Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1880-01-08
THETEN PROSPEROUS STATES

Following the deficiency of the
crops in Europe, inevitably came
prosperity for American agricultur-
lists. Blessed with superintendent
harvests of all grains, and having a
ready market for them at high prices,
they are making money; and the
long looked for revival of business
has taken place. All business is con-
Quoted on wealth created by the
producers. If the class that pro
duces wealth is in straitened circum-
tances,, all classes are straitened.
The unprecedented development oil
the Northwest, the West, and the
Southwest, and the marvellous in
crease of their population. have often
ben discussed. But, with unani-
nifty that is remarkable, our writers
have overlooked the South, OF re
g4rding that section as unworthy
the attention of Northern patriots.
they have scorned to give it the no.
tee that should in justice be accord
ell to well deserved prosperity. 1t
may seem a bold statement, but the
section that has been neglected by
to-day, and has been for years, the
most prosperous portion of the Union,
AID its prosperity rests on the most
stable basis.
The State of Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missis-
sippi, North Carolina, South Carroll
na, Tennessee and Texas are known
IS The cotton States, since the cult
walton of cotton absorbs the labor Of
the husbandman in that region OF
'Go.ntry. The total population Of the
ten in 1870 was S,272,22S The close
Of the war found them impoverished.
Their property was destroyed. We
Of the North next overran them with
carpet-baggers who stole from them, in
terferred with their State governments
and oppressed them in many ways.
The inhabitants of the cotton States
waited as patiently as they had
fought courageously, and at last re-
g,ined the control of their wi af-
fairs. From that time the onward
m ,rch of the cotton belt toward the
most UNPRECEDENTED prosperity has
OF 1S75-was a prosperous one for
them, and they justly rejoiced over
the result. For the year ending on
June 3O,1S79, the domestic exports
from the United States amounted in
value to a total of $717,093,777. OF
this vast sum the ten cotton States
with their scanty population, aye
credited with $l62, 3O4.25o for their
cotton alone. Over twenty-five per
cent. of The value Of our expectation
was received for a crop grown by
less than twenty per cent. OF our
population.
The Republican press of the North
is so habituated to describing the
people of the South as riding up and
down their lonely roads, engaged in
their only occupation--ezcept drink.
ing whisky in low par rooms-of
shooting and torturing colored Re.
publican, that many thousands OF
worthy men in the North really be-
lieve this to. be true. If, as the Re-
rublicans press claims, the people of
the cotton belt did nothing but loaf
in groggeries, and organize and e1.
ecute "nigger hunts" they would all
.starve to death. There is an old saw
that by his chips you can Judge work
man. 1t is also true that by the cot.
ton bales you can judge of the work
done by a people. Last year
the people of the cotton belt
found time to raise over 100000
bales of cotton for export. besides
supplying the United States. 1t is
objected by the Northern Republi-
cans that this work, at least the
greater part of it, is done by the col
ored race. Why not Do the own
ers of the farms outside OF the cotton
belt do all the work that is done on
them? Do not almost ell of them
employ and supervise it? Because a
man happens to be black, and works
in a cotton field. he is, entitled to no
more credit for simply working than
is an Irish, German or American
farm hand who works in the corn
fields on the lean soil of New Hamp
shire or the rich prairies Of Kansas.
Because the landless laboring class OF
the South raise cotton under the IN
telligent supervision of mel who own
land, it is not just to call the land
owners cruel, oppressive and mud
derous, and deny them credit for tie
work done. To read some articles
written by a Northern Republican
about the labor done on Southern plan
tations, one would be led to believe
that the hiring Of a man to work was
The dia5olical invention OF a deVlllsh
S., Domocrat