Answer: The southern cotton planters had to face several challenges in bringing back the plantation system. They are:
1) Southern planters of the United States had problems with long stable cotton as they could only be grown along Georgia and Carolina coast. Weather is also a major problem there as wet weather is required for plantation and dry for harvesting.
2) Since this problem arose after the Civil War, the latter wiped out an enormous amount of capital invested by planters in their slaves and labor. The amount is estimated to be about three billion dollars. Hence, the idea of then offering those slaves equal wage as normal workers wouldn't have been affordable to the planters.
3)Lastly, cotton doesn't allow diversification as it falls under monocultural plantation. So, the official banning on trading such an unique plant, might ruin the entire rural economy.