The Atlanta constitution. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, August 31, 1903, Page 7, Image 7

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economics of plantation. h By Ulrich Bonnell Phillips, Ph. D., I nstructor. in History in the Univer |' sity of Wisconsin. JI Since the end of the civil war there has been in the south a tendency toward Sthe multiplication of small holdings of land, which has been thought to promise the disappearance of all the plantations. But a more careful study if the general problem will show that the tendencies in the unsettled periods of reconstruc tion and later were probably of tempo rary character, and that something like the old plantation will be established as the predomlaapt type of agricultural or ganization In the south for the future. The plantation was evolved in early colonial Virginia as the most efficient system for growing tobacco. That was before African slaves were imported in any appreciable numbers. The negroes were soon found to fit in admirably with the plantation arrangements. A similar system was established in the Carolina districts producing rice and indigo, nod tn the sugar cane fields of Louisiana. Finally the invention of the cotton gin and the extension of cotton culture into the uplands carried the plantation into the whole of the staple producing south. Wrprever the land was adapted to to bggco, rice, indigo, sugar or cotton, the plantation wo nthe victory over the small farm. It was the survival of the fittest. The involuntary servitude of the laborers j was merely an incident. There is no es sential reason why the freedom of the slaves should destroy the plantations. Conditions of the Problem. The conditions of the problem in south ern agriculture were and remain as fol lows: 1. Abundance of land. 2. Money crops, with uncertain money returns. 3. Ignorant and unenterprising labor, and 4. A large number of efficient managers of agricultural labor, who are usually also the owners of the soil and of such capital as exists. The problem is how to organize this labor under the existing conditions to secure the best returns. In former times the plantation system was developed as the most efficient for the purpose, and today it is not at oil clear that the usefulness of that system has departed. The plantation system was the applica tion of manufacturing or capitalistic methods to agricutural industry. He owned the land, he planned the work of the year, and be saw to it that the work was done. His problem was to lay out the fields for the best return, to keep his laborers profitably at. work in all sea sons, to guard against the overworking of his laborers or his mules, and to watch receipts and expenditures with un eye for economy. If the planter failed in any of these requirements, he lost his wages <’ of superintendence. If he allowed ex penditures to exceed receipts, he lost first. Ins profits, then his rent and finally his 1 capital. By overworking his land, his I mules or his laborers, to their injury, j he might secure a greater return for one year, but was sure to be the loser in the long run. in a normal period a small farm could not compete with a well managed plan tation in the production of the staples. A man who is able to manage a small farm to advantage is usually able to superintend the labor of others in his line of work. Wages of efficient superintend ence are always much higher than the wages of mere labor. The tendency, then, in the staple regions where addi tional labor was to la had, was for the »uccessful farmer to establish himself as a planter When an independent artisan becomes a foreman in a factory or ad vances further to the ownership and su perintendence of a mill, lie does no wrong to the other artisans or to the factory operatives. By his efficient work on the large scale he serves the whole worla better than before. The advance of a plowman into efficient plantation management and ownership causes a net increase in prduction, with a lowering cost, and usually also means a better ment for the laborers under him. No Hardship for the Negro. The plantation system in the south can be no hardship for the negro. if his wages are low and the wages of super intendence high, it is because th.- laborer is careless and slovenly, and th..- risk of loss is great. The capable mulatto, ‘ and even the exceptional negro under present conditions, may hope to advance by thrift, from the status of a hired plow > man or an independent farmer to become an overseer or the owner and a mana ger of a plantation. In the reconstruction period there was < a complete upheaval in the system of southern industry. With the manager dead in battle, with labor disorganized, and with capital vanished from the lan.l, seme new arrangement had to be de vised. As a rule the negroes became tenants, either on the basis of giving a share of t<he crop for the use of the land .;.W ;: WA '■ • ■ £’ The mirror never flatters; it tells truth, no matter how much it may hurt the . !&,/■ & pride or how humiliating and disagreeable \ ,b the reflections. A red. rough skin is fatal beauty, and blackheads, blotches and pimples j ■ are ruinous to the complexion, and no wonder such Ss^htX-,.... -j9 i | desperate efforts are made to hide these blemishes, and 7/' I cover over the delects, and some never stop to consider \ 'H'/// ij the danger in skin foods, face lotions, soaps, salves i'/ ' d and poy’ders, but apply them vigorously and often with out regard to consequences, and many complexions are ruined by the chemicals and poisons contained in these cosmetics. Skin diseases are due to internal causes, to humors and poisons iu the blood, and to attempt a cure by exter- nal treatment is an endless, hopeless j task. Some simple wash or ointment with a severs Nettle-rash. • „ ~1.