Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1892 — The Producers' Need. [ARTICLE]

The Producers' Need.

The cotton crop in the South the past season, like the wheat crop of the country, was one of the largest, but thera was no cotton famine in Europe, and the prices have ruled so low as to leave the planters little or no margins on the cost of production. The superficial view is that there has been too much cotton grown. In touching on this subject recently, Mr. Mills finds that the great need of the cotton growers is less ob- i struction to traffic abroad. He estimates that a reduction of the tariff to 25 per cent, above the revenue basis would so increase the demand abroad for cotton as to raiso the price several cents per pound, and add $150,000,000 to the receipts of the planters. If English goods are shut out, they will have less use for American cotton. In ordinary years the same effect will be had upon tho demand for grain and meats. The farmers in the AVest need more than a home market for their products. A famine in Russia and short crops in other countries cannot be expected to come very often. The great consuming nations of Europe will prefer to buy their breadstuffs of the countries that invite their barter most liberally. There will be hard lines for the Western farmer when he is shut in to the home market, however large his crops may be.