The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-02-10
FARMERS CAN WIN.
Tho Cotton Problem Discussed by
Mr. shepperson, of Boston.
Advi,eo Farmers to Hold Their Got.
" 10 HoIu 1n.ir .Cot'
ten Like stonowall Did tho
Lines Mt Bull Run.

ten Like stonewsll Did tho
Lines at Bull Run.
Mr. Alfred 3. Stleppersou, of Bus.
ton, Mass, who iS an authority on
the cotton question advises the farm
ers to hold their COTTON and they will
win the fight. Here is what he says.
Read 1t:
The farmers and merchants OF the
south who now hold cotton are con-
fronted with the fact that the yield
or the present crop has been more
than the worlds requirements of
American cotton for this season. The
price Is now somewhat less than one
nslI OF the quotations Of a year ago.
When there Is an oversupply of any
commodity and serious decline in
| price from that cause, the first sug-
gestion or common sense is to curtail
production and thereby reduce the
supply to proportion of the demand
and thus restore the price to an eauit.
able basis. This simple plan has al.
ways succeeded with cotton.
Mr. John L. McLaurin, formerly a
senator from South Carolina, in q let.
ter In the New York Sun Of 18th In.
slant, scouts the idea OF q reduction
Of acreage and urges that the grant,
Ing OF subsidies to United States ves-
sells would In some way, so vastly In.
crease our exports Of cotton goods
that the resulting greater demand fos
the raw material would take at full
prices all the cotton our country could
produce. He tells us that trade fol-
lows the flag," and Gays great op.
portunity is open to US in the intro,
duction OF our cotton goods into
China and that "a market is waiting
there which will enable us to cell 2O,-
0C0, 600 instead OF 10, 900, 600 bales of
cotton above ten cents per pound, as
1t should not be difficult to teach a
thrifty people the advantage OF cot.
ton goods"
AS a matter OF fact, cotton cloth
was manufactured in China as early
as a. D. 1850 from cotton grown In
that country, and is now the only
clothing for all seasons OF the year OF
the great majority of the Chinese
population. Cotton cloth was not
made in the United States Until more
than 500 years later. In the year
ending June 80, 1903, more than
one. half OF our exports OF cotton cloth
were to China, and In the previous
year the quantity wes over three
ffths. Our exports to China are
principally OF coarse, uubleached cot
ton cloth, OF which the chief element
Of cost Is the cotton itself.
b.r. McLaurln says that "the OBJ.
sta lie to trade with China Is lack OF
transportation" and high Efreights
There are actually greater shipping
facilities between the United States
and China aud lower rates 4 freight
THAI ever before. There are now
pro oably more vessels, and certainly
greater carrying capacity, for the
worlds commerce than at any prsvi-
GUS time. Ocean freights are exceed.
ingly low and far below the rates Of a
few years ago.
The flag" or the nationality Of the
| vessel has nothing whatever to do
with the selling OF commodities any
where. TIE only factors In the mat.
ter are the suitability of tho articles
and the refsonableness ofthe prices
den anded. II the. comm ndit.es o.
not suit tie markets ym,S..h they
are offered ihey cannot be sold to any
extent ever at very low prtcs. Our
com modities cannot be sold in foreign
markets fer any more than similar
articles from other countries.
Our flag has entered the Philippines
and Is now the flag of that country,
but trade has followed 1t at SO low q
pace that during the last fiscal yesr
the imports OF cotton goods from the
United States were only l.2 per
cent. Of the total quantity, while
Great Britain furnished 40 per cent,
Sapin Is per cent. and little Switzer-
land IA per Cent" " --
The G1iof obstacle to the increase
Of cur exports OF cotton manufactures
is the high tariff on textile machinery
and on the che meals, dyes, etc, useu
In the manufacture Of bleaohed, dyed
and printed goods. Ga account of
these tariff taxes, the equipment Of q
cotton mill here costs about so per
cent. more than in England, and the
cost OF the manufactured product is
go greatly increased that we cannot
successfully compete with European
mills anywhere outside OF the protec
tion walls surrounding our own coun-
try
Our cotton mills, II worked to their
full capacity would produce vastly
more goods than could be used in the
United States and an expansion of
foreign trade is greatly needed to
take the surplus production.
During the past season the worlds
sp!nners consumed only 100000
bales Of American cotton owing to
the high price and limited supply,
while IL, 100000 bales were consumed
In the season OF 1899 1900, when the
number OF spindles was 1880 coo less
a cablegram on the Goth instant
from MessIs. Ellison & Company OF
Liverp )ol estimates the worlds con.
sumption OF American c)tton this sea-
son at 1 327, 900 bales, and says that
European mills may take 800, 900 to
400, 900 more to add to their stocks.
1t may be safely assumed that the
worlds mills will consume fully H.
$500 bales OF American cotton.
Should they buy an average Of only
four weeks supply beyond their &C.
tual requirements, it would make
their entire purchase for the season
about ~, 22O. 600 bales.
II our commercial crop" should b,
as much as 100000 bales more than