Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-29
Women and Children Suffer.

13. The production of cotton in the
south today has caused the descend
ants of the people who fought to break
the chains Of physical slavery from
the black man to fight for the purpose
of forging the chains of slavery, OF
poverty, of illiteracy of the women and
children working in the cotton helds'
both white and black, still tighter.
Il. 1t has filled the graveyards OF
the south with men, women and little
children who existed and passed away
without necessary comforts and edu-
cation.
Is. It has created one Of the great
est gambling hells on the globe, the
New York cotton exchange, extending
its blightin5 manipulations. and
schemes throughout our nation, fat
tening and prospering the gamblers
and manipulators of the life blood OF
the toiler.
16. The production Of cotton in the
south has caused the producer to be-
come a commercial cannibal, this De
ing absolutely necessary to enable MIN
to exist. He has destroyed his fores-
trv, fleeced his soil of it's fertility, ex-
listed on his natural assets, denying
to himself and his family reasonable
hours of work and proper working
conditions, a decent home, the oppor-
tunity to play and to learn.
II. 1t has caused child labor in the
south. 1t has caused the women and
children of the south both white ano
black. to perform not only labor re-
sardless of hours, but even to perform
the manual labor of tillipg the sol
with the plow. white women and
negro women can be seen plowing the
cotton fields of the south with little
behind them scattering compost ano
performing their work from the break
of day to the twilight-underfed, i'm
poyerished, half clothed, worn ano
weary.
1S It has caused the producer OF
cotton to go without the necessar!
cotton clothing, the white man seldom
having enough to meet the require
ments of health and hygiene; the ne
gro being seldom blessed with more
than four cotton undersuits-one foi
life use. one when he joins the church
one when he marries the hrst time
and one when he is buried, this being
in excess Of the average.
Cost of Production.
requested D. H. Houston, secretar!
of agriculture, to furnish me with
detailed statement showing the cos'
of production of cotton in the soutf
for the year 1918. He has just teie'
sraphed me as follows:
"Itemized estimate Of total cost o.
production of cotton for 1918 not ye
completed. Work now being done VII
proyide basis for estimate in rev
weeks. Would be glad for your asso
citation to select committee of three u
be in Washington April 21 for specia
conference on factors to be consloere'
IN estimating cost Of producing cot
ton"
For the purpose of estimating th'
cost Of production by the producer d!
the experienced business man and o!
the experienced banker, / have select
ed various men from our state. Th'
result is aptly illustrated by the fol
lowing statements, which are in tn
line with the various statements re
ceived. These statements are from
three men Of unquestioned veracity
fine business judgment, long business
experience, and men who have beer
actively engaged in farming for over
quarter Of century; men who woni'
not purposely make a misleading state
mont even though they felt satisfied