The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-01-27
lHEnARIBOROI IDEA||k'ETS
8 the Solution Of the Cotton
Situation say{ MeLaurin.
HAVING LITTLE FAITH

tends that all the Cotton the South
can Produce May be Sold at
Good Prices by Enlarg.
inG Our Trade.
To tho E1itor of The News and
Courier: The drops..in the,spr Of
cotton Is exciting all over the South,
and q Convention has been called in
New Orleans to consider questions re-
lating to the cotton industry. ! have
seen many remedies proposed for over
production, but have hear7 nothing
about under consumption, and herein
lies (in my.opinion) :the only perman-
ent solution Of the problem.
With proper methods Of distribu-
tion, there is room foT larger crop
Of cotton than has yet been produced
in the South. 1t is painfully appar.
ent that burning cotton, reduction Of
acreage, etc, are only temporary eX-
pedientG, and will afford nc perman.
emit relief.
Can we find newer and wider mar
kets.fOr our staple product?
That this would be a complete
remedy none can doubt, and that
such markets exist none familiar with
the question will depv.
Facing us on the other side Of the
globe are the teeming millions Of
China, and 1t was among them that
we found market for our surplus
when the large crops Of the late '90S
glutted all other markets.
Five. cent cotton proved great
stimulus to manufacturing and led to
the marvellous development from, 800
to 1900, when there was an Increase
DIN the. United States of 80 per cent,
while In South Carolina the output
from our mills ran up from ten to for
ty million dollars, finding ready mar
ket in China.
Indeed demand far outStripped pro
ductiop, and there was steady ad
vance in the price OF spot cotton un
til the China market was practically
closed by troubles in the East, anc
speculation advanced prices alnorm
ally and, Instead Of an expanding
market with advancing prices, we art
In the period Of contractir & market
with falling prices. 1t is evident that
we are facing another era OF low
priced cotton.
Can we take advantage Of the situa.
tion and create such a widcs prcad de
mand for cotton go0ds that low prices
and over-production will never be
heard Of again?
Cotton Is now below the c. st OF pro.
duction, lower by comparison than /,
has ever been before. It's natural ad.
vantages are such that If we do moth
ing 1t will take care OF itself, as i,
has in the past, hut by wisdom we
can hasten the day when the king
shall come to his own again, and this
apprehend, Is the great purpose of'u
Convention Of the cotton growers.
China is an old country, with the
stored wealth Of centuries; her people
need our cotton, particularly the
cheaper fabrics.
I heard Minister WI say once that
the question Of clothing was one OF
the greatest problems that nfrontcG
his people, but lit1le cotton Is grown
and the methods Of manufacture
primitive. They depend laSeer pFeoon
silk, and he laughingly aase1 that, SO
great was the population, that II cot,
ton were used AS In other portions OF
the world 1~and you could get leach
Chincman to add one inch to the
length of the tail OF his shirt, Ii
would consume the cotton crop OF the
South"
So far We have only touched with
our cotton trade one small section IL
North China, the exports never ex,
ceeding twenty five million dollars In
one year.
1t may seem strange that profit
or loss on an industry amounting to
s34O, 900, 900 annually should be al
fected by the loss OF an export de.
mand of 100000 or $40, 900, 900,
but the sceptical have only to refer to
the history Of the cotton trade for
1901, during the Boxer troubles, when
exports to China almost ceased to be
convinced Of the value Of our at pres
ent comparatively small Eastern
trade.
The year 1904 has demonstrated be.
yond doubt that in spite OF the boil
Weevil the South can produce crop
OF cotton far In excess Of the demands
from present markets, hence necessi
ty forces either the curtailment Of
the crop or finding newer and wider
markets.
No one familiar with present condi-
tions believes that without SC me prov
idential disaster the crop of 1905 will
be materially reduced. II the acre
age Is curtailed better cultivation and
the increased use Of fertilizer will
make up the deficiency. We have the
large profits OF two well sold crops in
our banks and as long ds we can buy
mules and guano we will make cotton.
The South now has practical mo,
nopoly in the production OF cotton.
This she should keep at all hazard,
find new markets, and make enough
cotton to supply tie world at fair
prices.
Reduction OF acreage may do to
talk, but resolutions will not reduce
1t, and believe that there will be
men In the Cotton Growers Conven-
tion VITO will take more comprehen-
siye view of the situation.
Considering that in China alone
there is a population OF 400, ,000, 600
whose trade with us per capita Is now
infiniteslmal compared with what it
Is bound to develop In the years to