Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-20
BUSINESS POLITICS.

To the progressive southerner,
most concerned about the enlarge
ment of his business and his private
fortune; about the feeding and
clothing, ard educating and estab-
fishing in business his children, it
must be relief to realize that we
have the promise of two. Or three
quiet years to devote 10 practical,
material things-the development
OF our section and the increase of
our commercial poWer-undisturb-
ed by the political fogborn. Our
politics, meanwhile, if We take time
from business to discuss it, should
be-business politics. If we have
any time to spare from our work.
benches and ledger TO give to poll
tics, we might give little attention
to the matter of seeing that the
people we employ TO represent US
in the halls Of gislstion-munici-
pal, State and nationsl-should look
well TO the protection of our mer-
camille, agricultural and transpor-
tation interests.
The suggestions are inspired from
the realization that the South has
lost heavily by too much politics.
While some of US We're discussing
all day and roaming all night
of States rights aud slavery in the
Territories, the shrewd Yankee,
with an eye to business and the
main CHI }nce, was making of his
section chequer-board of railroads
and filling the air with the smoke
of his blast furnaces. The South is
at length awake, and widg-awske,
to the realization of its lost oppor-
tunities But it is not going to cry
over it. Neither should it lose any
more time catching up. The luck
is turned. The tide is beginning TO
run our way. We hold the leading
trumps, and it is our deal.
Let us make the most of
| it, and let the Presiden-
tial ticket and the ticket makers
take care of themselves. We may
take the proper snd rightful inter
est that good citizenship demands
in our government and in our poll
tics, without giving up everything
to the subject, and we may accom-
| plisfl marvels in the way Of mate
rial development by devotiug half
| the southern fervOr and enthusiasm
that we have in the past devoted to
politics, to the Improvement of our
rail lines and waterways Of trans
portation, the building of factories
and the making of a home market
for the products of our rich valleys
and hills teemipg with dormant
wealth. Let us rally for awhile
around the cause of the pillow, the
loom and the anvil. Set the coul-
tiers 3 little deeper, apply a little
more steam to the loom shaft and
let the resonant anvil chorus rise
above and drown out the clamor OF
the political gong that calls the
hungry to a feast of empty Dishes
Nashville American.
Business politics." that's the bat
tle-cry now, and it is a battle-cry
that means no man killed, no blood
shed, no wife widowed.
It means the building up Of ths
South; the erection of furnaces anC
factories; the opening of mines and
markets; the construction of rail
roads; the elevation of labor; an(
the prosperity of all industries.
The man that talks Gree trade"
like the man who saws the iml
between himself and the trunk. /
he should saw through he would
fall and break his neck.
So, if the free-trader should sue
coed his success, like Samson's
would bury him among the ruins @
his own country.
Manufactures will give us al
wealth; wealth will give us all 9th
er mate rial acknowledgement roads
good schools, good markets. n
exclusively agricultural countr
ever becomes rich. There will b
rich men in it, but the masses vii
be poor.
We hail the advent of such art
cles as the one we copy from til
American. Show us a man VIII
wants to build up the South and W
=: will fall into line with him, with0t
stopping to inquire whom he vote
r for at the last election.
Let us all mix more business
our politics.