- About twelve years ago I started is often beneficial when the skin is using' 3. 8 S., and after taking three much inflamed or itches, but vou can’t bottles I felt myself cured and have depend upon local remedies for perma- tS’dw nent relief, for the blood is continually that line. My general health has throwing off impurities which irritate s. ns a good mood medicin? and and clog the glands and pores of all round tonic, Yours truly, the skin, and as long as the blood re- Mrs - ** mains unhealthy, just so long will the * eruptions last. To effectually and per- Some two years ago I suffered a r , , . J , / creat deal, caused on aoc/unt of baa manently cure skin troubles the blood blood. Small rash or pimplea broke must be purified and the system out over my body and kept getting' , J , , i -tx 1 worso day by day for over a year. thoroughly cleansed and builc up, and Seeing - s. 3. 8. advertised in the pa- S. S. S.. the well known blood purifier pers and having- heard also it had , , ; • 1 -4. cured several people m this city, and tonic, is acknowledged superior to concluded to give it a fail’ trial, all other remedies for this purpose. It After using'the medicine for come . ~ , 4. 3 i » time, taking m all six bottles, 1 was is the only guaranteed strictly vegeta- entii’ely cured. ble blood remedy. It never deranges EDWARD S? . the system or impairs the digestion I like Potash and Arsenic and drugs of this character, but aids in the digestion and assimi’a 1 An of food and improves the appetite. Being a blood purifier j —and tonic combined, £he humors and poi ‘ sons are counteracted and the blood made f j CL an< * P urc > an< l at the same time the .general health and system is rapidly built B U P. g° o( l health is established, and this, after all, is the secret of a smooth, '-mskS* so ft s kin and beautiful complexion. If you have any skin trouble send for our free book, “ The Skin and Its Ik T Wftff SWIFT SPECIFIC CO., A TLAHTA, GA, and stock, or on the basis of a rental in money or in cototn. By industry and economy, a number of the negroes have been able to buy land and mules of their own, but the great majority remain rent ers or croppers today. A large number even of those who own their farms are in a chronic state of debt to the merchants who furnish their supplies. These mer chants require this class of debtois to plant a given amount of land in a money crop, and they often employ inspectors to see to it that the crops are kept in adequate cultivation. Thus they make sure that the debtor will be able to settle his account in lull or in part when the crop is sold. In good years the farmer is able to pay off his current debts and perhaps has a surplus left on hand, but when crops are bad or prices are low a mortgage must usually bp made in oi dei to secure the advance ot supplies I<U another year. A second year ol lailure may establish the merchant as an un willing landholder, and the debtor as his tenant. Renting or Cropping But Temporary The present system of renting or crop ping can be but temporary. Under it the neen> is superintended in but a half hearted way. Whenever he fails to raise a good crop and to sell it at a good price, h . involves his landlord and his creditors with himself in a common embarrass ment. Furthermore, the average negro cannot maintain himself as an indepen dent farmer, because his ignorance, in dolence and instability prevent him irom managing his own labor in an efficient The most promising solution for the problem is the reestablishment of the old plantation system, with some form of hired labor instead of slave labor. lhe whole tendency of American industry Is toward organization for more efficient management. It is a dead loss for a good manager to have no managing to do. It is also a dead loss for a laborer who needs management to have no man agement. The most successful grain farms in the west are really plantations, where great gangs of men and machines work under a single direction. A system of small farms in the south would be an unprofitable reaction from a. better sys tem in the past. It. would be a lessening of the net output in the staples and in 'he grain, meat and dairy products. It is necessary to bring southern industry in agriculture as well as in manufactur ing to a modern progressive basis; and the plantation system seems to be the most efficient for the purpose. For the last thirty-five years the most progressive men in the country distiicts of the soutii have been moving to near-by towns or to the nori hern cities. This 1 is disastrous to agriculture and a reverse tendency should be set at work. I nder ! th.- present regime, a hundred schools ot agriculture and dairying would do little good, for the farmer boy now goes to college only in order to leave the farm tor good Efficient managers can be at tracted back to the soil only by some arrangement which will offer promising opportunities for management. A new plantation system must offer profitable, and attractive careers to well equipped men or the pine thicket and the sedge field will continue to be conspicuous fea tures of the landscape in the cotton belt, wasteful methods will continue in use, and the southern farmers and southern merchants will ever lag behind those of the north and the west. The colleges of agriculture in Wisconsin. Nebraska and California have demands always pouring in for twice or thrice as many men as they . in equip to fill the attractive po sitions which are offered upon the large farms in need of managers. In Georgia the eolleg. ot agriculture has for decades been without students, because the sys tem of renters and croppers ami small farmers has prevented the rise of any de mand for agricultural managers. Model Plantation in the South. Yet there already exists a tendency for betterment in the south There are several colleges of agriculture, like that of Tennessee, which are drawing a fair number of students; and the prosperity ot these schools indicates that the soil is efficiently demanding a number of trained managers. Model plantations are to lie found here and there, which are most attractive as patterns. There are planters in th.