The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-11-03
COTTON SLAVERY
DAY HAS PASSED
South Will Not Longer be in
Bondage to Oligarchy.
row, Writes Editor OF Manu-
fucturcrS' Record.
Charlotte Observer.


Charlotte Observer.
The consideration of the farmers
who will assemble here today fol
the purpose of discussing plans fol
improving the status of the cotton
industry is directed to the state
the well-known editor of The Man,
ufacturers' Record, who spent We'd
nesday night in the city en- route to
Birmingham, Ala, to attend the
meeting of the American Iron and
Steel Institute. Mr.. Edmonds was
keenly concerned in learning just
what attitude the farmers them
selves took with reference to the
present situation, whether they
were going ahead with determina-
tion to better their own condition
by cooperating with those seeking
to aid them or whether they were
sitting back and waiting until the
government or some other factor of
agency would come along and lift
from their shoulders the burden of
the present distressing situation. In
discussing the situation he did not
appear to be unduly distressed but
instead manifested most optimistic
attitude with reference to the fu-
ture. Said he:
From one end OF the South to the
other there should go up song OF
gladness.
Away with the pessimist; away
with every expression of helpless
ness.
Away with the spirit that pla-
cards the country with appeals to
help the South
rs the South a beggar? Are it's
people so weak-kneed that they can
not meet IA few months OF adversity
without standing hat in hand beg
ging aims of the nation?
Have we been breeding race Of
men with cotton strings as back
bones?
How else can we explain the sud
den hysteria which swept over our
session OF us? The South produces
annually over $4,000. 600, 600 of ag-
riculture and more than s3.5OO.
100000 of manufactures and min
eral optuut, or upwards of $500
100000 year, and yet because we
had a temporary halting in cotton
and because we might possibly get n
Few hundred million less for cotton
than last year, we forget that the
wholc cotton crop, even when IL
was worth s1,OOO,OOO a wear.
was less than one-sixth OF our total
products OF farm, factory and mine.
We forget that even IL we had lost
an entire cotton crop the loss would
have been less than per cent OF
our total wealth. We forget that
the South's drink bill is annually
equal to at least one-half OF n 81
OOO,OOO,O 900 cotton crop; we forget
that If for one year the South re-
trained from all alcoholic drink it
would save far more than the total
decline in the value of this years
cotton crop, as compared with last
year; we forget that our own in
terests were suffering far more than
our cotton that the loss in The value
Of the railroad and industrial Drop-
critics of the South as measured by
the value OF securities was greater
than the possible loss on cotton: we
Forget that lumber operators and
naval stores operators had all faced
a depression as severe as that in
cotton.
COTTON BOLLS FOR BRAINS.
But because we have made cot
ton our fetch, because we have Mor-
shipped cotton, have thought IN
terms OF cotton, have banked our
banking and our trade, and almost
our religion on cotton, 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
I'VE boast OF the religious life OF
the South and OF our faith in AL
mighty God. but the very moment
that adversely comes we lose faith in
God as i'm ourselves. We lose self.
control and self-reliance; we see only
the blackness OF the passing CLOUD
and forget to turn the cloud inside
out TO see the silver lining, for ther,
is. indeed, a silver. yea. golden
lining, to IL.