Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-07-21
The New South.

AO NoW SOuGus
The era of political quiet and industrial
prosperity that has dawncd brightly upon
the Southern States is one Of tho most Gu
couraging signs Of these bright times. Twcn.
ty years ago the South was in tho begin
ming of destructive war, which it might
easily have avertcd. Ten years ago it was
still prostrate from the disastrous results of
that deadly copflict. To- duy tho signs urc
uomistakublc that it has entered upon q high
road Of muteriul progress, which has only to
De followed to lead to measure of prosper
ity and happiness that would have seemed
Utoplun III the daJs of slavery.
The new census returns show that within
the past ten years there has been in the
Southern States social ard economic awak-
ening which promises to be general ond
lasting. The marked iDcreasc of popula-
ton that has taken place has been attended
with most encouraging improvement in
the condition Of the people. New towns
have sprung up and old ones havo grown iu
size aud prosperity. Schools, Libraries and
newspapers have multiplied and ilIitcracy
lbs diminished Factories have increased
10 capacity and number, railroads have zen
built in every direction, and senports and
other commercial ccutrcs have become buss
ler lhan ever before. During the pnst three
or four years Western grain has been seek
ing foreign markets by way of the Mississip
pi River 10 such rapidly increasing quapti
tics ns to cause no little alarm in ccrtain
Northcru quarters. The tide Of Southern
prosperity that has already set il must find
new tributary when the completion of the
ruilroad aud telegraph systems now 10 prog
rcss or contemplation shall open Mcxi,o to
Amelicou enterprise.
With this promising advance in the
commercial and industrial welfare of the
South is now seen change 10 its political
coudition that is hardIy less encouraging.
AS long as partisan dominated all other in.
tcrests politics was the bane Of the South.
This wac conspicuously the case in the ycars
Immediately following the war. To-day
economical are made greater than partizou
considerations. Political quiet has taken
the place of political turmoil and industrial
activity hos followed industrial stasnation
Men are coming into public life who were
boys when the rebellion ragged, and were
unborn when the fierce political balt!es
preceding it were fought. They are rot
anxious to fight out the party feuds OF their
fathers. They have no desire to be ctern-
ally worripg over the dead issues of the past
They have had enough Stutc Rights contra
vcrsy, enough war, enough reconstruction
aod enough of the "bloody shirt" business
They see moro money, moro success and
more prosperity in trade and industry than
in politics. The younger members who
come to Washington are more Interested in
fnd r. al ~ f
their couhtry aod the social and education
al advancement of the people than in parti-
san strife which can only defeat these good
ends Such, ut least, is tho plain tendency
if not yet the realization of Southern politi-
cal life.
In tho general progress that the South
has made since the war the growth of its
cotton Industry appears rs tho most striking;
promising nnd significant The greatest
cotton crop known in the days of slavery
was that of l850-60, which footed i'm moi.
than four million eight hundred and twenty
thousand bales and exceeded any preceding
crop by hundred thousand bales. But
sinoo tho war the yearly production has
steadily and rapidly increased until tho crop
of last year reached tho unprecedented
figure Of 5,757,397 bales, each Of which
was twenty pounds heavier than tho bales
OF the greatest anti.war crop. Tho oggro.
cato yield of this great staple during tho
fifteen years following tho war was larger by
ten million bales and moro valuable By nbaf.
ly seven hundred million dollars than dur
ing tho fifteen years preceding the war. The
crop of tho present yosr will DO the largest
yet raised, and is expected to amount to
moro than six million bales Thero are yet
no signs of any arrest Of this onward move.
ment, and thcre is every indication that tho
future will bring forth crops that now would
seem marvellous.
But more significant than this extraordi.
nary proRfess in culture Of cotton is the uda
vance made by the South in its manufacture
Since 1870 tho capacity Of Southern mills
has Increased from eleven thousand to moro
thnn fifteen thousand looms, and from four
hundred thousand to BcYen hundred lbous-
and spndlcs. Within the sumo period the
consumption Of cotton has moro than
doubled. 1t was fotty-fve million pounds
10 1870 and in 1880 it had ibsfeased to
moro than one hundred million Tho ceGa
sus returns show that during the past
looaJo tho South has made moro rand