- Georgia cotton belt, tor instance, who have conquered the disin tegrating tendencies, and who at this day conduct large plantations upon the old system of management, but with hired labor. A few of these planta tions are survivals from the ante bellum period. Others have been organ ized as n* w enterprises by rm"n of natural or inhi riti d ability for plantation man agement. I am acquainted with a gentleman, born THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION: ATLANTA, GA., MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1903. and reared upon a cotton plantation in Troup county, Georgia, who moved to Montgomery, Ala., upon reaching man hood, and established himself in business He achieved moderate success, but al ways felt that yearning for the soil which is felt by so many southerners away from the plantation. At length lie resolved to return to the country and apply, with hired labor, the, methods of cotton rais ing which ills father had applied in ante bellum days. He bought a tract of land in the Alabama cotton belt, built com fortable cabins, hired several negro fam ilies, selected the best of modern imple ments and fertilizers, and by good man agement made such a success that cap italists have offered to buy an unlimited amount of land for him if lie will under take to organize upon it a modern plan tation system. A number of other men have received instruction from his ex ample, ami his whole community is tend ing to change from the renting and crop ping system to the system of the planta tion. This is not an isolated case, but seems to be an earnest of a general move ment. The great new peach orchards of middle Georgia further illustrate 1 lie re cent. tendency toward the plantation sys tem and its adaptation to a variety of crops. Would Bring' Order Out of Chaos. When the plantation comes to be re established predominantly in the fertile parts of tin south, it will bring order out of the existing chaos. By introducing system in place of haphazard work, it will lower the cost of production, in crease the output, and enable the south to produce a greater amount of its food and other needed supplies. It will infuse a spirit of thrift into the southern com munity, for the competition of plantation managers for the market will not permit of indolence. The plantation system offers to the soutn the best means of offsetting the ignorance and laziness of the negro laborers. It offers profitable work for blacksmiths, engineers, millers, carpenters and other artisans. As in a factory or a great busi ness concern, (he system, when thorough ly developed, will put a premium upon ability and enterprise. Capable men will be promoted to responsible positions. And yet it need not involve any hardship upon the ordinary laborer, further than the requirement of regul.7.' hours ot work. Under present conditions the average ne gro cropper or renter lives from hand to mouth with an extremely low standard ot living. Money wages would bo much b< t tor. Savings facilities could well be estab lished, and perhaps also a profit-sharing system. The unenterprising whites would be drawn off to the factories, or they would continue as small farmers, learn ing improved methods from the neighbor ing plantations. Experience Has Taught. The great fault of the ante-bellum sys tem of plantations lay in its excessive devotion to the staple crops, and in its discouragement of manufacturing anil other forms of industry. But the experi •n< c of 1.1 ter years has destroyed the belief in the omnipotence of raw cotton. The planter of today and tomorrow must accept his place as only one ot many captains of industry, without expecting to become the autocratic master of pro duction or ot politics in the eountiy. Any modern system must take a tone from the active, pushing world of today; but in essentials the plantations of old could again look with hope to the system v.im 1. produced th. line type of the south ern gentlemen of the old regime. lie pre-, ut heterogeneous conditions can only be transitional. The- prevalence ot small farms would be the prevalence of medi ocrity and stagnation. The hope ot the soul li is in the application of the prineipu* of ihe division of labor to agricultural production. Opium, Morphine—Frea Treatment. Painless home cure guaranteed. 