The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-05-02
THE COST OF COTTON
To THE SOUTH
Mr.. J. S. WANNAMAkER GIVES
SURPRISING FACTS.
STATEMENTS OF FARM ERS
South Realizes Its Future Is at
Stake and Must Act
Accordingly.

chairman OF the SOutn CarOllnd wv
ton Association, upon the request OF
4 well known magazine that ne lur-
aish them with a statement showing |
the cost Of cotton to the South" sent i
them the following article:
Cost Of Cotton to the South.
First, as to the cost Of cotton TO
he South, have estimated the cost
sf cotton to the South includes the
following:
/ The production of cotton cost the
South slavery.
2. It caused the War Between the
States.
3. The production Of cotton has
drought slave labor. Regardless OF the
:act that cotton is handmade prod
act, a price has been established Oh
cotton on the basis of slave-labor,
from which price it has never been
removed.
4. It caused the South to become
cotton slaves.
5. 1t caused the South to merely e1-
list; denying to the producers the ne
.essities and comforts OF life.
6. To produce cotton and exist at
the price paid for it by the manlpu.
: iator necessitated the establishment
of starvation wages in the Soutn'
i which exist even unto today.
z. It has caused the illiteracy OF
,be South. through the manipulations
OF the cotton bears.
SIT has caused the impoverishment
and pauperism Of the South.
.. The production OF cotton mas
caused the bad roads OF the South
through the impoverishment OF the
producer by the manipulation.
10. It has driven from the rura'
communities the white man, who IS
no longer contented to exc out an ex-
istence: to deny to himself and his
family the comforts and necessities OF
life. tn work without a fair remunera-
ton.
ri. It is even driving the negro
away; he has received new vision;
he is NO longer satisfied with his un'
comfortable surroundings; he is insuf'
hciently clothed.
Has Made Other Sections Prosnerous.
.12. It has made other sections OF
the country prosperous; it has fat-
tened the bears and manipulators OF
the North; it has blessed mankind in
every SPOT of the globe where the
sun shines except in the South, where
1t has proved curse.
1s. The production Of cotton in tne
South today has caused the descend.
ants of the people who fought to
break the chains Ct physical slavery
from the black man to fight for the
purpose Of forging the chains OF
slavery, of poverty. Of illiteracy on
the women and children working in
the cotton fields, both white and
black. still tighter.
9. Il. It has filed the grave-yards Of
the. South with men. women and lit
tie children who existed and passed
away without necessities, comforts
and education.
Is. It has created one Of the great
est gambling hells on this globe. the
New York Cotton Exchange. extend
ing it's damnable and blighting Bta.
nipulations and schemes throughout
our nation; fatten!ng and prospertng
the gamblers and r,anipu1ators on the
life-blood OF the toiler.
Is. The production Of cotton III the
South has caused the producer to be-
come a commercial cannibal. this BE-
ing absolutely necessary to enable
him to exist. He has destroyed hi3
forestry. fieeced his soil of it's fer
fifty; existed on his natural assets;
denying to himself and his family
reasonable hours o. work and proper
working conditions; decent home;
the opportunity to play and to learn.
II. 1t has caused child labor in the
South. It has caused the women and
children os the South. both white and
black, to perform not only labor, re
gardless of hours. but even to per- !;
form the manual labor Of tilllng the |
soil with the plow. (White women
and colored women can be seen plow-
ing the cotton fields Of the South,
with little barefooted children plod- J
ding along behind them, scattering
compost, and performing their work
from the break of day to the twilight
impoverished, half-eloth-
ed, worn and wearv.)
1S. It has caus L the producer of
cotton to go without the necessarr
cotton clothing-the white man sell
dom having enough to meet the re-
zuiremeRts Of health and hygiene; the
negro being seldom blessed with more
han four cotton undersuits-one for
lie use. one when Re joins the church.
,ne when he marries the first time.
md one when he is buried. (Tkis be-
1g In excess Of the average.)
10 to the Cost Of Production Of Cotton
in the South.
I requested the Hon. D. H. Houston,