The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-11-03
WORK TOGETHER.

1t is matter of congratulation that the diff
ferent Southern States have at last awakened
to the fact that it is not only to the cultiva-
ton of their special agricultural products that
they must look for practical and real advance
ment The truth of the oft repeated assertion
that not only must they study to diversity
their industries, but that wherever at all prac-
ticable, the manufacturing interest must be
studied and advanced with all possible speed,
is gradually but surely forcing itself upon
their minds, and in some instances has been
productive Of great and beneficial results.
What advantage accrues to the Southern
planter who has under his control and man
agement large cotton plantation, if he has
to send abroad for the necessary implements
to cultivate his cotton, the needful articles OF
food for his laborers and his cattle, and,
finally, has to pay handsomely for the articles
woven from this same fabric he has raised,
by manufacturers in the North and Europe.
After all this has been done, there can be
left to him barely living competence, while
others, who depend upon bis produc lions,
reap therefrom rich harvest by re-selling to
him the very same articles in another form at
greatly advanced prices. The same may be
said OF sugar cultivated in Louisiana; exactly
the same process Of shipment, manufacture,
return and sale is gone through, and in al
most every instance a close calculation will
prove the planter to be but little if any the
gamer by his own industry.
In order to accomplish the good results
hoped for, our planter must not only diversity
his industry and encourage every effort made
to establish manufactures of all kinds in the
South, but to the commercial men OF the
Southern cities must we look for substantial
encouragement of all efforts made to establish
independent home enterprises. 1t must be
the case that at first the productions
shall be comparatively imperfect and
perhaps can not be sold for quite as low a
figure, because not only must there be sutii-
cient sum realized from them to support the
enterprise, but as soon as Northern or East
ern factories discover that the effort at home
anufacture is being made, they will en-
deavor so to reduce prices as to completely
shut out the new beginner. Their large for
tunes gained by years of undenied monopoly
will permit them to do this with
only temporary loss to themselves. while it
will result in permanent and utter ruin to the
new enterprise unless our merchants are pos
sessed of sufficient spirit and real interest in
the development of home enterprise as to
share with the new concern the struggles in
cident to comm encement under disadvan-
tageous circumstances. There must be sort
of mutual bond between the planter, the
merchant and the manufacturer, by which
all agree to submit temporarily to
whatever inconvenience or possible misfor-
tunes may at first arise, in order that all shall
be surely benefited in the end. The species
of business selfshness which so frequently
obtains with all three classes must be utterly
and entirely abolished and all must earnestly
cooperate to bring about new era which
must be productive Of rich and substantial
advantage not only to the persons more close
ly allied in the matter. but the entire South
land