1* reo trial. Dr. Tucker, Atlanta, Ga. METHODS OF DESTROYING THE COTTON CATERPILLAR \S the result of many inquiries as to the methods of getting rid of the cotton caterpillar, which has be. n doing so much damage to the plant, particularly in the southwestern part of the state, Commissioner of Agriculture O. B. Stevens has had prepared a letter which he is sending out to all who write lor information on this line. The letter says in part; "Th? larvae, or caterpillars, have bit ing mouth-parts and hence can be killed oniy by poisoning the cotton foliage with sonic substance, which, when eaten, will knf the caterpillars. ■Two substances ire largely used for this purpose, arsenate of lead and parts green. "Spraying—Where the cotton is not too large, and a knapsack sprayer is avail able, tile cotton may be sprayed with either of the following mixtures: "I. Arsenate of lead, pounds; water, 50 gallons. The arsenate of had should be first thoroughly mixed with a small amount ol water ami this solution then added to the barrel i»0 gallons) of water ami thoroughly mixed. It should lie kept tuoroughly stirred and agitated while in use. as lhe arsenate will settle to the bottom if allowed to stand lor any con siderable length of time. “2. Paris green, three-quarters of a pound; lime, .1 1-2 pounds; water, 50. gal lons. This mixture, like the above, should be kept thoroughly stirred and when placed in the knapsack sprayer should be strained through a fine wire gauze strainer or a loose-mesh cloth, in order to prevent, particles of the lime getting into the nozzle and clogging it up. "The use, of large barrel purnps, mount ed upon a wagon or cart, is not prac ticable in cotton fields at this season of tile year, as considerable cotton will be destroyed by the wheels and mules. With the use of the knapsack pump upon small sized cotton, each hand can spray from 1 to 6 acres per clay. . . . I "Dusting—The most rapid method of ■ distributing poison, as well as the cheap- I est. is that of dusting the plants with I parts green. For this purpose construct a dusting machine as follows: From a 1-inch board cut out a piece 4 1-2 feet long by 3 inches wide, and bore an inch and a half auger hole 5 inches from each end. Now make two sacks of unbleache.i cotton sheeting, each sack alxiut 5 inches wide by 15 inches long, closed at the ends and open along one side. We have found unstarched sheeting, running about 4 yards to the pound, to be the best for this purpose. Tack the open edges of the sack to tin? end and sides of the board above mentioned in such away that each sack is suspended below one of the auger boles. This gives us a. board with a sack attached to each encl, with convenient holes for filling the sacks, and which can be readily car ried in one hand. "Make a mixture of one part paris green and four parts of air-slaked lime, being careful to see that the mixture is perfect and entirely dry. The board when in use should be carried diagonally across the row, in such a manner that both sides of the row will be well dusted. The operator walks along the row, shak ing the board vigorously- enough to scat ter the dust freely upon both sides of the plant, as well as upon the growing tips. Where the rows are not too far apart, a duster of this kind can be car ried in each hand and two rows thus dusted at once." ALTAR OF CHURCH ROBBED. Crucifix and Gold and Silver Vessels Taken. Danville. Ills,, August 25.—After the congregation of St. Josephs Unman Cath olic church had assembled for mass early this morning it was discovered that bur glars during the night had robbed the altar of the crucifix and of gold nnd sil ver vessels. Services were adjourned and held later In St- Elizabeth hospital. (Communicated.) THE MILL MEN TO THE PEOPLE. A STATEMENT ISSUED CONCERNING THE AGITATION OVER MILL LABOR LAWS. To the People of Georgia: In behalf of one of the greatest industries in the state of Georgia, we desire to take advantage of the present freedom from political i xiiiemcnt to again appeal to the conserv tivc judgnicnt and business sinse of the state. The mill development which has progressed so rapidly 1 nthe south, rind es pccfaly in Georgia, during receio years, and which has stegh a poi< nt fac tor in securing- for the farmers higher prices for their cott. n, is periodically at tacked and menaced about the lime of the meeting of each session of the legisla ture. Representing these interests, we know there is nothing to fear from a full dis cussion of the facts, and, forth- r, that ihe fair, conservative business men of this state, the farmers and the great /asses ol the people, are with us. These at tacks come from the large citi' s. and a few counties, in all of which labor un ions arc organized and meddling in poli ties. Our only dan«J' l> es * n the combina tion between these in.bor unions and de signing. scheming politicians—especially the class that is always seeking for the spectacular and sensational. This was espetiaJ'y demonstrated at lhe last session of the. legislature. Major J. F. Hanson, by invitation, made an able, conservative business presentation of the question to the legislature, and by com parison with their former coaJition show ed that the mill employees of this state are distinctly bettered ..by their employ ment; that Jhe rules ea£orced by the mills about the working of chihlr n are wise, and all that arc necessary. and that the true policy of the stall-, instead of harassing, should ba to encourage these industries. Instead of meeting this with argument the parlies agitating tbesy; tm i -iires re plied in highly sensational harangues dealing largely in personalities. ’The legislators who patiently and thoroughly investigated the whole sub ject before their committees, heard every body that desired to prevent any views, and after two days' discussion in the open house, for the second time over whelmingly defeated the proposed meas ure. This defeat so embitteri|l some of he labor union members of the legisla ture, that lhe cry of lobbying w is raised against the mill men. When the lobby in vestigation was up it developed that the mill men had not employed a single at torney. nor any one else, but had ex . raised their rights as citizens of Georgia to appear before the committee and op , use these, measures. It was clearly shown that not one cent was spen . and no improper methods resorted to by the mill men. It further developed that there was voted an appropriation by th- na tional federation of trades then in ses sion in New Orleans, to pass this bill, and Messrs. Houston and Kilburn, two •tembers of the legislature, instruct'd to draw for the same, the money actually being drawn by Houston. It w is further ■hown that the local labor union of At lanta gave what is known as a srnoket io the legislature in behalf of the child iifbor bill, to which th I legislature was invited ami at which beer, refreshments, etc., were served. Tr.ese same parties are agitating for oth er legislation, and there are now pending before the Georgia legislature bills pro posing to limit the hours of woik in I'ac .ories, ami as soon as any . iieouragement ■■■in be secured by the pa...