The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-04
OUR GREAT LOCAL NEED.

One OF the most dispiriting features Of the
situation rs regards New Orleans ID the I'M
Willingness OF capitalists to apply any OF
their money to the establishment Of factories.
There are several branches OF the manufac-
turing business which could be prosecuted
here with better results than anywhere on the
continent. We are at the very base OF supply
for the raw material In cotton. We possess
advantages OF location which no other city In
the country possesses. We hHve splendid
river draining an empire as large as Europe,
by means OF which we can draw upon mex
haustible sources Of staple products. and we
lie at the outlet OK that great river. crown
Ing the finest deep water harbor In the
civilized world. II Columbus, Ga. and
other interior towns can conduct large
cotton manufacturing enterprises, and
reap rich profits therefrom, why should
not New Orleans conduct enterprises OF
similar nature upon q far larger scale and
with far greater protit7 II 1t pays to trans
port the raw cotton thousand OF miles from
the district where 1t Is produced, to Connec-
ticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, In
order to work 1t up into cloths, why should 1t
not pay ten-fold to have the, factories here
and work 1t up without mourning that i'm
mense outlay for transportation
But there Is no need Of dwelling upon the
conditions which conspire to render New Or
leans one Of the most favorablespots on earth
for q certain class Of manufactures. They
are notorious and self-evident. What Inn
presses us 80 disagreeably Is the inexplica-
bly, apathy OF our moneyed men upon the
subject. While they have on every hand the
most promising openings for Investment In
active enterprises. that will not only bring
them handsome returns but contribute to the
wealth OF the city, by giving employment to
the laboring people they prefer to sink their
means In stocks and bonds that represent no
industry, and communicate no impulse to
progress and development. Instead Of fur
nishing our idle thousands with re-
munerative work and infuslng into
the city's shrunken pulses the rich, warm.
throbbing blood Of energy and motion, they
hide away their wealth where the mold and
mildew cover It over. and whence no benefit
for any human being save themselves can
possibly escape. This explains our blocks OF
vacant stores and our hundreds Of DWELL nRs
which cannot be rented for enough to pay
taxes and insurance and repairs. This Is the
reason New Orleans stands still, while other
cities stride far ahead along the path Of
progress. This Is the explanation of the regi-
ments OF unemployed naeu and women who sit
In unwelcome idleness and ugly want, barely
subduing the impulse to become 9 lements OF
danger and mischief as well as of distress.
Our banks are full to ovectiowing. our api-
tAlists are anxjOna tn find tnvaa tuaants Of the
kind they most affect. yet no one seems to
divine that all other enterprises must be dis
eased when the honest, wholesome, legitimate
industries upon which all human prosperity
depends are allowed to ianguish.
We often wonder how long this fatal condi-
tiOn Of things will endure.