The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-04-13
RAISE THE PRICE or COTTON
Diminished Output VIII Soon heouce
Supply and Insure Southern Farmer
Fair Remuneration.

A crop of nearly fifteen million
bales with a price of nine cents
/ pound has placed the question OF now
to raise the price of cotton in the front
rank of present-day problems, writes
L. R. Johnson of Cape Glrardeau
county, Missouri, in the Breeders va
zette. Crowds of wise physicians
have crowded around the farmer pa
tient and handed out pills and nos
trums without number. United states
senators, congressman, governors !es-
islators, editors and sundry others
have united to form most d1stn-
guished assemblange in the SICK
room. Every remedy has it's eloquent
advocates. Some of the proffered po-
lions smell strong enough to suggest
that their concoctors are WILING
speedily to kill or cure. One OF these
latter was the proposal that the states
dictate the cotton acreage on each
! farm and enforce their DEGREES WIN
an army of state constabulary. Suc,
words certainly have queer sound ~
our citadel of world democracy. Shall
we Americans follow the example OF
Brazil in making coffee government
monopoly or of Greece in her efforts
to sustain the price of currants? In
i other words, shall we attempt to put
bride and saddle on the mighty run
damental law of supply and demand
= and to exercise despotic authority
over the farm, ostensibly for the plant
er's good, for the purpose OF shaking
a mailed fist in the face Of mankind
y and declaring, This much shall you
pay and no less?
:, Whittier will the south find herseiI
as the result of such schemes? In
wilderness Of speculation, wild the
. cries, lost fortunes and social con-
:. vulsions, with perchance bloodshed
and tyranny? Let us devoutiy nope
: that she will turn away from these
- Would-be physicians and entrust her-
- self to the bene1cent operations or ex-
- listing economic laws whose authority
:, is founded on the basal character OF
man and which will eventually har-
). monize equalize, restore and heal.
10 One Of these DEGREES is to the ef-
feet that when the profits in any In
~ dustry are excessive, men are lnclteo
,ct TO Increase tL10 output W1Sh IAA0 ASS>NN1'
tn that prices are lowered, while on the
other hand, if the industry shows 9
loss instead Of gain, diminished
output will soon reduce the supply
- and raise prices to reasonable lever
These are simple words, but pregnan
i'll with a great truth. Uuless all m.
premises be wrong, 1t Is to this plain
prosalc, unsensational theoren1, al
fixed and immutable as the principles
op- Of Euclid, that the south must looI
du- for rescue from her present plight, II
ice stead Of the deadly patent prepare
ms lions that are advocated fer her.
md For many years the planter has er
lie, tertained waste like an honore
in guest. He has been guilty of the II
for credible perverslty of ignoring the u
Or limited sources of wealth that on e.
cen cry side held out inviting hands to- hi
ans Intelligence, while giving ear: only {
ap- the siren cotton. For generations
has has been idly drifting around the el
our- chanted rock, hopelessly enthrallet
find the victim Of an irresistible fascin'
ow- ton. But the Power that rules tn
ing, universe has been aroused. TW1t
bird has he nodded in disfavor of the COZ
lool timed captiyity Of the planter an
zen each time set in motion formidab
gen. forces to weaken the enchantment
the white siren. The first of thes
With was the boil Weevil to make the CT
be ture of cotton altogether impossib
b is over large areas. The second was tt
into present Improbable value, equally {
can ficacious and more powerful IN it's
N embracing extent. Combined wi
mite these, and sharpening their infiuene
ex- are the world wide high prices WIFI
ton have rendered the toll Of waste year
sim more burdensome and intolerable.
best That the planters ear is indeed
con- ing turned away from the siren vol
aaVe is increasingly evident, and we m
cad expect to see him enter upon t
with eventful era of diversity Of Gro
sing. wherein the south will rise to ley$
IN of prosperity too high for present-d
IN vision to discern. The impostor was
the will be elected from the homeste
IN forever. No longer will the impro
rom dence of the south send northWa
con- hard ea rned dollars to purchase fc
It or and meal, bacon and lard, and CIV
col the proyender OF its work stock. A
nenl with this emancipation Of the plan
from his old enchantress will co
t OF financial indenendence that Y
New o;ro hin, . new and truer concept
COL of economic affairs. No longer de
AVER or and with a free capital, he Y
ma hold or sell his curtsiled crop of {
mas ton according to his Judgment OF
anu trend of the market. The result '
be a cotton crop marketed equa
9 up throughout the year, thus employ
suits tba on1v safe sane and legitimate Y
corn - fnenro may,num nrices
t the TIVE rao,rdgn1 of natural laws
e ac- to,,t1, .,,;11 avnar;enca GRAND on,