The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-04
For Good of
 the Community
King Cotton Is Kindly Soul, But He Must Not Be Expected 10 Do It AN---Debt Is the
 Worst Thing

THE children sing "Old King Cole was a
 "A merry old soul, and merry old soul was he" They might now paraphrase that by chanting "Old King Cotton is a kind old soul and kind old soul was he.' He put a half billion of dollars of money in the hands of the southern people in ten days
 The merriest old souls must not be expected to exude merrment all the time. The kind f Hest old soul must not be asked to forever shower acts of unreciprocated kindliness. The only thing on earth that gives all and asks nothing is mother love.
 The kline and the sheep, the corn and the wheat, the fruits, the birds and bees, soil and climate, water and air are the servants of man. kind. They serve according as they are used. That is mans lesson to learn. Just so soon as he places any of them in the miracle class, dis appointment is knocking at the lintel of his effort
 But what has cotton done? It has built I'D wonderful milling industry in the south. Hun dreds of thousands of men and women live by that industry. Like others it had it's crude be- ginning. Like others it has become humane and kindly.
 | map of nations. Only 40 per cent of the cot ton raised in America is consumed in America. The world buys the rest of 1t and sends it's money back in return. For generations we leaned our entire weight on cotton. Is it won der that kindlyold Cotton sometimes fell to his knees under that overload?
 In Africa black runner given message to carry across dry and barren distances will reach the goal if the water and food which he takes with him lasts. But he drinks as much as he wishes when heFis thirsty and eats as much as he desires when he is hungry; sleeps as long as he feels like doing so. He treasures neither food nor drink. Often his bones mark the halfway path.
 Man makes little progress in the tropics, be. none in the arctic zones because it is too rigo- rous He reaches the best in him in the temper ate zones where eXertion is necessary, but exer- tion and intelligence give him fair return. | There are famines in India with undeveloped wealth at hand that should avoid famines Afr can villages are wiped out because they care not for the morrow One scorchng wind blis- terng the scant crop of maize will obliterate al petty king and his people. One should not ask more of nature than he does of men.
 Iron and coal are servants of men. Their juxtaposition in Alabama has caused great city to arise Not always do coal and iron yield bounteous return, but, in the end, they do y yield generous average to those who treat them with intelligence. They are not expected to work miracles. They have been exploited on the law of averages and responded to those who stuck. Those who asked wonders of iron, coal and steel have not lasted long. \
 The whole human scheme is based on deserv- ing what one gets. If King Cotton poured wealth year in and year out into the lap of the of limitations applies there as in other paths There is no easy road to success. Gold is blast ed out of stubborn rock and hundreds fail to find it where many search.
 II King Cotton is kindly. Just as kindly as southern cattle and swine, corn and beans and I,,%I o% J o11 Ia;