The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-13
NATIONAL COTTON CONVENTION
DISCUSSES THE BOIL WEEKL
Cotton Growers Organized and Elected Texas
Man President

many thousands of shipbuIlding and
seafaring men, and its manufacture
into cloth in foreign lands, and the
sale of such manufactures, give en-
ployment to millions of men and
women there.
las a merchantable product, 1t is
well-nigh indispensable to the world s
trade. But more than this. The con-
tinued growth of cotton In these South
ern States seems absolutely indispen-
sable to the convenience and comfort,
aye even almost to the existence it.
self of the people Of the world. In the
far greater part Of the people OF the
world depend on cotton fabrics with
which to clothe themselves.
"Their reliance is on the Southern
States of the great American repub-
lie for that which clothes them, for
here in the South we have tile practi-
cal monopoly of the growth OF the cot
ton plant.
Great effort and vast expenditures
of treasure have been made to develop
its growth in other regions of the
worlds surface, but without success.
"The cotton in the world grown out
side of the United States has scarcely
an appreclable effect on the cotton
market. The eyes of all are on the
South's cotton. What is the American
crop going to be? What the price 1t
will likely bring? These are the ques-
lions men ask OF one another the
world over.
south Worlds CIothier.
"The South, gentlemen of the con-
vention. Is the clothier OF the world.
Let it's crop of cotton fail for three
years consecutively and the people OF
the world will go in rags and naked
ness. Suppose, now as threatened by
this pest Of the boil weevil, 1t falls
permanently; and what will the peo-
pie do for clothing? Wool and SILK
and ramie fabrics will not go round,
as staple articles of clothing, to more
than a third OF the worlds population.
Are the people TO go naked?
THAT is not too broad question
to ask. and 10 ask here and now. I'm
view of the terrible menace which
overhangs the South in this plague
of the weevil.
The cotton crop OF the South is
worth to the people of the South In
the raw six hundred millions of dollars
per annum. IL Is worth four times
that when manufactured. AS a mine
OF wealth II exceeds all the gold mines
ever discovered. The gold mines be-
come exhausted In time. The soil OF
the South that produces the cotton
does not exhaust. The cotton CROP
this mine of wealth, with it's output
OF six hundred millions has been COM
ing every year. 1t Will continue TO
come every year, only increasing an
nually, II saved from destruction by
this insect.
This cotton mine OF ours will make
the South the richest OF countries IL
preserved. II is bound 10 be so. With
the monopoly here OF the growth OF
ooffou and the danaudapeo ~ fhQ ryorId
upon IL 10 clothe It's nakedness. gold
en- stream must continue 10 flow into
the South. That golden stream turns
the balance Of the worlds trade In
favor OF the United states. II makes
as n creditor nation. Let II fail and
we become "a debtor nation. The de-
ntruction Of the Mexican boil weeyll
thus becomes great national ques-
lion, and Congress and the nation
should take hold OF a.. Let this con-
yeniiOn point the way"