Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-04
WIZ. sPEEks AND THE SOUTH.
Tie Defines His Position.

As there has been much discrepancy of state
nent as to the position and purposes of Hon.
Emory SPeer, of Georgia, in connection with the
independent movement in the South. the follow
ing communication from him to the New York
World viii be read with interest:
To the Editor Of the World.
SIR: Your paper of to-day contains state
ment which ask leave to deny In your crit
c'sm on Henry l.. Nelson's article in the Inter
national ReUieso ycu say substantially that the
industrial benefits TO the South of the Atlanta
Exposition were made possible not by Mr. Ma
none and Mr. Speer. but in spite OF them"
NOW. foT my self. do not choose to rest under
the iinppted crime of obstrHcting the industrial
pfogIess OF the South There is nothing i'm the
h1ei record Of iny public life which i'm any sense
viii justify this imputation 1t is true as have
heretofore said, that | owe no allegiance to
party when controismy opinion of the propriety
OF public measures. / ain rot elected by the or
gahlzation OF party. aud therefore am not i'm
any sense Obliged IN obey the dictates of its eau
Gus. It is not logical however to conclude for
this reason that | have impeded the industrial
progress OF the South.
Indeed, it would Ire a most gratifying expesi-
tion-in truth, a revelation to many who love
the South-if your able and discerning journal
would disclose wherein the caucus has suggest
ed any economic legislation which will tend to
the Industrial development of that section.
NO" cannot, OF course, assume that the
editor of the World who determines the indus
trial questions OF the day has ever permitted
his mind TO hover for a moment over any utter
ance OF tyro in the work of economic IegSla-
ton, but in view of the serious charge allow
me to call attention to the record. In the last
Congress while the cation exposition was in
contemplation took occasion TO say: ''In the
manufacture in the south of cotton goods the
best investment for southern capital is found.
BY nature every condition is afforded to make
this great industry profitable. Our snowy
southern staple, of which we have the monop-
oily. will flourish and produce at the very door
OF the factory. Plentifuily supplied with water,
the motive power of our factories is furnished
10y nature. When the streams of yGu- northern
rivers are frozen from bank to bank and the
wheels OF the factories are clogged with ice.
under the influence of our genial climate the
work OF the southern cotton mill goes on unim-
peded And. sir. by some subtle law of nature
the cotton Is spun and woven with more facility
III that climate which is its habitat In freights,
transportation. in labor. in climate, in every
thlng the southern manufacturer has the ad-
vantage of all others. These are no COME ctures;
tney are facts They are proven by the prices
Offactory stocks in the southern states.
lhere are few cargOes which are freighted
from the ports of cur country which possess the
melcnantabie value of ship-oad of compressed
cotton bales. A shipload of wheat or of bacon
or OF iron are 1T worth so much But, sir. if
YOU would have forever the balance of trade in
favor OF our country help us to manufacture in
the south the cotton crop that is gathered in the
given to our citizens The wages that are paid
TO the artisans of Manchester and the cotton
manufacturing world will go to the working
people OF our own country. The profits of man
uiacturing the cotton will enhance the indi-
Viduai and national wealth of America And
SIT, when you foot up the exports and strike the
balance OF trade you will find that ship-load OF
manufactured cotton goods is worth far more
tran shp-load OF compressed cotton
80 iar rom obstructing in any form the in
dustriih developments of the south, have en-
deaFored to so use the representative position I
hoiG as 10 advertise its great natural resources
and 10 direct the attention Of capitalists to the
inviting opportunities for investment there In
an article i'll the 4na'icGn of March 10 ven
tufed To say: There is one fact which, with the
diversified Industries wise legislation will give
us, VIII make Us rich. and that is that no coun-
try on earth can compete with our favored lati-
tlde In the growth Of cotton. If, however the
DEMENT'S Of our production snail 90 to enrich the
manufacturing centers of Europe and the world.
the south will be like that improyident farmer
VINO impoyerishes his land by luXuriant crops
that drains the soil and restores nothing to pre-
serve It's fertility. But if the wages of the
!aoorer. the profit of the manufacturer and the
increased value Of the material in cotton manu-
featuring can be added to our incomes. the day
Is not far distant when the condition of our
southern states will be subject of national
congratulation wherever the flag floats and of
admiration to the rest of the world"
Allow me to say that so far from it being true
that the results of the exposition have been '.in
spite OF Mr. Speer,' Ito quote your language
the able and patriotic men who designed and
organized the exhibit OF southern industrial!
enterprise elected Inc as one of the vice presi-
dents OF the exposition itself. 1t is not violent
TO presume that these men were well informed
and knew whether my rhetoric" had been
"hindrance to the cause in which they were
engaged Nor has my general conduct in Con-
gress tended to retard the prosperity of the
southern states. have been conservative. as
understand conservatism. / knew that the
people whom represented, in spite of all that
had been said to the contrary, were devoted Il
use the word advisedy) to the Union under
the Constitution. and if a different impression
OF their sentiments existed in the minds of
the northern people it was erroneous /
knew. too. that logically representative
was thought to express the opinions of his
constituents. and l knew that / could do the
people who sent me here no greater service than
to remove if it were possible, any distrust of
their hdeiity to the government which might
remain on the minds of thoughtful and honest
northern men. In furthcrance of these views.
on many questions have thought it my duty
To vote against the conclusions of the demo-
cratic caucus. This was no political outrage"
An overwhelming majority Of the people of nv
district and decided majorities in sixteen of it's
twenty counties have returned me to Congress
anu attested the soundness of my convictions
THIS vote was against the nominee of what was
supposed to be the democratic convention and
in district which gave the democratic candi-
date for President over ten thousand majority.
The people who know me. it seems do not
think that the progress of the south is lin spite
OF Mr. Speer. am, very respectfully, yours.
EMORY SPEER
Washington. December 90. 1881.
An Ark0ns0s Guitcau.
From he ttie Rfcl