The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-04-02
Trading Upon The
Misery of the World
Dy Z. I. Guson. Lueoff. s. c.

! -''i' -A''t'iii't, ID = ciit wv. Ai@ii- q
! Aliens communication 10 j. S. Wan
ilanal>e:'. chairman Of South Carolina
acreage reelection committee GOV.
| .iiien makes this serious charge
against the Southern people who have
clothed him &nG his icr half q cen
| tuly While tae cotton producers ii"cd;
i i, misery. The statement OF Gov
Men, Sf KANSAS. shows how neces-
z2ly it is 10 educate the balance Of
;llc world rs 10 the value of cotton
and the cost OF producing cotton.
COY. Alien speaks ~of thirty-five
cents cotton being equally as remu-
nerative as s2.27 wheat Right here
/ IS where Il great part Of the world
| gets q wrong impression. TEa unin-
formed person always takes the price
OF good cotton as (; basis for ar&t-
n.ent, never rnalizing that often.
:noss often, L Very large percentage
Of the crop is low grade cotton, made
T low grade from the effects OF wind
ana weather: tie largest percentage
coming from the sections where ex-
cess acreage Of cotton is planted and
cannot for lack of sufficient women
and children be gathered promptly.
This low grade cotton is now selling
at ten 10 twelve cents per pound be-
low the price of good cotton. This
lew grade cotton is always dead
weight about the neck OF the cotton
producer ard is always used as a
'sneans to reduce the price Of good
cotton II therefore, follows just
rs plainly as day follows hight thai
:hc> South is How and has been for
gears raising more cotton than they
can harvest without letting large
percentage OF If heavily deteriorate in
the fields.
While Gov Allen no doubt tried to
use Mr.. Wannanlakcr's invitation rs
Il spread eagle act to cover his
recent asssininc actions before con-
gress ard thereby gain some prestige
over the country generally at the
economic and moral expense OF the
Souta. still there are many honor
able and well-meanins. people who
think twenty cents per pound is i
high price for cotton. TO hcil with
Ny. Allen and the Kaiser. but 10
these others who do not know our
cotton story Jet Us explain Or situa-
ton.
In al fairness TO the cotton :a:':!?-
CT the price OF cotton ::hou*d hay
hcen' between Is and 20 cents oei'
pound for the last twenty years.
There is no crop that requires as
much hard labor rs cotton. If any
one seeks the truth it viii not be
:
a,7s, large or small, can be found in
the South who can be called rich.
Judged by today's standards? There
is not one who has made his wealth
growing cotton. Those who have
amassed a comfortable competence
growing cotton exclusively are few,
mos, Of them have made their money
largely otherwise than by growing
cotton.
Our honorable secretary Of agri-
culture is reported to have stated that
there was no such thing as the cost
Of production Of cotton. Surely there
must be an average cost Of producing
cotton and the producer should be al
lowed a reasonable profit on his vcn-
ture. lr 1916 the average cost OF
cotton from Georgetown TO the
mountains, was near 60 cents per
pound. Tie torrentia rains swept
the whole wealth OF, tho State and
thousands merely existed the follow
ing year. S,sould not the cost Of the
1916 crop work il TO an average OF
years? One might argue this was
only a local condition and should
be disrcsarded: Yet. this condition cN-
steG over all Of Alabama. part OF
C;eorr;i:l. South Carolina and Nort;i
Carolina ana this year the drought
in Texas has raised the cost OF raising;
cotton in localities 10 $ per pound.
These conditions Happen 10 ever
;Cca,;ty where cotton is grown ana
certainly & margin OF profit mus; be
accorded the producer il he is 10 i've
deccnlly and pay ;he Losses OF hl4
years out Of the income of good
years
Since cotton is raised largely by
hand labor. naturally the cost OF cot
ton depends largely upon what Il 1a;'n
wllo raises it is wiling TO work for
r ne IS satisfied 10 work fer thc nid
wages Of 30 cents per day Nl1'l cth"f
things at prc-w;r prices l. cents per
pound will let us livc. ii thc cotton
farmer demands - per day for his
time. and half as niuc;l for his "iic
and chiidren's time and with present
prices for tools. fertilizers. etc. 10
cents per pound will meet his de-
mand.
The farming lands on the Atlantic
coast are the oldest and most de-
p!e1cd lands in America. The cotton
crop. because of its clean culture. is
a great destroyer OF soil fertility.
When Kansas was 4 howline waste
so wild and fierce that tornadocS
were afraid to travel singly and Went
in pairs over the state. South caro-
lima and her eastern sister State We're
in their highest state OF fertility. TO
dav while Kansas is drawing upon her
natural resources Cher soil fertility
the cotton states are resortinS to the
use of commercial fertilizer TO grow
crops. Only one addicted to then