The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-12-30
The Cotton Situation.

Editor Atlanta journal: During
TINS fall and winter the people of the
south have been treated to o new kind
OF discussion concerning cotton. For
the first time agitation is going for
ward, seeking to unite the manufactu-
Eef5 III an effort to omrtail their use of
cotton in order to depress the price.
We have before us the further re-
markable spectacle that all throughout
New England the wages of the en-
ployes have been reduced because of
the high price of cotton.
Until the building of cotton mills
In the South the prics of the product
Was admittedly fixed in Liverpool, and
the only influencing interess in this
country was in New England. The
cotton growers then had nothing what
ever to do with fixing the price. Now,
the price is fixed in the South. Cot
ton, today, is higher in New Orleans
than it is in New York, and the
Southern farmer is in q position of in
dependence incomparably beyond any
thing that has ever been known in the
past. The only figure that Liverpool
now cuts is to howl about the high
price.
With this tremendous object lesson
brought home to every farmer and bus
iness man in the South, do not be-
lieve that it would be possible for the
agitators and misguided enthusiasts
to force upon the cotton mills of the
South the adverse Legislation which
has been attempted in the recent past
The Southern cotton mills have
neither Individually nor collectively
cut the wages Of their employees. The
Southern cotton mills, while anxious
to make money foF shs;E stockholders.
have not joined in any effort, by
threat or otherwise, to depress the
price OF cotton, by agreeing to ourtail
production or otherwise.
Every thinking man must recognize
the fact that we have different condi-
tions here in the South in regard to tho
manufacture of cotton from what thew
are anywhere else in the world. We
both raise and manufacture the cot
ton. We are on both sides of the
question. The stockholders who own
our Southern mills have dual inter-
est in cotton-their business interest
in other lines makes them glad to see
high priced cotton, as it makes all
other business. in the South prosper
GUS, while they can manufacture it as
cheeply and make profit as it can be
handled anywhere else in the world.
We hear great deal about the mag
nificent laws passed to protect the la.
borers in these very identical States
where we have but recently seen the
wages of the employees cut 10 per cent
because ef the high price of cotton.
AS long as the farmers and business
people stand together with the mill
men of tho South, We will see no such
spectacle as that here. Instead Of
trying to hamper and harass the mill
men by these pesti6erous laws, and to
aid set OF egitators who we now see
in the city Of Chicago will not o5,u
allow the dead to be buried, the con-
servatve, substantial farmers and
business men Of the South should
combine with the mill people end man
ufecturers in seeing that the lines Of
transportation, which are unRortunate-
~ owned in the east, do not put I'm.
just and unequal burdens upon ell OF
us down here, in order to offset the
natural advantages which our section
possesses, and to see that our ccmpet.
itors 90 not get oil our Southern coal
mines into great combinations and put
the price OF coal up as o means Of
overcoming our natural advantages.
We nssa cooperation for protection
in these matters, and for protection
against allowing them to come down
here and dictate cur laws So as to
break down these great natural advan-
tages existing in our favor.
l have devoted pretty much ell my
life to cotton and the cotton mill bus
mess, and 1 believe now that the
South has the grandest future before
her Of any section of our common
country. With the application of
plain business principles to our exist
ing situation, the prosperity Of the
South in the next decade will surpass
the fondest dreams Of any Of us. The
matter is in our own hands, and it re-
mains to be seen whether we will util-
ize it for our own interests or in favor
OF our competitors. J. 8. Tprner.