Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-05-23
Staunto1t Spettator.
Tuesday, Nag 20, 1871.
Practical Suggestions.

1t will readily be admitted by every wel-in-
formed person, that the chief source of the
wealth and prosperity of New England, is her
manufactures. We believe that the statistical
tables will show, that New England does not
produce, either bread or meat In sufficient
quantities to sustain her population. Her soil
is so sterile, that labor applied to agriculture
is improbable. She, therefore, wisely turns
her industry into other channels-mainly, to
manufactures. She buys her food from other
States, and she is, in large measure indebted
to other States, for the raw material which she
works up into her various fabrics. She incor-
porates her skill and labor, with the raw ma
terial, and sells the product, at large advance
and thus gets the highest price for her labor
and skill. Labor and skill are, indeed, the
principal commodities she has to sell. She
buys her bread from the West-her cotton
from the South-her iron and coal from the
Middle States-her wool from the Northwest
and Texas. She sells the products OF her FAC
tories everywhere.
AS long as slavery existed, the Southern
States were necessarily agricultural. Their la
bour was untitled for any thing but the simple
operations of agriculture Hence, as long as
slavery existed, New England was freed from
all apprehension of competition, from the
South, with her manufactures. 1t Is our de-
lberate Judgment, that in this point OF vleW'
New England had larger interest In the con-
tinuance of slavery, than the Southern States.
But blinded by fanaticism, she did not see 1T.
IF we of the Southern States, act wisely, and
improve the advantages that God has given
us. we will now make her feel it. The surest
way to humble the pride, and destroy the sway
of New England, is to strike her through her
manufactures. That is her vulnerable point.
And why should we not do it? Slavery is
NOW dead-fore7er dead. The influences
which compelled us to be purely agricultural
people have passed away. Everything now
invites us to enter into successful competition
with New England, in the business OF manu-
featuring. We have a better climate-iarger
water-power, free from Interruptions by Ice
cheaper provisions-more extensive mineral de-
posts-a more ample supply Of timber-and
greater proximity to the cotton region. La a
word, in regard to every condition, essential to
success in manufacturing, we possess great ao-
vantages ever New England.
There are some branches Of the cotton and
wooden manufacture, in which New England
neuer can excel The obstacles are OF physl-
cal character, and cannot be overcome. One
of these is the manufacture OF spool cotton,
and all the finer cotton yarns. The dlthculty
arises from the dryness and electrical coLdltlon
of her atmosphere. Every one has. observed,
even in our Valley, how in particular .condi-
tions of the atmosphere, in the winter, the
smaller fbres of cotton, will stand out from
the body of the thread, and give it rough
fuzzy and harsh appearance. This results from
the quantity of electricity which Is in. the at
mosphere. The atmosphere of New England,
unlike that of old England, is, during large
portion of the year, highly charged with cleo
tricity, ard hence it is impossible to make
smooth spool cotton, or cotton yarns there
The factory men seek to neutralize this lnfiu-
ence. by diffusing steam throughout their fac
tories. This is but a partial remedy for the
evil, and is attended, not only with great ex-
pense to the owners, but with serious injury to
the health of the operatives.
In the South this obstacle does not exist, es
pecially in the tide water and piedmont regions.
Some of the Southern States, particularly
Georgia and Alabama, are beginning to awaken
to the advantages which they possess for man
ufacturing cotton. Many large mills are al
ready in operation in those States, and new
ones are in progress of erection. Our hope
and belief is, that in few years, the sceptrt
of New England will be broken, and the sea
of the great cotton manufacturing interest, b.
transferred to the Southern States. What /
righteous retrbution it will be for New Eng
land to find herself "hoisted by her own pc
tard"
What We have said in regard to the cotton
manufacture, is equally applicable, though IL
a less degree, to the manufacture of WOODEN
and of wooden and iron wares. The Tredega
works in Richmond present an example OF sue
cess in operations in iron, by Southern men,
The Manchester and Petersburg cotton mills
before the war, successfully competed with tn
best Factories of the North, and we hope tina
their operations will be renewed, on more ez
tended scale Richmond, Manchester, Peters
burg, Fredericks burg and Danville, have pecu
liar advantages for working up cotton int
yarns and coths, and we hope the enterprisln
citizens of those cities and towns will not sui
fer those advantages to remain, much longer
unimproved.
Flourishing WOODEN Factories are in opera
ton in Fredericksburg and Charlottesville, an
we are pleased TO announce that the Messrs
Rankin have recently erected an extenslv
Wooden Factory in the Southern portion OF on
county.
Our neighbor Charlottesville deserves espe
cial commentator for tie excellence OF ne
wooden manufactures. We have seen cloth
and cassimeres and tweeds from that Factor
which will bear favorable comparison wit
the best Northern fabrics. We hope too, tia
the public spirited citizens who established tina
factory, will, at an early day, reap the substan
tiaI rewards which they have SO nobly earned
It was with great pleasure that We saw, iron
some of our exchanges, that A. I. Stewart
the eminent New York merchant, had sent ex
tensiye orders to the Charlottesville factory TO
cloths of different descriptions. We hope. too
that the Virginia Volunteer companies, wher'
they order cloths for their uniforms, will no
lose sight of the Virginia Wooden Factories.