The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-06-10
srAIn PRESS REVIEW.


taken, and the honorable, true man Away
does 1t. Itis:true that We of the scush' u
the main, believed that with the abolition Q
slavery the production Of our great staple
cotton, must greatly fall of. We did no
believe that white labor could stand tn
strain Of our southern summers and we hs'
little confidence in free colored labor. 70
even in slavery times we had seen how unre
liable Il was, but happily our fears hsv'
p,oyen groundless entirely SO far as regard
white labor, and to reasonable, se1tent a
regards free colored labor. The south neve
repined at the loss of its $4,000, 100000 IL
slaves, and never begrudged the colored maj
his freedom, but rather, although it was a
our own cos, in money, rel bleed with him il
his new birth. The south would not to-day
for fifty times the $4,000. 100000 lost, have
tho negroes returned to slavery If it were
possible. The Waco Telephone, in we'll
digesled and written article on this subject!
says:
After the lapse of full fifteen years, the
problem Of FREQ labor in the south has been
SO effectually solved that the doubters and
theorists Of the old regime will have to take
back seat forever. There war no denying,
when tho war WAS ended, the dignifying in
huences of free labor. Men had accepted
the abolition of slavery as fixed fact that
could not bo CHANGED. But the soulh's
great industry was cotton. If rejuvenstion
and new prosperity came, it must be from
the cotton fields The croskers admitted
that free labor might be good enough to fill
the workshops and factories 10 tho east, or
till the grain fields in the west. but it would
never answer for the cotton fields in the
south. AS a consequence, the cotton indus.
try must lapguish, the production decrease,
AMI southern progress and prosperity be
handicapped to all eternity. There was
never greater delusion, and in the light Of
facts and figures the g'oomy theories have
not only been revised, but alb
solutely blotted out l. is inter
estpg to read the statistical ia
bles of the last thirty years bearing
upon cotton culture in the south. Take the
last fifteen years of slavery. The product
OF cotton during that period was 1865 sol
bales. In the fifteen years Of free labor,
from 1865 10 1880, the product foots IN
SO, 438 ,335-an increase OF nearly 10000 600
bales. There was a period, during the last
two years of the slave system, from '6S to
'65, when cotton culture laDguished. But,
10 counterbslsnce this, there was a cores
pouding period of at least two years after
the war before we fully adopted and utilized
the free system. The decentralization of the
war and the confusion following its close
affected labor, and il was not uuil 1870 that
We were fairly under way with free labor.
The logic OF these figures Is memorable, and
should set at rest the last lingering doubt as
to the progress and prosperity that is posi-
Bile in the future, especially with the improv-
ed appliances that are sure to come into
play in connection with the culture of cotton,
which Is destined, more than ever to be king
in the south.
Now that the warm weather is upon US the
San Antonio Express wakes fiery and b,llig>
erent end talks about trailing the Mexican
flag in the dust because of drunken Mexi-
can captains wrong-doing. Let's. don't
wipe out our sister republic this time because
of little mezcal. Let's forgive and forget
AND send the captain some American rye,
which will only make him steal something:
The Express says:
When the arrest and incarceration of a
party OF Americans in tho Piedras Negrss,
Mexico, Jail was announced last week, the
report stating that they were released the
following morning without any charge being
brought against them, we thought, tho pro-
ceedings being 80 strange And outrageous ii
true, that there might have been reasons for
the arrest not learned by our reporter; that,
in fact, the arrested parties had withheld
some of tho facts; but our Eagle Pass CORE
spondent now explains the arrest bv quoting
the statement of the alcalde, that the arrest
ing officer was drunk. Such an outrage
should not be passed over with u simple
expression of condemnation, and if the
Mexican powers that be do not render
satisfaction voluntarily they should DO com.
PEELED to. The fact that the officer was
drunk did not make the ofTense any the less
endurable for the victims, and if tho Ameri.
can hag cannot protect its citizens from
such outrages almost within its shadow, the
sooner tho worthless thing is tralled in the
dust, and something mora powerful raised in
It's place, the better for all concerned.
The Delta Banner is earnestly in favor of
prohibition and comes out bravely for II,
saying:
Prohibition is steadily gaining ground.
The long. brave fight maintained by numbers
of our papers aud people in the face Of pow
erful opposition, of intrigue, and political
fraud, grows more and more aggressive, and
the prospects of victory brighten every day.
Every mail brings the hcws that localities,
awakened TO the vitality of the ISSUE are ial
ling into rank; county calls TO county for
and aid, a fame of popular
sentiment has be0n kinded that will not be
The issue is Imminent To stand
still and sion,ly watch the fight 90 on, is to
play the traitor to conscience and the coward
TO public sentiment and 10 openly endorse
what we privately condemn, Ho who is not
for prohibition Is virtually considered against
1t. The man who fears to come out boldly
and strike hands with the men who sro fight
ing our country's worst enemy, is justly con.
sidered by them, ard. Sj al AS a
friend and an slls|s6 that evil. -
Tho S.ssphensville Empire wants narrow
'eauye road from Dallas TO that place and
on wnsw'ri through other counties named
The HERALD assures tho Empire that in &C
far rs Dallas Is concerned, "Bsrkis is will
lin, "and we doubt not the the Texas Il ST.
Louis narrow gauge, which will DO in Dalla,
in eighteen months, or less time, would a,