--<gc- 01. these measures, a proposition will come for a labor bureau, presided over by a labor delegate, to travel about -,vcr the state at the public expense, for the purpose of stirring up strife between employees and their employers, amt igitating further legislation discriminating against the mills. We warn these counties who are .'elect ing these political labor union members to represent them in the legislature and who are sending representatives there to se cure their seats by committing themselves in advance to support all the schemes for RISE IN COTTON JUSTIFIED SAYS GENERAL M. C. BUTLER (From The Now York Sun.) G eneral m. c. butler, for a numbei of years United States sen ator from South Carolina and a major general during the Spanish war by appointment of President McKinley, is at the Waldorf-Astoria and will be in the city for several days. He goes from here to Newport on the invitation of his cousin, P rry Belmont. General Butler bus been engaged in cot ton planting ever since he came of age and has owned his plantations for thirty years. Since his retirement from the United States senate he has devoted par ticular attention to the subject of cotton growing and is regarded as one of the most progressive and best informed men in the south regarding cotton. A reporter asked General M. Butler yesterday if ho had seen a st.itement u&oiv Shattered Nerves and WeaK Heart. Too Nervous to Sleep or EVest. Dr.Miles’Heart Cure and Nervine Cured Me. A shattered nervous system nearly always leads to some affection of the heart, espec ially where the patient's heart is weak from hereditary or other causes. Dr. Miles’ Heart Cure is not only a great heart regulator, but it is a blood tonic which speedily corrects and regulates the heart’s action, enriches the blood and improves the circulation. It will build you up just as it did Mr. Crawford whose letter follows, and greatly improve your general health: "I have been so greatly benefited by Dr. Miles' Nervine and Heart Cure that I freely recommend them as the best remedies for the diseases they are recommended to cure. When I began taking these medicines I weighed scarcely 140 pounds, my nerves were badly shattered ana my heart troubled me a great deal. I had pain in my left arm and shoulder, had difficulty in sleeping on mv left side, had .frequent smothering spells and my heart would flutter and palpitate. I could eat scarcely any kind of food without suffering great distress, and was so restless and nervous that I slept little night or day. Now I am never bothered with my heart, my nerves are steady as a die, I sleep well, eat well and weigh 163 pounds. lam happv now and am trying to make back the money I spent for doctors who did me no good while I was ill." —T. R. Crawford, Center, Texas. All druggists sell and guarantee first bot tle Dr. Miles’ Remedies. Send for free book on Nervous and Heart Diseases. Address Dr. Miles Medical Co., Elkhart, Ind. special and class legislation sought for by the agitators in these unions. They arc sowing the wind, and: will surely reap the whirlwind. Tim announcement is openly made by the labor union in Its official publication that they keep a standing legislative com mittee and paid attorney and that they are instructed to use their efforts in order to secure « plank in the next democratic platform of this state in favor of the la bor laws they desire. We call attention to the evils that have followed in the wake of these labor or ganizations In other parts of the country. They have never stopped in the legitimate bounds for which they could properly or ganize, but everywhere we see strikes, riots, Intimidation, boycotting and disor der. Already the effort is being made to organize the cooks and domestic help throughout the south. Already we see the official organ of these unions indorsing »i band of socialists who have opened nn in Atlanta for the purpose of disseminat ing socialism in the south. Wc have no quarrel with the labor unions as such. They have the unques tioned right to organize for their mutual benefit, the same as any other Interest or business in the country. We do as sert. without the fear of successful con tradiction. that they have no right to secure special class legislation, discrimi nating against the mills, the fanners, or nnv other interest in the state in favor of' themselves 'any more than any ot these enterprises have the right to secure class legislation against labor. All we ask is equality and freedom from discrim ination before the law. If the farmers and business of this state sit idly by and suffer trim class of agitator, aided by disgruntled politicians and sensationalists to get their class legislation upon the statute books of this state, the evils Wi In ot be confined to the mill men. but wil pa t lyze every branch