Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-08-28

"a statement paced on the present or probable
price. if cotton producers must rush their product
to market and accept the present or lower price
as the case may be.
Must or will they elect to do that?
THE BEACON thinks not, except in a few indi.
vidual cases, for 1t Is a generally accepted fact that
not for many years past has ever a crop been made
at so small an outlay of money by the grower.
> That Is a fact due to the appearance Of the boil
weeyil in so many communities, and its near ap-
proach in so many others. which circumstance
produced an increase in Investigation of crops
and an infofced economy in their cultivation and
in home expenditures. which, however, i%nconven-
lent it made the situation to the planter, has prov
en-, in view Of the European war and the conse-
quent lowering Of the price Of the staple, a bless
ing in disguise.
Again. the situation may not in the end prove
so unfortunate as recent happenings would indi-
cate, when considered by themselves.
Every effort is being made by those branches
of our government whose powers enable them to
deal with the conditions. to relieve the situations.
The decline in the price Of cotton has been alb
normal, which is to say it has been greater than
the necessities of the case justified or warranted.
Just as the advance in the prices of American food
stuffs have been ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and out
r~ageously unmerciful-by those who possessed the
power to bring about such results.
The watchful eyes of President Wilson and of
congress are upon the situation. locating the trou-
BILE and having found it, they are acting with
promptness and intelligence to provide the remedy.
To this end, they are probing to ascertain who
is responsible for the increase in cost of the staple
products, entering into consumption by the people,
and why the unnaturally exhorbitant prices have
bee attained.
Then, too, steps have been successfully taken
OF the surplus of our American agricultural pro-
ducts, to those people beyond the Atlantic, who
ire already suffering from the want of that sur
'lus, and the foundation is being carefully planned
tr creating for the United States a merchant ma
inc which possibly may, and really ought, to make
lmeric' the mistress at the seas and of our Re-
"Iblic the greatest commercial nation on the face
Of the globe.
Nor are those the only things being done.
Wise and comprehensive measure!ares under way
which have been conceived, and are being success
fully executed, to provide the ways and the means
to enable the southern planter and farmer to hold
his cotton until better times come around, and bet
ter prices my be obtained for his staple, inHasmuch
as he will then be placed thereby in a condition to
market it at his own sweet will, and not at the de-
mand of the Shylocks of trade, and need not sell
at ruinous prices because of the lack of money to
hold his crop.
The war can not last always.
The chances are, it will be at an end in an in
credibly short time,
1t is of such gigantic proportions, and on such
an extended scale in the millions of men engaged
and the billions of ready cash needed to carry it
on, that if no sharp and decisive battle is fought
and victory won by the one side or the other at an
early date, it must come to a sudden close by rea-
son of its magnitude and the necessities OF the case
it must fall and fail of it's own weight.
If not quickly decided Oh terms dictated by the
eagles of victory, the end must ere long come by
reason of the impossibility of procuring the sup
plies, the materials for subsistence, for its contin-
uance.
If victory or diplomacy can not bring about a
peace before many months shall go by, then, in
deed, the irremediable dissolution of armies: in
the disarmament or desertion of legions; and. for
unlimited power and lust of conquest, chaos will
be substituted.
And Wnen chaos comes what then?
After the deluge, what next?
Reconstruction and rehabilitation.
New %alignments; new territorial limits; a new
map of Europe.
Fewer thrones, and greater liberty; less mon
archical power and more freedom, if not fewer
Kingdoms and more Republics.
And then?
Our Republic-the Republic of the United
States-an more especially the southern portion
where land abounds and cheap homes in the best
climate and on the most productive soil the sun
shines upon will feel the effects.