The Osceola times., 1877-03-24
The Manufacturing Interests OF the
South.

Some few years ago it was quite an
easy matter to apportion to each section
of this mighty continent its various
sources OF wealth; to the New England
states belonged the industries; to the
west the raising of wheat, and to the
south the production OF cotton, but as the
country has developed, the minds of all
shrewd business men have been opened
to the necessity of combining msnufac
turing enterprises with agricultural pur-
suits the west was the first TO adopt
the necessity of producing goods in pro-
portion to what was grown within her
districts, for she found out she never de.
rived any benefit Of reciprocation from
the importation Of the articles she paid
30 dearly for in the east. Apart from
the mere question of grain, IL is one OF
the first principles of political economy
TO diversity rs much as possible the dir
ferent channels in which labor is EN-.
ployed and no Of late years il has dawn
ed upon the south that so long as she
continued to plant cotton and make it
her chief source of occupation, she could
only attract to her territory the very
poorest class of field labor for from sta
tistics it has clearly been shown that the
cotton laborer very rarely is able 10 earn
anything over and above his actual ex-
penses, and OF course the man who has
nothing to spend does nothing tor the
opening up or progress Of tnat section in
which he is working.
The contrast has been very marked be
tween the farming hands of the cotton
states and the workmen in the manufac
turing districts to this end the south
has been obliged TO push forward her ut
most energies In encouraging everything
that tended to promote her futur,
wealth, and 80 has determined to appro
pirate a certain share in the rspit
growth the United States has made il
manufactures, which have doubled with
in the last ten year.. The fnancia
crisis Of 1873 did great deal Of good I,
the south, as while all industries wer
at q standstill in the north, suffering a
they did from the encumbrances of debt
contracted in prosperous times, the ie,
cotton factories that had been erected i
the South were all doing a most success.
/ lui Du-lfltN~. III ltuutS>tN.
Georgia and Texas mill property to thi
day j, raging large dividends. Tn
only way to keep trade ever on the in
crease, is to create new activity the mo
ment II is discovered that certain othe
localities are outstriPping the south O
her legitimate occupation, the spinning
rs well as the growing of cotton. Tn
great drawback to the proper advance
ment of manufacturing enterprise Is tha
both state and municipal laws preven
the untrsmeled execution OF local ener
~, aud while, of course, 1t Is very diff
cult for legislators 10 see that the wealtl
of their various sections depends upol
the sclf-supporting capacity of their in
habitants, still it is an essential point t.
inspire due encouragement 20 build al
every kind Of enterprise, instead OF pull
ing II down by stringent taxes, for th,
amalgama,ion of agricultural and man
ufacturiug pursuits is the only way 70
stony people to acquire permanent wealtl
massivatain lasting independence.
bossed the n
ca;stsllated aus,'hisr in DanIgrj;.o'ss " !. no, Is
sP,cgo9s;sa iiiiG curiosity 5n b y. = con- oo