Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-11
The South Solid.

The South Solid.
Of the "Solid South" as political
condition to effect political ends and
purposes, this journal has nothing TO
say. But we have to say something
about South solid in more important
sense, as it affects its own material pros
perity. The South solidly and contin-
uously supports and builds up the
North, not from any deliberate inten-
ton, but from the constant neglect of its
own best interests. To say this seems
to imply depreciation of Southern in
telligence and foresight. 1t is not that,
but simply this Her people for gener-
atoms lived SO much at ease that they
became inconsiderate of the future, and
such habit, like other evil ones, is not
easily shaken off. To sell every thing
produced on the farm as soon as it was
ready for market Tor before), and to buy
every thing needed for the farm and
household with the proceeds, was the
was annual and only occupation OF the
moneyed planters. For other material
pursuits, such as manufacturing, min
ing, shipping, railroading, &C., &C., the
bulk of the people had little use and less
taste. When the war came but one
foundry was prepared to make heavy
artillery, and mandatory of small
arms did not exist in all its broad terri
tory. A warlike people had literally
nothing to fight with, except the rem
nants left by the Federal Government.
This is alluded to to show how strong
the habit of merely raising raw crops
and selling them to others had grown to
be, and its effects on the people. The
South was solid then for building up
the North by selling in the crude state
all that its rich lands and labor could
produce, and solid for buying the fin
ished products of these same materials
back again, with hundreds of other pro-
ducts it could better have produced at
home. In making others rich it kept
North has its South. The millions alb
sorbed by these receptive and manufac-
turing countries are past computing. A
IAN impoverished South q bankrupt
North.
To make apparent the solidity of the
South in enriching the North, let us
come to particulars. Let man leave
New York for journey South and
make note of every thing he sees, anc
add item to item as he proceeds. II
would run somewhat this way =
Engine drawing train made in Phila
delphia or Patterson cars in Whining
ton iron rail in Pennsylvania hotel
outfit complete in New York and Mas
sachusetts street cars and carriages
ditto; horses drawing them, from Ohio
or the West, and harness wholly or in
part from Boston; beer, liquors, &c.
from the North; apples, fruits, nuts
ditto, as well as many table items.
; He will not see man clothed In
homemade goods, and as for the wo-
men, though they be arrayed in gar
ments surprising what the Queen Of
Sheba wore, of them all not one article
will be found which was spun at the
South. Let him visit private man.
sion. He will see furniture from base
ment to attic all Northern made, with
rarest exception.
Let him take drive to the country
He will take Northern carriage
to ride in. The farmers implement
and tools will be found with North
ern brands on them, with few excep
tons; and horrible to relate), if j
should be in the late winter or earl.
spring, he will often find stock eatin!
Northern hay. If he goes to church
he will find it supplied with an organ
from Boston, and lit up at night by ga
!, fixtures from New York. If he goes t
! a funeral, he will see the deceased en-
closed in a case made at the North, ant
,, at the cemetery most of the monument
: made of foreign marble.
The question will finally come hom
to him, and will require some time TO
solution, What do these people not buy
! !, Next he will mediate, if these peopl
l buy everything, where do they get tn
money to buy everything with?
The articles which bring the none.
! can be well nigh numbered on ones fin
,, gers, and are mainly raw and manufac
l tured tobacco, wheat and -four. (bu
much of the latter is bought from tn
: North), peanuts, sumac, bark, railroa
= ties, trucks in the early spring. and cot
. ton.
Thus the South is solidly contributiD
: to the prosperity of the North by buy
) ing nearly every thing that it consumes
and sending her products to it, to b
!, manufactured and sent back with prot
it's and freights both ways added. Ths
: such course could have been cOntiI
= ued for century shows unbounde
! wealth and richness Of resources. !
y solidity like this might well compensat
- the North for political SOlldlty Whlc
y, seems to give it great uneasiness. Br
. it is certain that the former is doing tn
), South more evil than the latter is dom
to the North.
>, The Northern politicians are sayin
a is this "Solid South" never to fall t
:: pieces? The Southern patriot an
E economist is saying let Southern sole
~ 1ty," such as we have described, at one
f. lat
South be true and alive to its own be-
. interests. Be solid in outstanding h
heretofore wasted resources, and not (
:. . like goose in cold weather standing O
one leg. Less than three will not SUI
= port her. These are Agriculture. Maj
u ufactures, and Commerce. On this tr
y pod let her stand solid, with enmity
:; none and good will to all. Monthly Ba'
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