Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-09
THArs WHAT'S THE MAFTER.
Northern Entefprise and scuthern
Apashy-Praeticai Suggestions To-
ward Securing Prosperity ana
vreasfh r1,ts-a

Northern EntefprIse ana southern
Apashy-Praetical Suggestions To-
ward Securing Prosperity and
weasth.
To the Union and American:
Il is an old saving that Hwhile there is
life there is hope and one Of the best eyi-
dences Of life and ultimate health Tor The
State OF Tennessee is I'm the tariOtls oPin-
ions and suggestions advanced from d me
to time relative TO her present aud future
condition by her own citizens. My atten-
tion was particularly drawn 20 this subject
by the article by @Huggins,n in your Sat
urday's issue, in which he processes 20 be a
farmer, or intimates as much. hope be
is, and have only to say if he farms as well
as be writes, he certainly ought TO be very
prosperous. His theory relative TO retrench-
ment and reform is one Of those peculiar
doctrines that is easy to preach but hard to
perform.
Relative TO the banking system that the
State Comptroller proposes, and also the
system Of manufactures under The super
vision OF the State, have only to say, that
so far as my knowledge extends, have
never known one TO pay the State except
in few cases Of well managed penitentia-
ries engaged in manufacturing, and those
only where the labor was sold TO individual
enterprise. Such institutions invariably
become the hOt-beds of corruption, and
their managemenf the stock in trade Of
villainous politicians, and is yearly gam
bled for at the expense of the taxpayers.
But, in my opinion, the idea OF home
manufactures IS the only direct road out Of
our present difficulty and 20 future prOs-
p6ritys
l see from the articles in your paper thai
all acknowledge the poverty of the State. |
do not She is embarrassed, but not poor.
She has undevelOped resources sufficient to
paw fifty, or a hundred such debts.- When
individuals or firms become embarrassed,
we look for the cause; when our individual
expenses exceed our income; We are apt 10
inquire into the reasons. So il should be
in State matters.
Now, in giving mechanics view Of the
matter, viii ask you to 60 for short trip
to our railroad depots and see what can be
found there. On the platform stands
threshing machine made AZ Battle Creek,
Michigan. Where is it going? To some
point in Tennessee. We gotO Battle Greek,
Michigan. and what do we find? A -four
ishiug town of from eight 10 ten thousand
| inhabitants, with two establishments en-
gagged ia manufacturing these machines
and employing seven or eight hundred men.
Ask the proprietors where they send their
machines and they will tell You mostly
| South of the Ohio river. Now what is the
result2 In that vicinity it creates de-
mand for coal and timber; demand for
| food to feed the operatives and their fani-
lies, and il makes money plenty and busi-
ness good.
But let us look a little farther. On the
same platform is portable engine made al
GAINESVILLE, Ohio. And still there is
another This is from Carr X Co,
Richmond, Ind. Visit these places and
| you will find establishments similar to the
ones at Battle Creek, Mich, getting rich on
| Southern money. Now let me ask il they
/ have better climate, better coal, better iron,
/ or better timber than has Tennessee? j
know they have not; but our citizens say
we are poor. and havnt the capital TO es-
tablish manufactures. Well, perhaps We
! havnt. But who pays for these imported
/ articles Who pays the transportation,
who pays the manufacturer profit, that
in few years gives him a princely for
| tune?
| OF our millions worth of railroad ma
chinery, we find locomotives built in Port
land, Maine, for Texas, transported there
at a cost of 5000 each. We find then
from Philadelphia, from Patterson, from
Boston and other Northern points, but
none from Nashville. So With most of Oul
cars they are from Northern markets. Tim:
il will be seen that the North and East de
velope their natural resources at the ex-
pense of the South. sEr
Now how with the SOuih9 She raises
her cotton and tobacco; sells it in its cheap
est form, and it goes North to be put in il:
dearest form. Cotton leaves here worth 4
cents per pound, and returns after two o.
three thousand miles transportation in il:
dearest fornl-sO we not only pay 10
Northern products, but our own in tn
most expensive foTm.
NY plan is to let our own natural ne
sources be developed here, and keep on
money at home. Thus We will make
law for the redistribution of the publi'
funds that will put in the shade all TIN
schemes of Congressmen; a Law
that has piled up 50 large
share of the national wealth i
the New England States al the expense Q
the Southern. As more definite illustra
tion of my views, win cite my own expe
rience. Afler working for fifteen years il
the North to manufacturing articles fo
southern market, / followed those article:
TO their destination, found employment
and have saved to the State the price an
profit of my labor; have lived on Tennes
see products, teen warmed by TenneSse
coal, and am identified with her Interests
As | have done, ten thousand more wOul
dO-leave the cold and bleak region q
New England and the North for our genia
climate, if the people and capital Of Ten
nessee would but say "Come." The r.
suit would be magical. Our coal held
would be developed, our iron would b
converted into machinery, our timber, IN
stead Of rotting and being burned, woul
be turned into agricultural implements
> Our farmers would be forced TO mproy
their lands 10 fill the increased demand 70
their products; our railroads would n
longer have to contend with poverty; tn
; increased population and wealth Woul
render the payment of the public del
comparatively easy.
This is no fancy sketch, but simply th
experience Of other States, with far le:
natural resources than the State OF lei
nessee. MECHANIC.
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