New-York tribune., 1873-12-24
ALABAMA NEEDS.
A VISITORS REPORT.

MOST NEEDED.
TO the razor Of The Trtoun n'e
SIR In the course Of a recent tour through certain
sec,,ons Of Alabama various noteworthy facts, from
which il seems TO me, potent moral may be drawn'
were impressed upon my mind with such force that
I cannot forbear asking you to present them for
nuhIic consideration. An almost incredible amount
of suffering and destitutiOn exists throughout
4 wide belt comprising the so-called al,
cotton counties. Aud | believe L. SPEAK
the unexaccerated truth when l say that
thousands of people are being driven from their
homes. completely inactive under the pressure
of profound despair The people of these counties
have with rare exceptions, displayed admirable
courage since the war, struggling through years OF
poverty. endeavoring. despite totally disorganlzed
labor system. and variety of disasters to their
crops TO wiring support from cotton culture alone;
hut they have failed. and in many places-notably
in the vicinity of Montgomery great distress pre-
wills OF late the planters IN that section have been
compelled ordinarily to mortgage their crops
in advance. in order. to obtain the bacon
and corn with which to feed the laborers who cuti-
vate the crops. Placing their whole reliance upon
cotton il is easy to that If that staple fails them
they are reduced to the direst eXtTemity-not even
having food TO put in their mouths nor any money
tn give IN exchange food. During the last cotton
year the visitation of the yellow fever in Montgom-
y.
destroy the young cotton plants and recently, the
course of the financial panic have resulted in re-
ducinr the number of bales usually received i'll the
City Of Montgomery from 5000 or GO,OOO to
about $1,000 Hundreds Of cottOn-planters have
lost not only their crops but their homes-whlch
must now 90 into the market under sheriis sales
and women and little children are suffering Tor
bread The trains for Mobile and New-Orleans are
filled with discoumged-looking men and women,
bn
means to get away must remain, and-starye.
The papers are filed with accounts indicating the
general trouble. The following letter recently
published in Montgomery journal, as a sample of
great many received by private individuals:
MONTGOMERY. Dec. TO-
MI Please give the bearer what is left from your
& @ for q@a %y as Rs aTe no s% p aa1s n ben
sick and helpless: unable 10 walk square, MY
upon ms feet or sit alone. For Heavens sake-fOr
PHYS sake send me something to eat If it be nothing
but the scraps from your table ana Goa VIII bless YOU
A. as can walk will call to see You
The neuoes throughout the section, perplexed and
vexed at the situation. become dissolute and reck
less in thdr ideas of meam and tuUm, and great
numbers of them are fiOcking into Mississippi
hoping there to fall upon better times. The streets
aud market-plaCes are crowded with idle and money
less people.
Meantime, in some of the adjacent counties, where
the sll-cOtton" theory has been relinquished and
where diversity of crops has been inaugurated,
considerable prosperity prevails. People have
begun 10 grow their own food. and no
longer depend for their simple stores upon the
Western cities. They are also giving much more at
tenton than before to thorough and scientific
culture. Small manufacturing establishments
springiug up. Ugly features of politics are forgot
ten ia The general scramble for prosperity. But the
great want is capital. There is not as much money
in circulation at this moment in dozen of the prin-
cipal cotton-growng counties of Alabama in an
ordinarily active manufacturing town in NewEn-
gland or New-York. or the West. Without
exterior aid the State do nothing. II
Northern, Western or English capital would
erect manufacturing establishments at Mont
gomery wonld set cotton mills going IN the great
town where now is not heard the whirr of a single
wheel not only would the stockholders get 1S or 20
per cent dividend. but such condition of affairs
now prevails in the vicinity of Montgomery would
he heari of no longer. There would be no need to
send TO Englands overcrowded tenement-houses
and the Scotch back alleys to procure operatives.
La the cotton mills OF Columbus, Ga. there
are hundreds of tidy, briglteyed American
girls. natives of the State, who work with will
What risk. for instance would there be in the in
yesting of Northern capital in manufacturing es
Establishments in Montgomery. Ii is not merely cot |
ton mills that are wanted, but machinery to make
the hundred farming implements. household uten-
sils and articles of furniture, which brought
hundreds of miles and sold at exorbtant prices.
Labor can be had in Alabama exceedingly cheaper
than in the North and on many classes of manufac
tured goods, capitalists by placing their establish
ments at central points IN the cotton belt, could
make more money than by manufacturing in the
North and sending everything hundreds of miles.
II seems TO me that the time is ripe for investment
in that section of Alabama OF which have spoken.
1t would be cruel and insolent to tell these unfor
tuuate people to help themselves They cannot get
up again of their own unaided efforts. They have
AT last learned that in small farms, thorough cu
ture aud diversified crops lies their only safety
under the new regime; but they stand on the brink
of utter ruin what can expect them to do until
they have had temporary relief? They are practi-
cally about to be eyicted from their homes by the
stern march of events following on the war.
Why ask them to go away with bitterness
in their hearts, TO begin anew III Texas! Why not
nut life and energy into their towns manufacture
some of their produce furnish labor to the unem-
ployed and send blood into the arteries of the
Statei Until ready money is brought into crcula-
tion 10 the Commonwealth the drain of immigra
top will continue, and ruin and misery will widen
and overwhelm.
IL he chooses the manufacturer can do more than
the politician. He can help toward the symmet-
rical development of the United States, something
concerning which the private individual of fortune
An the North and the average Congressman
seem totally indifferent. The Southern
people are somewhat embittered by the
iarsbness of their fate. After the war they
asked for bread and we gave them a stone BY this
time tbev need something nourishing. Under
present circumstance there the average agrcuturis
has no hope of accumulating any money and con-
seouently is always discouraged One OF the most