Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-11-27
LOOK Ar HOWE.

~
tics is evidently fcir while the pol
icy Of the south, a policy which will
be forced upon her if she do not
spontaneously adopt it. So success
fully have the republican speakers
and writers alarmed the northern
people with their pet bug-bear, the
solid south, that those even who are
not affected by it, and would deal
with US in spirit of frankness and
Justice are brought in suspicion with
their countrymen as accomplices OF
the south and conspirators against
the north. In short, 1t brings north
err democrats into suspicion to hold
friendly relations with the south.
The only remedy we see is tempo
rary withdrawal from federal poll
tics. There are those who would
propose a different remedy. They
say. "Let the south cease to be solid,
let our people divide out and some
support the republican party while
others adhere to the democracy"
We could understand this advice if
there were no principle involved IN
our political positions las indeed
some affirm, but there is principle
involved which has been a motive
power in American politics ever
since our government has been estab-
lished, the assertion of which has
never been as vitality important as
It is now. 1t is resistance to the
rapid encrOachments of the federal
executive. Whatever influence we
can exercise in federal affairs should
be directed to this purpose. To give
republican votes would be to work
against ii, and so against ourselves,
to acquire a voice in the national
councils for the purpose of using it
against our own interests; the whole
idea, when practically looked at,
becomes too absurd for serious con-
sideration. On the other hand, act
ing as democrats, in the present
state of northern feeling, we should
prejudice the cause we favor rather
than promote it by active interven-
ton. The only conclusion which
seems to us rational, therefore, is a
temporary withdrawal from federal
politics, and, as a substitute for
them, a careful looking into affairs
nearer home.
Even state politics at present call
for watching rather than active
prosecution, and the business of
every locality in the state is the
promotion of those means of mate
rial prosperity which are, after all,
the legitimate end of which politics
are or ought to be the means.
May not this be salutary result
to be derived from what we deem a
great political misfortune, that we
shall be led by it to consider what
means we possess among ourselves
for advancing our material wellbe-
ing without relying on the federal
government to do it for US? We
find in reading our exchanges quite
a general impulse in this direction.
A great impetus has been given to
the consideration of mining, manu-
features, diversity of crops, and all
those departments Ofindustry which
are least pursued in those regions
where the production of a great ag-
ricultural staple is liable to absorb
all other occupations, as that of to-
baccO does among us.
1t is not with the special purpose
of advancing any one of these that
we are now writing certainly not
. with that of discOuraging them), but
rather for that of considering some
of the conditions which are favor
able, and some which are unfavor-
able to the development of new
fields for tabor and enterprise. 1t
will be considered a truism if we
were to advance a serious argument
to prove that in a given region that
occupation can be most advanta-
geously practised for which its eli
mate and other local characteristics
naturally adapt it; if, for instance,
we should contend that cotton can
be most advantageOusly raised in
the gulf states, sugar along the lower
Mississippi or toboccO in some parts
of Kentucky and Tennessee; for
facts have demonstrated this to
certainty in the regions in question.
We would prefer to call attention
TO the fact that in these very regions
the very facility with which those
great staples can be produced has
been an impediment to the general
prosperity by preventing any vari-
ETY. OF industrial occupation. In
deed, within the last year or two a
similar trouble has been complained |
of in the northwestern states. The |
great European demand for wheat !
in Europe, and the great facility for
producing it in those states has in !
its measure produced the same |
results therein as the cotton and to- /
bacco culture further south, and 1t |
IS already producing its effect of
centralizing agriculture i'm the hands |
of very large prOprietOrs and crush
ing out not only all other Occupa-
tions but even agriculture itself |
where it has been practised by small |
prOprietOrs.
The problem before us, then, Is
how to create varied occupations in
those regions where the production
of a great staple has monopolized
mems efforts. As teaching by ex-
ample is the most effective method, |
we will take the case of GAINESVILLE
TO illustrate our views. Ii Is well
known that the country around
produces variety of
tobacco not prOducible elsewhere, a
certain quantity of which is required
-. s I