Os industry in the Sl ‘i. l great cry has been raised about vag abond fathers working their cnll^ erl the mills—they becoming dinner tote.ts. Following the suggestion mane ini J e cent address by the Georgia Industrial Association, the last legislature Passed a verv wise vagrancy la w, known ,i.. th. Galvin bill, by which these vagabond parents are legally ‘’ockned vagrants. If enforced, this law will cure even the small amount of evil of this t11 ' 1 ; mav exist, without dealing a bio,.to <>n<. of the state's great Industries. So anx ious are the mills to cure any such evds that they 1 ave had this law posted in al. the cotton mills of the state. The Georgia. Industrial Association has a standing rule prohibiting the working of any child under ten years old in anj of its mills under any conditions, ant. prohibiting the working of any child under twelve years old except under cer tain wise provisions, and from working at night under any conditions. We have heretofore asked, and again urge any party who knows of any vio lation of this rule to communicate with either of the following officers of the as soei.ition: F. B. Gordon, president, t'o lumbus. Ga.: It. F. Meikleham vice president, Lindale. Ga.; Charles D. Tal ler, secretary and treasurer. Atlanta, Ga.; J. I'. Vcrdery. chairman, Augusta. Ga.; J. L. Hand, i’elham, Ga.; J. F. Hynson, Ma,on, Ga.; Fuller E. Callaway, La- Grange. Ga.; H. L. Johnsen. Palmetto, executive committee, and promise that speedy action and redress will be forth coming. It you know of such violations, do not wait until the legislature is in session and then come with a plea about "little white slaves" and all this sensational and sentimental appeal to help these agita tors get their laws through. Wc appeal now to your judgment and to the thinking people of the state to join with us in protecting the growth and ilevelopment ot this great industry in Georgia and ask you to see that your member.-, ol the legislature ire nor com mitted by these labor unions, agitators and sentimentalists to vote for an> ot thi.se measures, but on the contrary that they will vote for the interests of the state, tin mills and future development by opposing all such laws. The question must be finally settled by the same force that lias marie Georgia such a progressive and at. the same time conservative state. We have no fears of the result when once the question is properly understood, and ask the fullest investigation and discussion—especially when freed from political excitement. GEORGIA INDUSTRfAI ASS'N.. By F. B. Gordon. President. from Secretory Wilson, of the agricultu ral department, concerning the advance In the price of cotton ami containing some severe strictures upon the men who late ly have been operating in the cotton market. The secretary of agriculture did not. hesitate to characterize them as gamblers:, and to severely criticise them 1 as such. 1 "Yes, I have seen what was said t<> have been the expression of opinion of Secretary Wilson.” said General Butler, "and I must think that he spoke without correct information. Indeed, I am bound to say that he seemed not to know what he was talking about. The gentlemen to whom he refers as gamblers, Messrs. 1 Brown and Hayne, are not only among ’ the most reputable business men in the 1 country, but are gentlemen of the high est character. One of them Mr. Hayne, is from my own state, and I think he will stand fair comparison, as will Mr. Brown, from Mississippi, with Secretary ilson or anybody in official or business life, 1 must say I was surprised at what ap peared to me to be a very reckless charge, one which was not justified by the facts "The fact Is that Messrs. Brown and Hayne have done more for the producers of cotton, the farmers, in a few months, than the department of agriculture has done in teti years. 1 was somewhat sur prised at Secretary Wilson, for he did not appear to get into a frenzy of indignation when certain other gentlemen in the west were making a corner on wheat and corn, which enhanced the value of these two commodities and from which the farmers got the benefit. “The secretary seems to be particularly concerned about the operators and the cotton mills; that the cotton mills have had to shut down and put out of employ ment a. large number of employees, and that therefore it's a great wrong upon the cotton mills. Now In regard to that, Messrs. Brown nnd Hayne simply bought cotton from the bears in the cotton mar ket and required them to deliver the cot ton, and, of course, the price went up. "As a rule, the managers of the cotton mills all over the country are bears and sympathize with the bear operators. Very naturally, their interest is to lower the price of the raw material, and they heed ed the representations made by the bear operators, exaggerated the last crop of cotton and failed to provide themselves with the raw material to keep their mills going. That is all there is in that. ’ "Can you say anything with reference to the profits in manufacturing cotton cloth from the raw cotton?" “Well, only in a verj' general way. A friend of mine who is largely interested in the manufacture of cotton in the south gave me some statistics at one time of the profits from say a pound of raw cot ton converted into the finished product, and I am told that in many instances that profit has been anywhere from 10 per cent to 70 per cent, which, of course, is very gratifying to me, for I didn't want to see the cotton mills of the north, or, the south either, crippled in any way. But they have not paid a fair price for cotton in the last ten years, and if the law of supply and demand is to cut any