The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-10-28
manufacturers Record)

LOO, 100000 there are one billion
people of whom three-fourths are
only partly clothed and one-four.h
wholly Gnclothed.
The advancement of civilization
is marked by the amount of clothes
that are worn. and in this respect
the south's cotton measures to a
large extent the progress Of civil-,
iza ton. It was well said many
years ago that the missionary Of
the gospel, as he penetrates the
wi1ds of Africa and opens up to
modern conditions the isles of the
sea, is an advance agent for Amer
lean cotton. since an increased con-
sumption of cotton goods goes
hand in hand with religious and
educational progress.
The south could live without the
production of cotton. It's farmers
could turn to diversified agriculture,
and make as large profit as they
can possibly make III raising cot.
ton, even. at much higher prices
than those now prevailing. It
would have been a blessing to the
south If it had never raised bale
of cotton, for then it would have
been the center of diversified agri-
culture in this country. It would
have grown rich on diversified
farming and on the vast industrial
development which would have
made this, section the center. of
manufacturing in America long be-
fore this. if it had not been that
cotton proved its curse.
The growth of cotton resulted in
the spread of slavery, and slavery
enchained the south to a false sys-
tenn Of economic development. To
the south as a whole slavery and
cotton proved "a curse beyond the
power of words to express. but cot
ton produced by slave labor
brought untold blessings to the rest
of the world. sA.distinguished Eng
lish historian well said that the
cotton industry: of Great Britain
made possible England's ability to
recover financially from the fear
full cost of the Napoleonic wars.
but while the south was thus bless
ing the rest of the world it was be
ing robbed of its own birthright::
Following the Civil War, which
came about largely as a result OF
the economic theories developed by
the raising Of cotton by slave labor,
the south was in deep and desper-
ate poverty. and the financial and
cotton forces of the world We're
then concentrated to keep cotton at
a price which enslaved the cotton
growers, whites and blacks. to a far
greater extent than the slavery of
the blacks prior to 1860.
(. Every man who has sought to
break down the price of cotton.
has to the extent of his ability
used his influence to bring great.
poverty and suffering to the cot
ton growers of the south. To the.
influence of such people is due the
fact that hundreds of thousands
of women work in the cotton
fields: that hundreds Of thousands
of children are without education,
because they, too, must work in the
cotton fields. Cotton has been
raised through the slavery not only
of the white and the black men.
but of the white: and black wo-'
men and children, and yet there are
some cotton manufacturers in this
country, who like European cotton
manufacturers. view with the ut
most horror any effort on the
part of southern cotton growers to
get a living price for their work.
AS the cotton mill people OF the
south, and some from other sec
tions, meet and mingle with textile
machinery manufacturers and cot
ton growers and cotton mill opera
tives at the Greenvilie Exposition
now open. they should remember
that it is just as essential. from the
business as well as from the ethical
point of view, that they do all IN
their power to benefit the cotton
grower as it is to help make COM
Portable the surroundings of the cot.
ton mill operative. The cotton grow.
err indeed is in one sense an en-
ploye of the cotton mill. He Is
simply producing cotton for the
benefit of the mill, without which
the mills would close. He is the
associate, the co-worker, the par
ner of the mill owner and the
stock holder in the mill. and of
the mill operatives. The mill own
er or stockholder who fails to real
ize that he has just as great re-
sponsibility to the cotton grower
as 20 the mill operatives Is short
sighted. even when viewed from
the purely selfish standpoint. Tn,
less the cotton manufacturers. not
only the managers of mills. but
the stockholders in mills. take a
vital, living interest il bettering the
condition of cotton growers: unless
they endeavor to see that better
homes are provided for them: that
Il better price is secured for their
cotton, they will be just as Eecreant
to their moral responsibilities and
to the welfare of their industries
as they would be if they continued
to permit their operatives to live
in huts on starvation wage basis.
caring not for their moral or ply
sical well-being.