The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-04-05

The present N.ethod OF shipping cot
ton from the gin to a central cc!I1-
press is wasteful in the c:xtrc::le. II
wastes car space. it adds to the cost
of the cotton in reaching the con-
surcer, and it burdens the grower
With unnecessary expenses and never
should have been permitted to con-
tsflue to the present time.
Improved ba!fng OF cotton should DC
devised. American cotton is more bar
barous!y baled ard handled than any
other cotton produced in the world. 1t
is a lamcnta bic fact that even III
India ana Egypt the cotton baling and
cotton handling methods are far and
away above the methods used IN the
South.
we have made practically no mate
rial progress in handling the cotton
trade in the last 100 years. while the
handling OF every other product in
the world has been revolutioniZca.
After the close Of the civil war
money lenders fastened upon the cot
ton interests of the South with the
curse OF the all-cotton system, by
lending money freely to cotton grow
ers even in advance OF the seed being
put into the ground, and yet rcfus-
ing to lend money on any other crop.
Connected with this large proper
ton of these moneylenders were in
terested in supplying foodstuffs ana
fecdsruffs to the cotton growers. and
thus they were doubly interested IN
forcing the South to grow cotton and
in keeping 1t from, growing its OWE
foodstuffs. In this way they could
lend money TO the cotton grower at
an nornlous rate of interest and COM
pei hin, to depend upon them for
sold at an cSorb;tant profit as ccul-
pared with cash prices.
With such {, system Of slavery tied
around the cotton-srowing interests
n slavery which in effect was almost
2s bad as the slavery Of the negro,
It was for many years well-nigh i'm
possible for the South to turn to the
conditions existing prior to 1850 in
which q very large proportion Of this
section was self-supporting in the
matter of food.tuffs through we'll
EOUIlOeC lCtIIlu! <tl SSIOtIiI.S4il.
The production Of cotton which
should be an exceedingly profitable.
business for the South has for 100
years proved 4 curse to this section.
It tied the South TO slavery from the
beginning Of the cotton industry until
1850 and after 1865 it tied the entire
farm interests to the slavery Of cot
ton which Il has been well-nigh inn
possible to break.
/ believe that the South should so
organize it's cotton industry that i
VIII be able TO pay & good living wage
TO e.'ery Farm hand, and provide for
these hands comfortable honaca IN
place oi the almost un:nhabitablc nuts
in which Many Of them now live. This
is the primary step toward the up
building and the bettcr,nent Of the
moral. educational and financial coz
dieEon Of whites and blacks alike
who are tenant farmers. or rs farm
,aeorers. have had to bear the bur
dcn- OF raising cotton through the
,ln!p Of their wives and children, and
seF it 1T Il price which gave them
Only :; bare existence. Th: world
,nu:, be educated 10 these facts. IT
IL aSt be E.ade, TO HncS; that. the c.it;-
c.su9s aimed ~ ii!;terucy in the South
should be aimed at every cotton buy
er wherever he u,ay be located who
has SOUGHT to hold down the price
cf cotton, for THO cotton bear is re-
sponsible for the South's illite-acy
and she inlpoyeriShmc2t OF its poorer
classes. and for its Inability TO MAIN
tain adequate. educational facilities.
The cotton bear has done infinitely
more harm to civil!Z2Ion than the
sllre owner Of ottien days wac ever
guilty Of doing. II %.c can thus thor
oughsy impress Upon the people OF
tho North and West and upon every
body IN the South. that low-priced
cottoa means continued illiteracy.
continued poverty, poverty as gall
ing a.s was slavery 20 the negro.
:here Will come a rcvuIsion Of public
sentiment, and people everywhere will
begin to recognize that he who has
sought to beat down the price of cot
son has sought 10 cnslavc the body
and souls of millions Of people.
This IS a part Of the fight that the
South must rl;iAc to bring about {,
better understanding OF III" meaning
Of lowpriced cotton. Il must in this
fight present the moral side Of the
situation and its influence upon ma
tional life TO The people OF New Eng
:ana and to the people Of the West.
= The South has tried 70 cultivate too
.i1uch cotton land 1t needs to reduce
It's acreage and at ,li- same time in
tensity the fertility and the cu!tiva-
1fcn Of this smaller acreage There is
;as. more profit in large Yield oii
g small acreage than there is a smal!
Weld or & big acreage.
Primarily the South should turn
- the antc-bellurl conditions Of rails
ing it's own food and its feedstuifs.
.nd the land given 10 grain and 9TH
.:r crops should likewise be intensive
]. fortified and cultivated. l believe
It would be possible TO produce under
t:i:a sststl:, f.!1los, tx mach rs the
Sout!; row produces Of all farm prod
ucts. using one-haif Of the acreage
that is 1T prcscn; under cultivation.