Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-04-07
VICTORY TO SOUTHERN COTTOH
HAAUFACIURIaG

VICTORY TO SOUTHERN COTTON
| MAkUFACIURIsG.
Northern spinners long denied the posi-
| bility Of successfully manufacturing cotton
in the South. Even Edward Atkinson, IA
miliar as ne has made himself with the
growth and marketing OF cotton in the South,
expressed in strongly written articles the
most confident conviction that the attempt
TO manufacture cotton in this climate would
prove complete failure. To-day all this
line of argument is abandoned, and the suc-
cess of the Southern cotton mills is net only
acknowledged by manufacturers in the East,
| but deplored, and Soethern manufactures
are complained Of as rivals who, unless the
railroads by lowering rates, or some other
providence will come to the rescue, will
drive Eastern cotton goods out Of the West,
as they have already been driven from the
South. The New York Sun has CORE
spondent in the South who at the
| present time Is writing statement
| Of his observations ard impressions
TO that paper. 10 a recent letter
4
cotton manufacturing in the South, and he
sees in it a growing and successful industry
| that is bound to be extended far beyond Its
present limits. He Gays the North generally
is ignorant how, through skillful manage
ment and the improvement OF every natural
advantage, the Southern mills have reached
a point where they are not only able TO defy
| the competition of the Northern mills but
are driving their product from the West, as
they had already done 10 the South, and that
they have every prospect Of driving The pro-
ducts of the New Eng and mills out Of the Mis-
eis .ippi valley" He procseds to speak of the
economic advantage OF placing the mills
where the cotton is grown. In every part
of the South he had visited, where the situa-
ton is favorable for cotton mills, he found the
people discussing proj=c's or handing sub
scription papers round ior building them, or
mills were in the process of erection. There was
general desire to invest capital in cotton
manufacturing. 1t is preferred that this
should be done with Southern capital, but
Northern capital ID welcome. From
all this the correspondent comes to the
following conclusion: "The danger that
threatens the New England manufactures
is Imminent. The signs sharply indicate
that they are to be forced into competition
with sn established and active industry that
will fatally cripple them. The advantages
the Southern manufacturers hold over those
of New England are many; and any one of
them used to the full extent, ss all will
be, will be sufficient to overcome the North
ern industry" Stronger testimony than this
could not be given, and it comes from the
pen Of an Eastern writer. He proceeds 10
point out that the abolition Of slavery is
bringing about results little dreamed of by
those who promoted it. That the free negro
as laborer completes successfully with "The
poor whites" and renders them available at
very cheap rate, to the cotton spinner, and
they make good workuen. TIE writer also
fortsees that in the rear future Southern
railways will transport Southern cloths at 8
lower rate than the Northern ones are carry.
ing similar freight, as they are free from OBJ.
structions by snow and have other special
advantages. He then calls attention
to the recent cry of distress from
the Eastern spinueis who have applied
to the railroads to give them adv autage, in
freight charges, without which Southern cot
ton goods will drive them out Of the Western
: markets, and adds: "There is another pom
that sharply affects his threatened loss o
market that the Northern manufacturer
have modestly omitted TO state, and that il
that the Southern product which is now be
ing introduced into the West is better arti
Gle than any that comes from New England
: looms. In all portions Of the agricultural
West where tillers of the soil have usCS
Southern ginghams, honestly made and I'm
weighed with the contents of psstepots, the,
3 demand that the retail deleres keep the supe
e rior Southern goods for sale. These good
are more durable and give far better salts
faction than the produce Of New EGG Liant
!, mills" Here we have another heavy admis
sion, and it ia the writer is not the first t
make, an admission that should silence ever
Southern doubter, and give entire confdenc
10 the erection of Southern cotton fsctorie
as enc of the very best investments of South
ern capital that can be found. The write
next proceeds 10 lay before the New Yorl
public the overwhelming advantages tn
South possesses as a cotton manufacturer
Where water is used as the motive poWe
there is go interruption from intense frost
no damage to runaways, pipes, and wheel
from masses of ice. He points out that 9Th
Southern manufacturers buy the cotton the,
:, use from first hands. In many cases the,
buy from the planters wagons, thus savin,
all transportation charges. They alec saw
the cost of comprising the bales. The tw,
charges for comprising and lrausportiD;
amount, from any Southern point 10 New En-
gland, to over cent per pound. 1t is plail
that the transportation charges on the cot
ton from the South TO the Northern mills
and the freight charges on the naanufacture,
product from the North 10 the South,
g a protection that gives the South
ern market 10 the Soulhern manu-
( facturer." The correspondent conclude
the whole MISTER by showing that wher
1 coarse goods are manufactured 10 day, 81
, experience and knowledge and skill will b
, gained that will result in the Southern mar
e ufacturer making as fine goods as any tb
? East can produce. AS certain as he to-da,
, makes coarse goods, be will make fue onei
, and when he does he will have every advar
B tsge over the fastener in putting them O
: the market. Is there not something in al
this that should stimulate the Memphis CAPT
talist? Surplus capital should be investe
' in way that will add to the activity G
|. Memphis trade, give employment to its pee
pie, attract population, make demand 70
I more houses, bring more customers for III
r stores and more contributors to the Ices
taxes. Our people can put up new cotto
factory without strsitening anybody, an,
30 share in trade that is to become nor
important in the South every year. We ar
l losing one cotton factory from the neighbor
hood-thst of Brownsville; is it not a pit
that all its workpeople should be scsttere,
and all its trade connection lost?
FROM the Times Democrat we learn tina
E the grain trade of New Orleans this yea
: promises to be the largest it has ever en-
t ioyed. Daring the past month of Marcl
thirty. nine vessels left that port, carrying
: I,7s6,6l9 bushels of corn and 513,S bushel
of wheat, a total of 2,3O0,5s3 bushels c
s grain, against 1893 AL last year, an incrsas
of nearly 500 per cent. Among he depart