The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1910-11-04
Southern Advancement.

Southern Advancement.
The south is very prosperous It's
richer than NJ any previous period Of
its history. It's hills and valleys msy
be truly said to laugh and sing. And
this general commercial and indus.
trial advancement Is due to purely
legitimate causes principally 20 the
deyelnpement Of us agricultural re.
sources.
A few years ago, when the boil wee.
VII was drst talked u, " was supposed
and confidently predicted that by this
time the South would be bankrupt,
Us lands offered for song and finding
no takers, and It's agriculture an
abandoned thing. Exactly the con
trary has happened. The prediction
has been verified In one particular
only: the boil weevil has come. 10 a
measure the remarkable prosperity OF
the South may be attributed TO the
coming OF the pest-the Invasion that
was expected TO result 10 our total
agricultural ruin The best striking
feature OF the situation Is the sudden
rise OF the South to a commanding
position as grain producer. The
cereal crop OF the South this year Is
estimated to amount to about billion
dollars. Other agricultural products,
, including cotton will raise the total
to about three billions. These figures
, sound like tale from the Arabian
Nights, but they demonstrate, as moth
Q ing else could do, the wonderful In
crease in the South's productive power,
0 It's versatility, and the success with
which its crops are marketed.
c All this great growth aud improve
ment is the work OF practically twenty
b years Prior TO that time, or ever
much later, the only question which
e engaged the thoughts OF the average
Mississippi farmer was how to pay the
IS interest on the mortgage and hay'
o enough left to buy food for his family
and farm stock. Such dream as max
5, ing fortune 1t is safe TO say, neve
entered the farmers head. Now u I
e common enough; not the making OF
great fortune, perhaps, but the achieve
d ment OF complete Independence, tn
attainment OF a competence, abilit
It to live in comfort, and even luxury
| o., rt,b Ia in fhp hu m
S, and the assurance OF safe yearly In
come from the land that cannot b
IS taken away at the caprice Of som
10 man who holds mortgage. In gettin
TO rid OF debt, Ia retiring the mortgag
and abandoning the credit system, |
st giving up the all cotton fetch an
raising the farms food on the farr
I'd the problem has been solved, and
will be the fault OF the farmers then
selves alone II they return to the oil
conditions after the boil weevil Wis
IN tation is over.
Of But, discredited as 1t may be a
OF present, 1t is useless to be blind
be the fact that cotton Is, and will r,
lie main, the chief money crop, the di'
s, tinctive southern staple. 1t Is the onl
n. case 10 the history OF agriculture |
IT, which a limited area OF country ha
vs. possessed practical monopoly OF
e. crop so valuable and important. II,
X peated efforts TO grow cotton In ever
ng quarter OF the earth that seemed IA
ed vorable to 1t have resulted in virtua
ed failure. The only spot that can cou
RS pete with the American gulf state
Dn Is the narrow strip Of fertile soil alon
le- the banks OF the Nile In Egypt. Nj
nopoly means that we have somethin
which the rest OF the world wants an
SIS hasn't got. We don't yet know I'll
he value OF our cotton. Its profits hay
j been juggled and swindled and Ran
ne 6led and manipulated out OF our hand
az for many years. The next step OF tn
r. southern farmers towards wealth wi
"a be the proper valuation of their cotto
Sc crop, their organized effort, II neces
sary, to mark 1t 1t at the figures whic
ed their intelligence tells them 1t shout
'e. bring-in other words, their awaken
Ing to the fact that they possess !
their own farms, all the means 70
n. comfortable and luxurious living, au
cd Ia addition hold In their hands a
ID almost absolute monopoly whic
properly managed, would make ther
the wealthiest agriculturists on tn
:, face OF the earth. Meridian Star.