Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13
EUROPEAN WAR AND ITS
EFFECT ON SOUTHLAND
One Result Is to Free the South
From the Cotton
Slavery.
so THINKS BALTIMORE EDITOR
Richard Edmonds Tells The Times
Dispatch What He Thinks of New
Kind of Emancipation Proclama-
ton just Out. I'll

Dispatch What He Thinks of New
Kind of Emancipation Proclama-
ton just Out. I'll
Richard H. Edmonds. the editor of
the Manufacturers Record, has been
doing some travelling down South Of
late. He is in the habit of travelling
down here a great deal. but of late
he has been doing some special stunts.
AS result. or perhaps numerous re-
suits, of his latest Itinerary, he has
reached some conclusions, which he
sums up in the following remarks. adj
dressed to the Industrial Editor Of
The Times Dispatch:
From one end of the South to the
other there should go up song of
gladness.
Away with the pesslmist; away with
every expression OF helplessness.
Away with the spirit that placards
the country with appeals to help the
South"
Is the South beggar? Are it's peo-
pie SO weak kneed that they cannot
meet n few months of adversely with
out standing hat in hand begging aims
of the nation?
Have we been breeding race of men
with cotton strings as backbones?
How else can we explain the sudden
hysteria which swept over our coun-
try and the fear that took possession
of us? The South produces annually
over $4,000, 100000 of agriculture and
more than S5.00O.O00, 900 of manufac-
lures. forest and mineral output, or
upwards of SS,600,000,000 n year. and
yet because we had n temporary halt
Ing in cotton and because we might
possibly get few hundred million
less for cotton than last year. we for
got that the whole cotton crop, even
when 1t was worth $1,000000.000
year, was less than ne-eighth of our
total products of farm, factory and
mine. We forgot that even If we had
lost an entire cotton crop the loss
would have been less than per cent
the South's drink bill is annually equal
to at least one-half of a $1,000,000,000
cotton crop; we forgot that If for one
year tho South rcfrained from all
alcoholic drink 1t would save far more
than the total decline in The value Of
this years cotton crop, as compared
with last year; we forgot that our iron
interests were suffering far more than
our cotton, that the loss in the value
of the railroad and Industrial proper
ties Of the South, as measured by the
value of securities, was greater than
the possible loss on cotton; we forgot
that lumber operators and naval stores
operators had all faced n depression as
severe ns that in cotton.
Cotton BoLls for Brains.
our fetish because we have worshiped
cotton, have thought in terms OF cot
ton. have banked our banking and our
trade, and almost our religion, on cot
ton, we found that too many of us at
the critical moment had only cotton
strings for backbones. cotton bolls for
brains and cotton emotion for religion.
We boast of the religious life of the
South and of our faith In Almighty God,
but the very moment that adversely
comes we lose faith In God as IN our
selves. We lose self control and self
the passing cloud and forget to turn
the cloud inside out to see the silver
lining. for there is. indeed, a silver
llning-yea, a golden lining-to 1t.
We know that we have the most
richly endowed country on earth. We
know that for variety and extent of
agricultural and mineral capabilities no
other land on earth matches this
heaven-favored region; we know that
other lands not one-half so we'll en-
dowed have grown enormously rich.
and that II we are not wealthy beyond
the dreams of avarice, 1t Is because
we have not fully utilized our oppor-
tunites.
We have grown cotton and spent 1t
all for corn and flour and other food
stuffs. and for the very mules with
which to make the cotton.
EnsIavcd Ourselves With Cotton.
We have enchanted and cnslaved our
selves with cotton. instead OF produce
Ing our own foodstuffs' and raising our
own livestock With the finest advan-
tages in America for raising foodstuffs.
we buy our butter from Wisconsin,. our
-four from Milwaukee and our beef
from Chicago and Kansas City. Our
81 ,000.000.000 cotton crop money Is
largely spent for these and similar
things before the first bale has reached
the market.
And now that this lesson OF the curse
of cotton when 1t becomes a slave
driver. with the producers az the
slaves. has come to the South with
such force; let us all rejoice that the
profit In the lesson will be worth far
more than the cost. How triflng will
the loss OF a few hundred millions
seem when contrasted with the GER
tainty that IT will result in an annual
saving to tho South for all time to
come OF far more than that through
forcing us to raise our own foodstuffs.
to diversity our crops. to economize
where we had been growing cxtravn-
giant and wastcful. and to break the
chain with which cotton as king had
enslaved us.
chance to be a free man. the South
has the chance to think in other terms
than cotton, the chance to worship
another god than cotton, and so out OF
the present depression Will come
blessing OF unspeakable value to the
whole South. Let us cease to look
upon the present situation as an evil;
let us rather see in 1t that Providence,
which determined to save the South
despite itself. has permitted US to see
the evil of our fetish worship Of
cotton
Cotton ns an Autocrat
AS subject held in control and made
to do our bidding, cotton is one of
Aieaven's richest blessings to any coun-
try; as an autocrat more dominating
than any other ruler on earth, 1t is de-
structive OF our highest prosperity; it
deadens our Initiative, 1t kills our self
reliance, Ii impoverishes our soil, II
holds our progress, material, educa-
tional. religious. In check. Let us there
fore sing song of gladness that the
spell has been broken, that cotton can