The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-11-05
INDEPENDENCE INSTEAD OF
DEPENDENCE.

of the Southern States with repre-
sentatives Of growers of cotton. The
purpose of this convention was to
consider the actual conditions aris-
ing from the steady decline in the
price of raw cotton, predicated on
the largest yield ever recorded.
In the ending of the long discuss
ion, there was reached the conclu-
sion that the decline in the price of
the staple was not due to the pros
peetive large crop but to the too
rapid marketing of a product which
from the planting of the seed to the
picking, the ginning and the baling
requires practically ten months of
the year.
This conclusion is neither new
nor novel, since the conditions of
today have been experienced in the
past 1t is of record that whenever
there has been visible a crop prom
ising d greater increase than that Of
the preceding year, the prices have
sfuctuated to the minimum.
As panacea or remedy for
which is called over-production, the
warehouse system has been sug-
gested for the holding of cotton, in
storage, until it may be sold at fair
price. The warehouse system as
suggested was recommended years
ago by the Populist party, whose
membership comprised the tillers
of the soil, the producers of cotton,
which was then overwhelmed with
ridieule by bankers, capitalists and
some business men, as being delus-
i've and harmful in its results.
Amidst all the resolves which
have been and may be offered, it
should be borne in mind that the in
terests which must be provided
with the raw material are as we'll
if not better posted as to actual con-
diti0ns as are some of the men who
would solve the problem in speech
and address of well-flown words.
The substantial solution of the
cotton problem is dependent on the
growers of the staple Cotton should
be a surplus crop instead OF the
crop from which all the needs of |
the farm must be realized. 1t is this
ilnwise and Improbable system of
over-productien which leads to low
prices, to embarrassment, toimpoy-
erishment and frequently to ruin.
Seriously, it matters little how
conferences and conventions may
resolve in plans and in theories. The
key to economic and industrial in
dependence must rest in the reali-
cation that the farmers must be
self-sustaining and be no longer de-
pendent on the prices fixed by spec
ulation nor on the West and North
for the essentials of life which they
can we'll provide through intelli-
gent diversification of products of
their farms.
In this section of the State and
of the South the impoyerishmentl
which fellows the all-cotton system ,
has been fully realized, but from
this experience, forced through the
boil weevil, which may have come
as blessing in disguise, there is mol
longer the dependence on cotton forl
the needs of everyday life. The
farmers and the growers of cotton
who are more or less self-sustaining h
from intelligent Investigation are
enabled to hold their cotton as a
surplus from which money can bel
realized at will. I;
1t would seem senseless TO theO-
rize over the pretense that the low !
prices which prevail today are due !
% overproduction. With the in
crease of population it follows that
here should be a greater demand !
or the materials manufactured !
rom raw cotton, and therefore the
natural conclusion is that the de- :
Zine in the price of the staple is I
lue to speculation and not to over
production.
It may be conceded that these I
fluctuations are encouraged by the !
of cotton to market, but,
this agitation which is now :
seriously throughout the :
cotton states may lead to some SYST !
EN- that will prove to be beneficial
O the South. However, we hold toll
he theory that the solution of thel
problem is possible only when every d
iller Of the soil in the South will n
row cotton as a surplus instead oflil
'elying upon it for what can be pro-Il
Iided through an intelligent and 4
PRACTICAL diversification. In this re- il
pect the great majority of the Iii
armers Of this section of the State p
lave and are profiting from theiri
experience of the boll weevil and
re. IN a sense, no longer dependent b