The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-10-20
THE COTTON CROP.
of This Years Crop and
Duty of Cotton Growers.

Duty OF cotton Growers.
The Manufacturers Record prints
the following very timely and peril
nent comment on the situation
which is now concerning the country
probably more than anything else:
/ 1t is important that cotton should
not be sacrificed, but it is equally
as important that cotton growers
should realize that they must stand
their share of the worlds losses and
that they cannot hope to get full
prices for their staple this year.
They have raised what is probably
the largest cotton crop ever produc-
ed. and at time when the whole
business of the world is halted by
war.
Cotton growers should understand
that when they owe debts 1t Is a
matter Of honor to sell enough of
their cotton to pay these debts, even
II they have to sell below the cost
OF production. In times Of stress
and business depression, thousands
OF security holders have to sell be-
low the cost to them in order TO
meet their obligations, and millions
OF men under such conditions as now
exist have to sell their labor at n
price below its real value in order
to get the best they can. and thew
ing half loaf when they cannot get
whole one.
1t would be a sad blow to the
structive of business life and bust
ness integrity of the South If cotton
growers should be made to feel that
they are to be coddled and nursed
to a larger extent than any other
class OF people. 1t was not so with
the grain growers of the West when
wheat sold at so cents a bushel
and corn at is or 20 cents; it was
not so in Kansas when droughts
practically destroyed the work of n
whole year. These people faced the
situation with courage and overcame
their losses or pocketed their losses
and faced the future with new cour-
age
Moreover, the only possible way
to increase the production OF food
stuffs throughout the South and
lessen the acreage next year in cot
ton is by those cotton growers who
are dependent upon loans in order
to make crop learning by force of
circumstances, by the hard logic OF
facts, tina tthey cannot go on con-
centrating upon cotton IN the belief
that the whole country will again
come to their relief. Every effort
to reduce cotton acreage by legis-
lation, national or state, is, on its
face, so absurd that one wonders at
such suggestions being made by
public men. Even If 1t were possi-
BILE, 1T would be impolitic and un-
economic, for the South should raise
a moderate crop OF cotton next year.
1t cannot entirely adjust itself in
one year to abandoning cotton with
out far greater loss than to raise
moderate crop, even II it should
be sold at cost or less, for even then
the loss would be less than the loss
of complete stoppage. Many an in
dustrial plant has to run at loss
because to shut down would cause
still heavier loss.
The right OF a man to cultivate
his land and to put 1t in cotton or
In corn as may suit his own fancy,
cannot be taken from him by legisla-
ton. and IL 1t could be done 1t would
result only in disaster but men
can be taught by hard experience
that they cannot indefinitely go on
borrowing money with which to
make crop. Moreover. landowners
who encourage their tenants to raise
cotton because they know nothing
themselves except cotton, and their
name is legion, and merchants who
advance supplies on credit against
cotton to be planted, and thus prac-
tically compel the cotton grower to
buy from them his food stuffs for
man and beast at high price, and
the name of such merchants Is many
legions, must also learn that they
are now paying the penalty for the
system which they have built up.
They have builded on a foundation
OF sand, and the storm of one bad