The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-05-04
LETTER FROM CHARLESTON.


LETTER FROM CHARLESTON.
The steady pressure upon the business Of
Charleston-cspecially The Jobbng Trade
has ut last woke up the drowsy business men of
this old "City by the Sea-"
a meeting was held by the '"Chambcr Of Com
msrce," (par excellence the custodians of the
Commercial interests of the City,) and Com.
mittee, composed of some of the first business
men of the City appointed to unmask the =
causes which have brought about the disastrous
state of ,rade complained Of So far as we are
informed no report has been 4tade; and no ST.
forts made to throw light upon the subject.
1t is probable that the lucid Report of the
South Carolina Rail Road at the late Convention
has satisfied the Committee that it was a false
alarm, and that the mercantile interest was in q
more prosperous condition than reported to be.
The farmers have always had the reputation vf
being the croakers-the epidemic has perhaps
invaded Commercial circles.toos
| glance up and down Hayne, King, Meeting
| or East Bay, in business hours, and look at the
names registered at the Hotels will, however,
convince any one that there is no life in the
business here.
II is the opinion Of many of the shrewdcst
merchants that the depression in business is not
to be charged to one cause, but to many causes
combined. Doubtless the Railroad discrimina-
ions are the most prominent. No one can spend
q day in ATLANTA or Charlotte without being
struck with the facilities the merchants there
| enjoy in rapid and cheap transportation
There is life in the trade--a go-ahead determine
tion to succeed-short profits and quick returns
Enterprise is stamped everything nor is it
strange that it should be SO, when the Wharfage
and Railroad freights from New York to Atlanta
are, pro rata less than to intervening points, or
when all the roads leading into Atlanta pursue
the policy of cheap and rapid delivery at At
| lanta.
The prosperity of Charleston cannot be
brought about by Resolutions of Public Meeting
or Chamber of Commerce, or Reports of Com
mittees. These things have been played out
They are mere subterfuges and people know it.
Trade will not come to any place unless its mcr-
chants can compete with merchants elsewhere.
The mere assertion by resolution, preamble and
oil that, that you can sell as low rs any other
place won't do. Faith is very good; Wit in
trade, works are better. If your Charleston
drummer find out when he comes in range Of
certain points, that his price list is too high, he
must look out for other fields, labor. When
goods from St. Louis, New Orleans, New York or
Baltimore, can be delivered at points in his
range lower than he can deliver them frona
Charleston, he must agree to subpIt TO- short pro-
fits, or retire from the field. 40 -.
The question then simply resolves itself into
this the various tariffs assessed upon. goods in
their transit must DC reduced Iwhsffsse, Dray-
age, Railroad Freights, &c.,) or the merchant
must make up his mind to curtail his profits or
give up his position. Have the Charleston er-
chants realized that fact?
But the pressure in Charleston is not confined
to the jobbing trade. Every department of in
dustry is suffering. There are thousands out of
employment. The mechanic cannot find work
to do, and when he does, his wages are barely.
sufficient to feed him. Every department Of
business is under q cloud. The Cotton Trade is
the only prosperous interest il Charleston, and
the loss of it is only a'quesion of time. Low
freight on competing lines is rapidly sapping it,,
and there is money in other places rs well as
Charleston, TO draw it off. En- passant-tne ra-
lation of the planter TO the merchant now is fon-
chilly illustrated by the old fable of the frogs an,e
the OK: alt may be fun to you, but it is death
to us" NOUS VERRONS