Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-25

OF cotton manufacturing South in recent
number Of the NRws. headed "The Tariff
Question - Future Outlook" concludes
thus:
1.-THE South must now look out for her
self, and bring her great advantages to bear
in her favor, asking only free field and
fair fight against all competitors. The
South should be fully awake to her inter.
ests. and she can stand without rival. with
a broad policy and proper encouragement to
manufacturers to bring their capital and
skin to our cotton fields"
To my mind, sir, the above states the
situation Of the South exactly as regards
cotton manufacturing. 1t looks like a msn
believed in himself, was in earnest and
meant business. It means work and not
words. The one thing for the South to do
Just now is to state fairly and squarely just
what she is prepared to offer In the form of
encouragement to manufacturers to bring
their capital and skill to its cotton fields
This is matter upon which the South only
is competent to speak. No one can repre-
sent here in this respect what would seem
to be her proper part of the work of intro
ducing such enterprises into this section of
the Union. Sooner or later the "cOtton
betn is sure to become the great centre of
manufacturing for the entire American con-
a
rival" Whether such enterprises take
durable shape in any given locality IN the
region just named this year. or next year,
or a decade hence, depends solely and en-
tirely upon the amount Of encouragement
the given locality is able to afford manufac-
turers 10 bring the capital and skill there.
That is as self evident proposition as the IN
clouded sun at noon day 10 any one who has
given the subject proper thought. The re-
- 1ah., d H.,
ting for the word to come South. and capital
invariably follows labor.
For these reasons, sir, 1t would seem that
the immediate and practical question for
Southern gentlemen in a position to encour-
age cotton manufacturing In their locality
is this, namely: Which of the economic
systems of manufacturing is best adapted to
our present circumstances That is to say,
is it for our interest to encourage large
stOck companies with capital OF fuadreds
of thousands of dollars, IN which the opera
tives have no pecuniary interest In the
plant, and from the active management of
which we ourselves would be virtually ex-
GUIDED? 1t is to be borne in mind that, as
at present organized, the treasurer and sell
ing agents In those great concerns neeessa-
Iily control their direction; or, is it better
that we aid small co operative concerns,
wherein the plant is owned In great part
fsmliarize ourselves with manufacturing in
all it's detailsf L. would seem that Influential
Southern gentlemen would be considering
some such questions as the above at the
present time. Each system, of course, has
iJs friends, advOcaies and supporters, who
are fl flenced In the matter very much, If
not wholly, according TO their means and
Their disposition to work. Persons of large
means are indisposed to exacting employ
hat
of limited or moderate means, and of an
active disposition, prefer the latter; so that
1t is probable the South will have both sys-
TENS.
Doubtless many Southern gentlemen are
fully persuaded that cotton manufacturing
cannot be carried on successfully without
an immense capital 10 start with. They have
visited some one of the great mills North,
with it's acres upon acres OF f)oring, having
every square yard of it covered with costly
machinery, its interminable lines of betting
and shafting, and it's crowds of operatives,
and those immense structures are their sole
idea of cotton factories. II would be Just
as impossible to convince such persons that
profitable cotton factory could be set go
NJ on capital Of few thousand dollars
IN the southern cotton field. Those greas
concerns are very costly ia their manage
ment, and, l believe, it Is admitted by eeono-
whether it be In England, France, Belgium,
or the United States, are more profitable
dollar for dollar to their owners than the
larger ones are to their stockholders. Be
thts as it may, It was always accepted In
slavery times as an uDqueetiOnable fact that
cotton goods could be made up cheaper at
The South than auy other part
OF the world, not excepting India,
or China IL it were not for slavery being
n frQ II W. nv
judgments upon the subject, held that,
could few large cotton planters unite and
put up a small cotton factory in their neigh
OOrhOod, they would have perfect gold
mine at their call, aud that nothing save bad
management or an earthquake, which would
swallow 1t up completely, could interfere
with its continued prosperity. L havs seen
It demonstrated, to the siiencing Of an ex
pert upon such subjects, that cotton goods
could De produced by email factory amidst
The cotton tlelds and delivered on the wharf
for foreis u shipment 20 per cent. less than
toe came class Of goods could be placed on
The wharf in Boston by any of the great es-
adjustments OF Lowell or Lawrence. But
slavery covered the Southern land, aud
slavery aud the factory were held to be in
compatible institutions. They could not
exist together. Now that slavery has gone,
disappeared, vanished so utterly from this
Southern land that no human being thinks
OF locking even for its shadow, what pre-
vents the cotton factory being set up Ia the
cotton 6eldp IL white fingers pick the cot
ton, well. II black fingers pick the cotton,
we'll II whits fingers aud black fingers
work together at It, Sill well. The cotton
is there all the same, let who may do the
picking. And yet some OF the self same
men who twenty five years ago held that,
barring slavery, the South must prove the
greatest cotton manufacturing country on
he face of the globe, now tell Us that the
South is not adapted for the manufacture of
cotton 1t all. But, sir, it matters not what
any enc may say TO the contrary, common
sense tells US that other thlugs-msch inery,
skile labor, motive power aud facilities OF
shipment--being equal, cotton factory 10
the midst of cotton fields must prove more
profitable than the same concern Thousand
mics from It's base Of supply could possibly
be- l. is doublsl il human ingenuity can
devise q safer investment for capital than q
moderate sized cotton factory iudiciOusly
located ia the South, while FOR the opera
tive 1t would be Elysium itself.
SO much as REGARDS the private or indi-
vidual interests involved in the subject
under consideration. But, SIR, with your
permission, 1t may not be Irrelevant in this
correction to glance at some of the broader
issues-natiOnai issuee-issuss which con-
Germ the entire body Of the American people
waiting upon the action of the South In this
respect As you know, sir, the Magazine OF
American History Is neither a socialist, COM
munisJ nor alsrmist, bus highly respecta-
BILE. conservative periodical, and anything
borne upon its pages touching the general
well-being of the American people deserves
The most serious attention of Americans.
Well. sir, as you may remember, In late
number Of that magazine we find this pas
sage:
changes, too, about to take place not only
In this country but in the world at large,
cannot be questioned by those who are in
the habit of closely noting the signs Of the
times. Excitement is now in the air. Il is
afeli aud communicates itself to vast
masses of men without any apparent reason.
Never has the Certainty of approaching
trouble social and political, been more
manifest than it is to-day. The issues are
more complicated than ever before, and
that they can be settled without grave dis
turbauce is scarcely credible. The social
danger which undeFlies and inteBsifiss the
political is the most difficult" Isn't that
worth careful reading, sir Well, sir, mark
what follows: I'm this, the crucial period
OF American civilization, we look with well
grounded confidence 10 the American ele-
ment IN our Southern population. lt will
bring to the cauldron In which the elements
of q pew composite race are now seething
at high temperature the solid element of
pure American blOOd.o Isn't that worth
careful reading, too, cir.
or course, by the above, we do not I'M
derstaud that narrow. biQOted. cOncefted.