The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-03
THE NEW SOUTH.
A Fall Interview with Senator Joseph l..
Brown.
Aer York Herald.
WAsHINGTON, January l.


WAsHINGToN, January IL.
asked him what he thought was the
first duty of'the Snuth2
10 get away from politics" he replied
without hesitation, "and to give the time
and attention of her people TO practical
matters. OF course, do not mean that
we should abandon any political prnci-
pies, but simply that we should not give
sentimental distractions the absorbing
attention they have heretofore had. The
South can make nothing by political ag.
ltation, while it can make great dca!
by turning its attention to practical mat
ters. think if we could have nothing 10
do with politics for the next eight or ten
years it might be better for u.s. am
not afraid that the principles OF Dcmoc.
racy will suffer from allegiance. The
question of State rights, fog instance,
will, am satisfied. have the earnest sun.
port Of New England, as soon as the
West and South have grown a little more
powerful. The Democratic party is based
on essential principles, and they will live
without perpetual agitation.
But the question ofpractical advance
meut," the senator went on to say, sis a
pressing one. We have vast resources,
that are but partially developed or en-.
tirely locked up. We want our rivers
opened, so that our timber and naval
stores can be marketed, and We want
our superb harbors improved, so that the
productions and commerce of our own
State and half dozen other States that
seek these harbors can find an outlet
We want our people educated, their minds
developed, aud to these ends our Repro
sentatives should work. The South is
prospering, but there are certain ngen-
cies of Development that must be en-
ploycd to hasten and make her full devel.
opment."
You think, then, that the South has
made progress in the past few years ?"
II am certain Of it. Any man who
rides through our section cannot fail to
note the advancement. He will see bet
better barns, new factories, thriving cities
that were villages. But the South is
just now prepared for real development.
We have just finished smoothing over the
deaolation war, rehabi!itating our farms
and paying our debts. The recuperation
shown by the South is almost without
parallel. Just look at her condition at
the close of the war She had lost by one
sweep of pen about 81, 900, 100000 worth
OF slave property, there having been freed
about four million negroes worth $500
each. She had lost quite as much more
by equipping and supporting her armies
for four years, for everything was paid
for in Confederate notes or bonds, which
were valueless. She was made to contrib.
ute largely 10 the support OF the armies of
the North by seizure Of her property wher-
ever they needed it. She lostmiilions of
dollars. worth of property destroyed by
both armies-as houses, stock, fences,
&c. at the close Of the war her people
found themselves stripped Of almost ey-
erything except their lands, and much of
that was sold for Federal taxes, their
farms desolate, their homes dismantled tho
heads Of families and firms dead the old,
order Of things subverted and the people
heavily in debt. We were then not only
gi7en our proportion Of the national debt
to pay, but special taxes laid on our cot
ton and tobacco. These taxes were pure
ly and simply sectional, rs cotton and
tobacco arc not raised North or West,
and took millions from our people annu-
ally. The cotton tax was raised after
several years, during which probably
$4,000. 900 was collected, but the tobac-
co tax, collected almost entirely from the
South, is still levied, and large proper
ton of the whisky tax is also paid by US.
Nothing but the courage and industry of
our people and the enormous incomes
received from their crops would have en-
abled them TO have recovered at all from
those crushing losses and expressions,
much less within q single decade"
GETTING RID OF DEBT.
"Have you about finished paying up
your debts and getting your affairs in
shape?"
eyes, sir; our people are almost out
ofdebt. They have almost restocked and
reftted their farms, they are using agri.
cultural implements, have rebuilt their
cities and towns and are ncw ready for
progress and development. The immense
incomes from cotton and other crops
that have been for the past ten or twelve
years devoted to rehabilitation and settling
up old scores, will for the next rn years,
seek new investment, and it is the high
est duty Of craftsmanship to encourage
measures that will lead to legitimate in
vestment of this money. With this done
the South will in few years be wealthy
and independent. and this is the shortest
road she can take to power and respect.
Just take our cotton crop alone. In 1865
IL was 2,225,9S baics; in 1870 it was
4,352,3l7 bales; in 1879 it WIS 5,625, 900,
aud tho estimate for this year is 5000, 900.
If this is correct-and l suppose it
will bet shows that we have nearly
trebled the crop in fifteen years, and have
increased 100000 bales in the last ten
years. and ought to realize nearly $780,
100000 for this years cotton crop alone.
do not claim that the South is alone in
this progress. The whole country, has
done we'll. We have, iii 1878, 2, ,434 1854, ,54l
bushels of grain against 1,629,027 GOO in
1870, au enormous increase in less than
ten years. We have now 81 ,59l miles of
railroad against 35,035 in 1865, and 52,-
9l4 in 1870. This marvellous growth
shcaid aac.cn;sL cre-y s....ccsc::::n, Na::.iii
upon us all than mere abstract politics;
that we should address ourselves to prac.
tical questions, and should engineer with
all prudence and intelligence the onward
rush of our country for the next decade" 7"
"What do you think the course Of the
South should boz"
"The first thing that the people of the
South should do in political way IS to con-
vince tho people of the North that they
have accepted in perfect good faith the re-
construction measures and the amend
ments to the Constitution, and will stand
by them and carry them out in all that they
legitimately imply. We can never hope
to win g, National victory until this Is
done. It was fear on the part of the
capitalists and substantial men, of the
North of the South's sincerity and ap.