The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-08-15

equal financially with both the other
sections, putting the value of our
rich and inexhausible lands as set.
off to the bonds held by the Eastern
capitalists, and in few years with
prudence, energy and economy we
will find ourselves able to buy bonds
as well as they. Indeed, our surplus
cash which we were wont to spend
for ne roes and more land, will most
probably be invested in that way, af
ter all necessary and profitable i'm
provements have been made at home.
The first and most important step in
that direction is to keep the money
we make at home by patronizing
home industries of every kind. 1t is
the solemn duty Of every Southern
man to buy at the South everything
he can and to get from the North on
ly those things that are not to be
had in the South. There are in ope-
ration already enough manufactures
to supply the Southern demand for
cotton factories, and we are rapidly
increasing our facilities for working
WOODEN goods. Every dollar spent at
home for these and other things
made in the South is so much to-
wards building up our resources and
will prove profitable investment in
the end, while dollar spent in the
North helps it at our expense.
Another source of revenue to the
North in former times was the mon
ey spent by the people Of the South
travelling North in the Summer. We
have at home comfortable summer
resorts which should be patronized
by the Southern people, and we are
glad to see among the lists published
that the Virginia Springs. Point
Clear and other Southern places are
figuring prominently. 1t is true that
many Northern people come South
in the Winter and spend their money
with US. We are glad to have them
do so, but that is only giving us a
little of their surplus cash, while we
take from our substance to 60 North.
After awhile it may be that we can
afford to spend our spare cash as we
please, but until the South is again
what she was we can't afford to do it.
Of late years the North has made
rapid progress in educational facili-
ties and many Of the States have al
most perfect systems of public edu-
cation. We have spent and are pay
ing now more for that purpose than
they, but the results with US have
been far from satisfactory, and this
is matter in which we must not be
surpassed by the North. Money
will do for some things and money
exerts a powerful influence in the
world, but the motive power of gov.
eminent, the force that controls all
things and makes even money sub
servient to itself, is intellect. Mon
ey is good but brains are better. We
used to have both the money and
brains, and while the misfortunes
we have had is more than sufficient
excuse for our want of the former,
nothing short of demagoguery could
account for any falling of of the lat.
ter. We are proud to say that so
far from there being any noticeable
deficiency of intellect in the South,
our public men are sustaining our
reputation. We have no fears for
the present and only desire to give a
warning for the future. The genera
tion of Southern boys now going to
school ought to know and to feel
that they are working not only for
themselves but for their native
South, and this thought ought to
urge them to make the best use of
their time. The South can and
ought to be power in the land, and
the prospect is encouraging that a
few years will find her with a power
full voice in the affairs of the
government.
-OLD John, the good old colored
Patriarch Of the Baptist Church,
was out in tolerable force with bis
faithful ones on Sunday, and had a
dip! Some of the bad ones here as,
sert that he was out of time, and
turned out in opposition to the
Methodist Camp Meeting, which
war raging across the river. We