The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-11-25
Cotton Interests in the South.


wards amassed fortune in the cot
ton trade in Georgia and New York,
has written a paper that will amaze
and crafty patriotic Southerners.
"Few of us without studying the
question realize what an important
part this staple plays in the financial
and industrial history of the world;
and the South holds the production
of this great crop almost without a
rival, furnishing nearly so per cent.
of the worlds consumption. Limited
by climatic conditions to our part
of the Union, the cotton growers of
America have the most perfect agri-
cultural monopoly of the world.
"For forty years foreign lands
have by governmental influence and
money, and by private capital and
enterprise tried to build up cotton
growing III competition with the
South. But the aggregate foreign
crops increase very little, and to sup
ply the ever increasing demand of
about 100000 bales year for an
average increase in the worlds con-
sumption, the world must depend
upon our country.
elf we keep out of debt and mar
ket this crop wisely without the pres
sure of debt, we ought to benefit en-
ormously as time goes on from this
great treasure. This years cotton
crop, including the seed, sold for
$3.50, 100000 Besides furnishing
the mills North and South with all
they used, we exported enough to
bring 1870, 900, 900 gold to this coun-
try. This is one-foLrth as much
gold as California produced since
the discovery of the precious metal
there.
"Six hundred and fifty million
dollars was enough to buy every
bushel of wheat raised In the q nited
States and leave one hundred and
fifty million to the good. 1t was
enough to buy and pay for half the
corn crop of two and one-fourth bill
lion bushels grown in the United
States. The corn crop is the only
one of the great that exceeds in
value the Gotten crop.
"Iowa Is the greatest corn-gI ow-
ing State in the world, and produces
one-eleventh of the total corn crop
of the United States; yet this year,
after growing her corn and wheat
crop, Georgia sold her cotton crop
for 81, 200, 900, enough to pay cash
for every bushel of corn grown in
Iowa.
cit should encourage us to feel
that back of us we have this Imperi
al money producing crop; a perpet-
ual inheritance hedged about by eli
matte influences and protected from
world competition which threatens
the other crops. Once free from
debt, let US stay out of debt and
control our own product, and we
will see no more of five or SIX cent
cotton crops.
1.-The question may be asked:
Why, with such advantages, why
does not Georgia and the South ad-
vance more rapidly In wealth? l re-
ply: our people are advancing, and
the increase has been great during
the past three years, but this ad-
vance is in the face of tremendous
drain which is not apparent to every
one.
Through the operation of the
tariff and internal revenue, it is es-
timated that the South pays $50, 900
900 a year toward the government
pension bill. This sum is Except
a small fraction) transferred to
Northern States and the mountain
Gus districts of the South and helps
enrich them. Georgia's proportion
of this payment is some 81, 100000
equal to half the states debt, paid
every year. If it were paid by the
State as a direct tax, it would proba-
bly, raise a political revolutions; but
this drain goes on so silently that
many are not aware of it, and it
will 90 on when the last man who
fought against the Union is dead,
and perhaps when all his children
are dead.
"The defeated in modern wars
have usually paid the penalty; but
this is the most ingenious, insidious,
silent and enormous penalty ever
laid on a defeated people-in the ag
gregate, far greater penalty, per
capita than ever Napoleon laid upon
those whom he crushed, or the Ger.
mans exacted from the French.
clad it not been for our natural
resources and energy, we would new
err have stood up under it. But, in
spite of all this, things are coming
our way. We are getting out of
debt: we are doing better farming,
more manufacturing, and learning
better how to market our crops.
owe are manufacturing two mil
lions bales of cotton year, adding
easily 800, 900 to the value of raw
cotton. The future is bright with
promises if we are but true to the
high character, the indomnitable
energy, and the great souls of the
fathers and mothers, who coming
out of the most desolating war of
modern history, found the country
a desert and brought it to its posi-
ton of greatness and prosperity
S. M. Inman, in Confederate Veter-
an.