The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-03-10
USE COTTONADE.
Once Popular Clothes Ought to Come
Again into Vogue.
Cotton People Favor Suggestion, but
None Wants to Bo Pioneer.
Would Benefit Section.

Inc suggestion has been made that
the people of the South should take to
wearing cotton goods, creating an in.
creased demand for the staple, and it
ls 1or cotton exchanges to put the
plan into effect and improve the con.
dition OF the market In this way.
In years gone by, cottonade was
very extensively used in the Southern
states In the manufacture uf trousers
1or summer wear and in those days
there were no such trousers worn any.
| where as were those made by the old
hand looms. From the standpoint of
comfort, durability and neatness, cot
tonade trousers are unrivalled and yet
they have completely disappeared
from the markot. Instead, the peo-
pie OF the South are spe.- ling many
millions Of dollars, buying linen
trousers which are neither SO neat nor
so generally satisfactory as were the
old-time cottonade goods. Many mills
would be established for the manufac-
ture of the goods. while thousands Of
old looms would also be brought back
into operation to supply the demand
for the cotton goods. The many
Thousand dollars which people OF the
South spend for wooden and linen
clothing would be spent for cotton
goods II the demand could be unly
created by popular fashion, and it re.
mains for the COTTON exchanges Of the
S,uth to introduce the distinctively
Southern kind Of dress.
The suggestion was recently made
by the New Orleans States that the
members of the cotton exchange in
that city should inaugurate cottonade
wearing by donning the suits them
selves and leaving it to the OF er
communities OF the South to foil "
suit. The matter has been take.
about by the New Orleans people, but
no definite steps have been tax, as
yet along the line OF the suggestion,
and 1t is yet too soon to say whcther
the suggestion will be put into prac
| tice.
The Charleston Post says: The
Charleston cotton exchange people
also refuse to commit themselves on
the proposition, preferring to wait
the action OF the New Orleans ex
changes and the other cotton b dies
nf the South. A leading mem Der OF
the Charleston cotton exchange
thought that the suggestion If cot
tonade wearing was a good one, but
he was not willing to take the f,st
step OF wearing this form OF dress or
declaring his intention to do 80. The
suggestion was q good one In his
mind, and along the lines Of great di.
vers1ficati III OF the uses Of the staple
and he could see no reason why the
superior form OF clothing should not
be adopted, but still, the wearing of
cottonade is now looked upon as an
innovation, although the goods were
formerly quite common, and he does
not think that the suggestion can be
put into practice unless general and
concerted movement along this line
should be inaugurated, and he
thought that there would be some
trouble in starting this movement,
aud getting well under way. The
agitation Of wearing cottonade should
be pressed, he said, as it offered the
only hope Of more general use OF
clothing and the more clothing of
the kind which is used the greater
the demand for the staple and larger
the benefits to the farmers and busi-
ness interests OF the South.