merchantable |
commodity, on its native soil, is the
foremost question of the day in the
cotton-growing sections of Louisiana, |
and that this course is the surest and |
most permanent relief from the depres-
sion incident to low cotton.
North Carolina has 225 cotton facto-
ries. In one county there are twenty
two and in many. ten to fifteen mills.
These enabled that State last year to
more cotton than the
State produced. 1t is well understood
that all these mills are paving good
dividends and constantly making addi-
tions to their plants. They sell in
few months the entire product of the
mills yearly output and thus greatly
enhance to the State the value of her
cotton crop. The mills are the result
Of home enterprise and enrich the midi
vidual stockholders and augment the
wealth and prosperity of the locality IN
which they are operated.
There were only thirty three such
plants in 1870, but in 1880 there were
and in 1892 there were one
hundred and forty. and in 1898 there {
we're two hundred and twenty-five,
howing that the early lesson of the /,
mall number has been valuable to the
PEOPLE by the increase of seven-fold in G
ess than three years.
The question of details 10 organiza-
ion, equipment, management. opera
ioh anu oChShCidl ttsultS Ol COLtOn
manufacturing plants. is not SO famil-
ar to the people of the cotton-growing
ections OF Louisiana that they can k
rofil by similar achievements, but the O
ecessary data to begin this work shall =
e placed before the people in the very
ear future. As the staff correspond
Mt of the New Orleans Picayune, l Il
ave arranged 10 visit North Carolina
! few days for the sole purpose of a
ritical Investigation of every detail
vailable to an outsider, and will con- =
'ibute series of articles on this sub d
ct to the columns of the Picavune
arine the next few months. and will nj
III the cotton people of Louisiana what +. :.
ave been The results of TIE cotton fac as
ries in another State very similar to
ar own State, and then urge them n
ith an earnest hope ard great faith to
'ganize their home community cotton ;,
ctory and create home of wealth Il
I'd independence. | shall hope in this
ork to have your personal sympathy
Id cooperation in your section, and
have you canvass the matter among
'ur people and find you and them pre-
'red to act by organizing stock COM W ".
my to erect at least one mill in each is