The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1905-03-02
To the People of Mississippi !:

!. AhC mississippi VI OiSduildttOh vi
the Southern Cotton Association
invites your attention to the neces.
sity and method of organized ef'
forts on the part of those affected
by cotton production.
The South, if its opportunitie.
are properly utilized. will become
the most favored and prosperous
agricultural part of the earth. Gil
mate. soil and seasons give it a
practical monopoly of one of the
worlds most needed products, cot.
ton. During the four years of our
civil war, when the price of cotton
reached about a dollar a ponnd,
and ever since, especially when
prices were high, all other parts of
the earth endeavored to deprive us
of our supremacy but only about
a fifth of the total yield. which
does not appreciably affect the
price, is their utmost attainment.
By proper regulations, limiting the
amount of cotton raised to what
will command rcmuneratite price,
by increasing consumption. by cut
ting off all avoidable expenses of
intermediary handling, and by ju-
|dicious marketing. the land and la
Dor employed in cotton production
can be made the most profitable of
the world. All Of this can be GER
tainly accomplished by sensible and
well organized effort. The cotton
manufacturers of all countries are
combining into one association
which will act through one set of
buyers and utterly destroy compe-
tition. By organization. cotton
producers can treat directly with
this organized body, discussing
conditions, agreeing on prices that
would be permanently remunera-
tive to both. ending gambling in
futures and artificial fluctuations of
values.
A crop Of ten or eleven million
bales is worth, now, $Ioo. 900, 900,
more than a crop of 1900, 900
bales. Had one-sixth of the time
employed in producing this crop |
been spent in idleness, cotton pro-
ducers would have been more than
500, 900, 900 the gamers. Indus
try should never be punished. nor
is it, when properly directed, nor
should idleness be encouraged. If
instead of spending one-sixth of
the time in idleness the producers
of the south had devoted that por-
ton of their energy. labor and cap
ital to other and diversified crops,
corn, forage, trucking. live stock,
ETC., our section would have been
more than $500, 900, 900 the net
gamer This proposition is mani
fest to all we'll informed people who
give the subject thought.
Some contend that FIVE cent cot
ton is better than ten cent value,
but this is delusion, unless pow
erty for cotton producers and a
starvation scate of wages and liv-
ing constitutes a public good.
Mississippi's present crop is esti-
mated at one and one-half million
bales An advance of one cent per
pound. FIVE dollars per bale, means
seven and one half million dollars
brought into our borders, chiefly
rom England, larger amount
than is needed to pay all state.
and other taxations. An
advance of four cents per pound on
4 million bale crop means $40. 700,
200 brought to US from the outside
world, and so evenly distributed
that not a man. woman or child in
our borders would not be immense
" the gamer. With just prices for
cotton the wealth of our state could
be soon doubled and its prosperity
become unsurpassed.
Organization will certainly attain
all Of this and is no more difficult
than were the formation of the coal
locomotive engineers. and
other unions, which are now In
successful operation.
Our plan of organization, pro-
mulgated at the New Orleans con-
ratified at the precincts on
Feb. nth, at the county conven-
tions on Feb. 10th. and at the state
on Feb. 2Ist, Il mod L