J Guy Holmes | in a small town in Nc- I braska, earned $77.18 I in December, selling aiurclG y jw''w®S'V “'is sei TN A DAINIY little booklet, w ' > We which wc will send to any b ° y § 4 X » W free, twenty-five out of more than g. fV.. W three thousand bright boys tell in I- ? V W their own way just how they have SATImndYV ® made a success of selling Ihe !;'■■ ; SaturnAY Evening Post. Pictures Sm ' £VEv /NG W Os the boys—letters telling how LfO they built up a paying busmess out- S^a«'POST * s *^ e school hours —interesting ; ijSfflsa stories of real business tact. wWafrini Some of these boys are making $lO to sls a week. Yo" can do the same. NO MONEY REQUIRED TO START. We will furnish ten copies the first ' IP-X WPC k free of charge, to be sold at five cts. a copy. StffiiEagX You can then send us the wholesale price for as ~ IF many as vou find you can sell the next week H I | F YOU WILL TRY IT WE WILL SEND THE COPIES 0 AND everyth,ng necessary. CASH PRIZES B w jl] be distributed Next Month I among boys who sell sor more Copies Weekly. B THe Curtis Publishing' Company ES 411 Arch St., Phiiadelphio. Pa. figure now raw cotton ought to be worth 15 cents a pound. "And if. as I understand the mills state they cannot manufacture cotton at the present price and make any money out of it. the simple remedy for that is to buy the cotton at the ruling price and put up the price of the manufactured goods, for I think we may safely expect that we will in a very few months find a famine of cotton manufactured goods in this coun try." "What is the visible supply of raw cot ton in the market, and about how long would it last?" "My information, and I think it is pret ty accurate, is that the visible* supply of cotton today is about 580.000 bale.-', which would bo about three weeks’ supply for the cotton mills. That is my informa tion." "And how long before the now crop will begin to come into the market.'" "Well, they arc picking cotton now in the extreme south, but as a rule cotton I ought to be rushed in in October or No- . vem'ber 2 and then, of course, the mills i can buy what cotton they want. And 1 think 1 ought to make another statement. 1 which I believe to be correct, that wo are ! now having the greatest rotton famine ; in this country sin* o the civil war. 11 want to repeat that cotton should he i selling today for 15 cents a pound, if the | rule of supply and demand is to cut any | figure." I "What is your information as to the j number of bales of cotton in the last ; crop?" "Well. I undersatnd the boars sent cir culars fill over this country and Europe representing that the crop would be 11- 500,000 bales or thereabouts, whereas, if 1 am correctly informed, it was only a'out 10,250,000 bales, and if the cotton factories were bettor informed they would have laid in a supply to keep their fnct'Ties in operation.” "In other words. Messrs. Brown and ■ Hayne had better information as to the actual crop than the manufacturers of cotton?" “Unquestionably.” "And they took advantage of this?" "They simply took advantage of it and acted upon it, and they required the bears to deliver the cotton that they bought, and that is all there is in it." "Secret Iry Wilson takes an alarmist view of the foreign competition in the growing of cotton, referring to the possi ble increase of the cotton area in Egypt after the completion of the Nile dam "The German, the English, the I rem li and the Russian governin'uts have fol COTTON CROP WILL BE GOOD Despite Rain and Worms the Fields Promise a Rich Harvest. Jackson. Miss A g ' Despite complaints of too much ram. Ira: , of early frost and reports of damage oy ; the army worm, the pros;** et.s conti’auo > bright for a magnificent cotton crop m , Mississippi this year. Conservative observers of the crop a * 1 agreed that, although there lias bem a i great deal of ruin during the ;ust mo.'.th, j cotton lias not been rliimage.i i" anj j great extent by excessive moisuire ex- : cept in a. verj lev. localiti. .-* whyr*- im plant lias taken on a rank and unhc illlij ; growth. The only critical phase of the situation ■ is the damage that ivt lid b > eiwi 1 an early frost. Tne crop is from tur. to six weeks late, ami it ll’.eiu is a ' lbi ' ration of Killing trust over the bt " te earlier than tnv latter part >’t •.•etobvi the yield will be very materiailj r* .tuceu, j* rust rarely comes in Mississippi l;i lining quuiiMties oeroia tne u..«u>v ut xsoveuiber and Otten 11 is uciei*i<-a "tio- , cue first wcl-k u. Dectinoei. tile pies- , ent season, however, lias oven unsuai 111 many rc-spects and Uns increases tm reel ing of uneasiness among tile piameis. the first bales ot new coiton, t"o m number, were received at Magnona on Tuesday and were sold tor 1. 1-8 c :.i per pound. they were rm-.d OJ a man named Sandy Simmons. An investigation of tin reported apP'-i*- ancc of the Mexican boll wewil in Yazoo ■ county snows that the. bug whien Im? been stinging the cotton in that county I is not the weevil, but its proper speems has not yet been defined. '1 he .lam ' bi ing caused by the army worm is con ■ lined chiefly to the northeastern section of the state. In many sections of the st it-* the corn crop averages from 40 to M buslie.s per acre, and is the finest that has ..een grown in Mississippi for main ’• l 'U rs * Some farmers state that they iiavn rajs-. 4 enough corn to last them two years. The excellent corn yield will im i.i a Lug > amount of home grown meat an 1 a drop ping off in patronage of northern pack ing' houses. * SLAYER OF WOMAN HANGED. Media, Pa.. August 25.