Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-11-23
16STH INSTALLMENT
(Thursday Morning. Jan. 2, 1862
Too Much Cotton.

16sTH INSTALLMENT
(Thursday Morning. Jan. 2, 1869
Too Much Cotton.
Cotton seems to be the great jack
o'lantern which Is destined to delude
the world. 1t promises so much to
the cultivator that it tempts him to
neglect other crops and trust to the
staple to make up all deficiencies.
But wherever this course Is followed
people are sure to learn practically
that they cannot live on cotton alone.
The south received an impressive les
son on this subject last year which
found her deficient in grain and own
ing a short cotton crop with a steady
falling market. Another country Is
now learning the same lesson. India
is suffering from a severe famine
which was caused by the delusion
mentioned above. The prospect OF
realizing an immense profit on cotton
was so tempting that the energies Of
the country were devoted to its pro-
duction to the neglect Of the rice crop
which Is the main food crop Of the
country. The consequence is that she
is bad off for something to eat and the
moral is that country ought to plant
food crops first and for money next.
No people are free from famine who
reverse this order in their agriculture.
sss
Cotton Growing.
The profit and loss account Of cot
ton planters for the year just passed
has doubtless convinced many Of
those who planted on large scale that
it's production with free labor at the
low price commanded in the markets
must result in failure. England's In
dian possessions have successfully
taken the cotton culture out Of their
hands and settled the question as to the
supply Of raw material. The question
has heretofore been the origin Of the
high price Of the article and to great
extent the fluctuations in the market.
Against the cheap production of India
cotton we have to contend with, the un-
steady labor badly controlled, a high
tax on the raw material, expensive
transportation and a high rate for
breadstuffs and other food necessi-
ties to supply the labor.
Many of those who are preparing
to plant another crop are doing so
under the apparent delusion Of better
prices and a repeal Of the tax. With
the probability Of an abundant supply
from the east, we can perceive but
little hope that better prices will soon
be commanded. AS to the repeal Of the
tax, congress manifests but little dis
position to act in the matter, and a
recent well informed correspondent
says, There is no prospect at all that
present season. A strenuous effort
will be made against the entire repeal
of the tax even for the next year"
Then are our prospects for success
for another year better than they
were for the beginning of the last?
We think not; but on the contrary,
they are far worse. Recent estimates
from experienced planters concur in
the general fact that with free labor
on good soil cotton must net the pro-
ducer about 13 cents per pound to
barely cover expenses without making
estimates for the use Of the lands.
These are unpleasant facts but as
facts they ought to teach us one Of two
things: either to abandon the culture
Of cotton altogether or to manufacture
the raw material on our own water
courses and send the fabrics to the
world unencumbered by the costs Of
transportation to Europe and back
again. Our material resources as a
section are too much crippled to even
at this time the adoption
of any such scheme as the latter and
we must therefore look gravely to the
other recourse-the abandonment Of
its growth altogether.
Our section Is rich in natural re-
sources calculated to make human life
happy. We can produce corn, oats,
wheat, rye. pinders, potatoes and nu-
merous other crops that will strew
plenty at our hearthstones and still
leave us something to exchange with
other people. We will never be able
70 live independently Of the hand Of
northern charity so long as we con-
tinue TO indulge in the silly dream OF
the past, Cotton is king" Cotton is
not nor never was king. but intelligent.
we'll directed labor will make such a
people as ours prosperous and happy.