, 1875-07-23

Tho recent article on " Now England
1dcas, printed in THH Chicago TRtDusE, in
reply to PnEsToN's attack, Beoms to havo ar
reused very general discussion throughout
tho South, more particularly that part of it
relative to tho Now England idea Of nll men
working. as opposed to the Southern idea Of
white idleness. While in Now England all
persons work who eau work, in tho South
one-half tho people work and tho other half,
as rule, live upon them, thus destroying the
surplus Of production each yoar. To this
proposition many Of tho Southern pnpcrH take
objection. We have already quoted from tho
Momphis Aralanehe a statement TINT the
whitos Of Tennessee arc going to work, and
now comes tho Augusta (Ga.) Sentinel with a
statement which is evidently intended to be
q clincher. Tho argument, however, is q very
old and stale one, tho fnllaoy in which
hos bean shown over aud over again.
The Sentinel takes tho ninth census,
md, comparing ax Of tho Southern states
with tho six New England States, finds that
in proportion to population New England
hns larger percentage Of paupors md GRIM
inals, md hence argues that the South Ia
4ANAu IAAA8tl4NAH 4GSH faC1Qub LilA14 new
England. Tho nbsurdity OF tllis statement Is
Of courso apparent by comparison Of the
fruits Of labor OF all kinds in tho two Soc
tons. Placing tho results Of agricultural and
mechanical labor, Of mental and intellectual
1abor, Of commerce and the arts and soiences,
side by side, no ono but a lunatio would
dream OF casting balance in favor Of those
Southern states. The surplns ia immensely
overwhelming in favor Of Now England. Tho
South has but q small surplus Of product.
New England Las large one which goes into
savings banks, into Investments Of all kinds,
and into public ohnriies. But says tho .su7.-
inel:
The si1 Boutharn asatos With one-fourth more popu-
,hsion have only ono-fourth many paupors a. Now
England. Georgia has population Of 1,1Ba,oo0
Mssaachusotts 1.4d7.ooo, Georgia haa 2lai Tanper1.
Massaclnaetts has ,-27 coo mora population four
times many rauporu. Fiorila las population Of
$4,000, Rhode 1slanl. 2l7,oo. Florida has 147 pa-
pers shode Island has JUG -Joo0 moro population
At per caut} B33 mora paupera 900 par ccnt}. With
regard to crimc, We find that in the Ner England
States, with THAR population Of 0o0 the.e wero
1907 persons in pson on tbs ut day Of June 1870
n the SIX Southern Statcs named. with population Of
A,404, ,0e0 thero were l6s persons In prison, With
LOU 900 less population New England Ind 801 mora
crimlnRs-and criminals callol tho felts Of idle
uess. MassAuhuactts with her 4s7,c10 people, had
2.e2d criminals, whila Georgia. with l,1Sl 900 people,
hAd 737 crin,inals.
The 1gurea aro probably correct. But
whit occasions this tliaproportion +? Has tho
Sentinel not yet found out that tho great tide
Of foreign emigration sets In to New England
aud New York, and that while tho industrious
and cnterprising emigrants tako their little
money and 60 Wost, settling down all over
Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota,
Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and the
Territories, tho lazy, the weak, tho thriftloss,
lo-less, md vicious, lin other words, tho
paupers aud tho materials ct pauperism and
criminals, s,-imnediatel sottle down in the
largo cities, aud thore they stay and feed and
prey upon the community. There is no power
sufficient to move them. They live upon
the charity and taxes OF society, They 1.-Two
as beggars md tranlps, and eventually those
who do not drift into the almahouses become
thleyea, and pickpockess, and burglars, II not
worse, and drift into tho bEidewells and peni-
tentiaries, and, whether in the aims.
house, or bridowel Or ponitentiary, become
burden upon the State. Those classos
do not go to the South because thoy would
staxVe to death there. There Is no surplus OF
product there, and no organized charities
for the. support Of the helpless and thriftless
classes. It Ia only whare thsra Ia surplus
Of product that they can live and bs sup
ported at Tie cost Of the general community.
Hence the Northern ciIes are running over
with thia scun Of the European cities, pour.
Ing in every year In increasing numbers, be-
oaa,se 1t Knows 1t can be supported In Idle
naaa. But does not tho 8entn<l SOC that the
very argument 1t has adduoed only goes to
prove the statement we have mades The
New England people not only work and sup
port themselves, hut they produce sufficient
surplus every yaas to tska care Of these inlo-
lent, INDECENT, and vicious claases which
Europe sends over by shp-loads,
and which fasten themselves upon
ths hEthsrn attdss lts laeahAa. by tha