The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-19


~ FIattering Opinion Of Southern Fac
torics--The Advantages of tho South
over New England and as COMPETE
tor for the Indian Trade--The LABOR
Question Solved-Thc Lesson Taught
by New England now being Learned
by South Carolina--A Glorious Future
We desire to say q few words more with es'
p:c;al regard to the manufacture OF cotton
fabrics and yarns in South Carolina, and VIII
then leave the subject for the present IN the
hands of our readers. It is matter in walcn
we have deep interest, and this it is which
induces US to try to persuade the people OF
South Carolina to embark their surplus means
in manufactures, and particularly in the spin
ming of theli own cotton. We are fully satis-
fed that it is the very best thing they can do,
and We are convinced Of its practicability by
our own experience, as well as by the state
ments lately made BIZ some OF the largest and
most competent manufacturers of New Eng
laad. who say that we can and do produce
goods in South Carolina and Georgia cheaper
than thy can be produced in Rhode Island
and Massachusetts.
TIE VIEWS OF SENATOR SPRAGUE.
If our people will not believe us, let them
listen to the words OF the largest cotton man-
ufacturer in America, Senator Spragne. OF
Rhode Island. This gentleman, at q dinner
party given to him the other day at the
Charleston Hotel, by few OF our leading citl-
zcns, said that cit would surprise the people
of the South, and still more surprise the peo-
pie of the North, to know,-what is a fact,-that
the best cotton factory of its size aud kind in
America is to be found in the city Of Augusta,
Georgia; and that in looking at the subject
from q manufacturers point of view, taking
the productions per hand and per spindle, and
comparing them with the work in other mills
running on the same class Of goods, he found
that these Southern goods were equal to any
OF their kind seen in the Northern markets.
THE SOUTH AND THE INDIAN YARN TRADE.
But this is not all. Senator Sprasue went
| on to say that 'you'-meaning the Southern
people-s'can do what we"-meaning the peo-
pie of New England -s'cannot do. With your
great advantages you can compete with Eng
land for her Indian yarn trade. You ought to
spin large part of your crop and ship it in
that state, instead of shipping the raw ma
terial."
Let our readers remember these very in1-
portant statements, for they come from the
largest American spianer-a man OF wide OBJ,
servation and fully conversant with the things
If which he speaks, and man friendly enough
! - Ill ,t,oL |, IN ho to
best interests to understand We trust that
Senator Sprague will pardon us for quoting
his remarks as we have done, and feel that
their publication is justified by the vast i'm
portance of the subject, and the weight which
his opinion upon it must have with an ntelli-
gent public. We may add that the views of
Senator Sprague are fully sustained By every
large Eastern manufacturer who has visited
the factories Of this State and Georgia during
the present year.
WHAT has BEEN AND CAN BE.
1t is also well known, and admitted 10 be
q fact beyond controversy, that the most
successful cotton factory in the United States,
before the war, was that at Slelbyvile, Ten
nessee, which was run entirely by negro slaves,
o7erseed by their masters. This factory made
money when others lost, and made largo gains
when others made small profits. Aud yet in
telhgent men are to be found, even in Charles
ton, who do not, nay will not, believe that it is
possible for us to succeel as cotton msnufac-
turers.
TIE difference in favor from spinning our
own cotton, from savings in freight, waste,
from cheaper labor, mildness OF climate, and
many other causes, amounts to fully fifteen por
cent. This fifteen per cent, in itself large
profit, is the advantage which We have over
New England. Our water power is limtless.
The salubrity of our middle and noun tain
country is such that We scarcely need the ply
sician, and our neiehoorlng white population,
when drawn into connection and instructed in
their work, as has been done at Graniteville
and many other places, are inferior to none in
the world. And this class Of labor is much
larger in the South than is commonly be-
lievcd.
THE LABOR QUESTION.
There always was large supply Of this whiio
labor, and the results Of the war have made de-
pendant on their own eXer.ion5 at least a
quarter Of q million of wJmcn and children
who otherwise would never have been obliged
to labor for bread Aud if We do not employ
these in mills and factories, what IS to be-
como OF them? We cannot see them starve.
They must and will he supported by the public,
or else be made, as they can be made, most
important part of our population. We must
either build for them factories schoolh ouses
and churches, or poorhouses, pcnitentiaries
and jails. And we must remember that every
thousand dollars invested in cotton factories
gives employment to two, and support to
at least four, of these helpless women and
children.
SHALL THE STATE BE INDEPENDENT?
Are the people Of South Carolina willing
longer TO remain merely the producers Of raw
materials, tillers of the soil, and dependents
on others for every manufactured article? We
trust not. We believe that the war has taught
us BETTER and that new order of things is
dawning which before long will produce great
results. Let the Kalmia Mills be finished; lot
Vauclusc be rebuilt; let other factories be start
ed Oh the splendid water-power at Columbia,
now offered for salo by the State. Let us spin
our own cotton; make and manufacture our own
iron; manufacture our own phos .ohates; build
our own locomotives, cars, wagons and ploughs;
,l-a orr ovr,, uo chno tlOnru ,lin1s ts