The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1906-12-01
AN AP0STROPHE TO COTTON.
Charles Scott Tells Why
Cotton Reigns Supreme

The following tribute paid to
cotton by the Hon. Charles Scott,
in one of his speeches, has been
misquoted and misconstrued by
some people and papers; therefore,
we reproduce what he really did
say, for the benefit of our readers:
IF you ask me why the South tlevotes
so much of its time and area to a single
crop, while we pay unnecessary tribute
to our friends of the Northwest in the
purchase of corn, meat and mules (Mis-
sissippi alone spending annually. per-
haps, twenty millions of dollars in this
wav). would sav that it is because we
are all in love, nadly in love, If you
please. will, the royal cotton plant. 1t
is the most beautiful of all crops. Come
with me into the fertile fields when ma
! ture calls with the clear, voice Of spring.
The two tiny leaves of the cotton plant
look like so many twin emeralds, mill
ions of which seem to have been scat
tered by some fairy hand overnight III
long graceful, undulating rows, as tar
as the eve can reach, and as the dew
drop on each is touched by the first rays
OF the rising sun YOU see dinond whose
radiant lustre rivals the rares. gem hat
sparkled in Cleopatra's crown. AS
time goes on. and the plants develop
under the fructifying influence of gentle
rain and the genial warmth of Gods
sunny smile, your jewels disappear. to
be replaced, however. with fair fields ot
beautious flowers. The countless BIOS
SONS of red and white play hde-and-
seek with the sunbeams, darting in and
out among the green leaves, as they are
gently moved by the breeze. Later on,
when at last in the iu'lness of time. the
| mature,l boil Lursts the bonds OF it's rus
tic dress. the proud farmer gazes on it
with adulira ton OF AN ardent lover tor
his modest bride. as lie leads her to the
| ,
the holy bonds OF wedlock.
CHOP OF MARVELLOUS WORTH.
Looking at this beautiful southern
crop. who can marvel at our inlat uation!
Every Southcrnor looks OIL it with ar
dent al d.nration, aud is lully convinced
that Emerson had this crop i'll his mnd
when he beautifully sang:
Zone harvest from thy field.
Homeward bring the oxen strong;
Another crop thine acres yield.
Whicl, We gather in Il song"
But the Leautv of this marvellous crop
is only one of it's manifold charms, AS
Henry Grady has eloquentlv SAID. 1T
is gold from the instant it's puts forth
it's tin, shoot" 1t brings more foreign
coin TO American shores. let me say. than
any other single crop. The returns from
cotton alone exported from the South
in 1905, without counting the seed or
any other products, aggregated the
DrtflCeIV SUM Oi NoOSOOO,VfFs ""N'>'''
the returns from corn and wheat. III
GLIDING meal and -four, amounted i'll ag
gregate to SIPS. .679.26S. The cotton
crop. with sure and stealfast hand bal
arce of trade in favor of our beloved
coantrv, but no more than one occasion
the lroduct n, a,cer i'll Wall stree
has trembled with his financial life il
the balance, dependent upon the labo
of the stalwart, southern farmer VINO
with sunshine in his heart and indcpen
dcnee in his manly soul, was paving
court to this queenly southern plant
whose imperial position i'll the markets
of the world is easily understood ii vou
will only consider for moment some
! OF its marvellous qualities, and it's man
fold uses in universal trade.
GREAT, IT'S ADAPTABILITY.
1t can he manufactured, YOU will re
member. into cable so large and stron'
. that it would hold the Dreadnaueil
safely Mt her moriugs against the impac
of the fiercest storm that ever tested th'
stout courage of sailors heart. Or
, single pound can be made into threa'
. so frail and fine that it will extend NOR
than q thousand miles.
1t can be manufactured. as Won know
into material softer and finer than tn
musline of Dacca, sometimes called tn
"webs of woven wind" which wer
made in the Orient long years before tn
; birth of Christ, and are said, under Gel
tain conditions, to be impercepitahe t
the naked eye.
| frankly admit, my friends. that "
are too mnch ena,nOred of this roya
plant, aud it would bc well. in the future
if we would devote more attention t
other crops, though the other the cot
ton crop of the South is one i'll whic
the South has natural monopoly shoul
always be maintained.