—Robert Kiipat- 1 rick was hanged hero today for the mur- , der in Februat y. IS'C. of Elizabeth Bear more. his housekeeper. He was the first white man to be executed in Delaware county in more than sixty years. Poisoned by Eating Mushrooms. La. Crosse, Wis., August 25.- As a result of eating mushrooms picked in their yard the entire family of six of B. L. Schuler, of this city, and a guest. Mrs. A. Clark, of Chicago, are seriously ill with ptomaine poisoning. It is thought that toad stools were mixed with the mushrooms. Mrs, Clark is very low. years been trying to find a locality suit able for the production of cotton, and so far they do not seem to have made mu ii progress. Ten or twelve years ago per hays longer than that—the Russian gov ernment employed a very intelligent young cotton planter in my state and set him into Central Asia with a view to develop ing the cotton growing in that country, but my info-mation is that it was a fail ure, and I am Inclined to think that. John C. Calhoun was right when he said th it cotton, to be successful!)' grown in any country, must have frost. ’ "In view of the increasing world de mand for cotton, do you think that we m this country have any cause to fear for eign competition?" "Not the slightest. On the contrary. I think we will go on increasing the crop. Tin* demand is increasing every year. Th ■ enormous increase of cotton factori: in the south is absorbing a great deal **f t the crop made in that, section, and it s I going to continue, for these cotton mills, ; wherever properly managed, have made ! enormous profits. That is one of the rca i sons why it was so important for the cot- I ton planters of the south to have, what ' they call an o; en door in China, and this I is going to be one of the principal mar- I kets for rnainifactnrr de cotton goods i i the south. I "And 1 v. ant to say in that connection I that tiiis country, particularly the south -1 i 11 part ol t is greatly indebted t*i Mr. I Secretary Hay. of the state department, i for liis abl *. firm anil distinguished con- I du t in dealing with that question of the open door, and if he is sustained in that attitude I do not think that the cotton manufacturers of this country have any thing io fear." "What is your opinion, general, as to the outlook of th< pres "My manager on my plantation writes me that the crop is about three weeks ! late, but at present is doing well. How- I ever, it is unsafe to form any opinion about the cotton crop until alter Septem ber 20. The crucial p*. riod in a cotton crop is from about August. 20 to Septem ber 20." "Then what do you make out of Secre tary Wilson's statements."' "Well, summarized bri tly, 1 should say that thc\ amount’d to an unwarranteci. and it .-‘•■ms to me. 1 lh'-r wanton char acterization Os repatal’h- business men. I doing business in < b gitiinat** and honor- I able' way. as cotton gamblers. That, ami a number of bogeys, apparently the emanation of Secretary Wilson’s rather vast 'a-'k 'I information on what he was talking about, s*- m to me about all his pronunciamento comes to." I UR IS CLOSED TO AMERICANS Turkey Doesn't Want Yankees To Dig in Babylonia. N'-w York. August 25.-After more than ; three ymirs of preparation and effort and ! the e'. 1 ■ nrlit'ire of more than JG.iiOO a I plan for the * xcavation of Ur of the ' Ch.tldi es and other places in Babylonia by I American explorers has been formally i abandoned because the Turkish govern- I meat will not grant permission to Ameri i can citizens to do the work. In a letter I to subs.a ihe*.s of the Ur exposition, the 1 It. v. Dr. John U. Betel's, chairman of the I advisory board, says: i "On June 19. U'W, an application was ' made for an irade to excavate Maughen, ! Ur of th. Chaldees, ami Nawawis ruins I in close proximitt in southern Babylonia, i and tl.e requir.-.l topographical map was submitted with this application. The ap plication was in all respects in conformity with the law of the Turkish empire gov erning excavations. "No permission to excavate has been obtained, nor has any satisfactory reason been given for the. failure to grant such permission. Later, at the suggestion of i the Turkish authorities. Tel-Ibrahim was I substituted for Maugheir, with the same I "Dr. Edgar J. Banks, the director of , the expedition, has been in Constanti nople since January 17. 1901, earnestly pressing the Turkish government with the .•..operation of the United States legation for permission to excatave." Great Volcano on the Market. Mexico Uity. August 27. New York cap italists who propose buying the volcano of I’ots.smtepetl for sttlpht.tr mining will have to make a deposit ot ss('.iH‘)i) gold be fore September 30 to General Sanchez Ochoa, owner of the volcano, to bind the bargain. He will, as a part of the. pur chase pri. *. receive Js".'»'ii shai»' in the company H is projected to build a rai way up the mountain for tourists and for th.* transportation of sulphur, and also a hotel at the summit, some 18.000 feet abovq ib.* se t level. Power for operation of the railroad and su’phur mining plant will be g. neratc.i on the contiguous volcano of IxtocchiiatJ. where the company is ac quiring V. iter rights. Selling’ Philippine Certificates. I Washington. August 25—Bids were opened • today at the bureau of insular affairs, -war department. »or the purchase of $3,000,000 certificates of ir.c'.ebtedness for the Philip pine government. Harvey Fisk & Co., of New York, bid lor ill or any part of the amount a.t $1.02 21-100. This was the only bid for the whole amount jjtd It was a cc.epted. DR. W. A. STARNES. SPIX I H INT. For the cure of Morphine, Cocaine, Whiskey nnd Nervous Diseases. Write for information, 7u4 Decatur Hoad, Inninn Park. Atlanta, Ga. 7