Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-19
w1.L rrnNEssEE ARousEa


Season by season things are looking better
for the South, and the hopes and prospects
of its citizens increase accordingly. This
expanding confidence and growing anticipa-
ton, unless due foresight is exercised, will
become a subtitle but fatal snare. If we are
SO certain that all is to go well without any
effort of ours, as a man in balloon expects
to go up as he sits in the car, without any
exerlion Of his own muscles, then matters
will not go we'll. Memphis has had unfor-
tunate experience Of this kind in past years
When the city was Con the bsemn real esta t.
owners we're 50 sure that itwould become
great, that they put up the price of property
so high no buyers could take it, and eventu-
ally mary of themselves could not pay the
taxes upon it. In this way the in
crease of fixed population was re-
stricted by an expectation that prosperity
would come % the rain falls, without their
help, and even in spite Of the opposition pre-
sented by their graspingness. Another effect
of this improper kind of confidence was that
the business men were so intent upon taking
in the money prosperity was bringing, and go
certain that in place that was "bound 10
become great and wealthy" all they had to
do was TO pocket their share of the wealth,
that few OF them could be brought to interest
themselves in the public affairs Of the city,
and the local taxes they paid were fritiered
aimlessly away by city councils composed OF
men OF no knowledge of business above cor
ner.grocery trading, and men who had "irons
in the fire." for whose heating they managed
to get the city to pay. The end was
the city had a milestone of debt hung
about its neck, which, if it did not
altogether slrangle its prospects, put
off their realization. Such has been the
fate of other cites with great prospects, those
prospects being 80 thoroughly confded in
that no effort was made TO realize them. The
fact is, that no prospects, however fair, will
build up a city or State, any more than
the best soil 10 the world will produce whea
hsrvests and fruit orchards. 1t is not the
prospects, but the use made of the opportu-
mites that constitute the prospects, that
brings success and wealth, as it is only by
the labor of cultivation that harvests and
orchards can be won from the soil. Let us
beware in the South that we do not fall into
the error here pointed ont. We shall
get ali cur citizens labor for, and no more.
Mems fortunes do not tumble from the skies
or bound up from the earth ready made. We
are induced TO say these things by what We
zee is doing, or rather not doing, with
reference TO the coming exposition at
Bosten. That city has generously and
cordially invited the South to show its
products at that great seaport. If we want
customers for our products, occupants for our
lsndss immigrants 10 recuperate our populs'
ton, here is offered the place and the opPor-
tuniaaA IL the South preparing to use this
Opportunity as good, workable soil worth all
our efforts, or ia it 10 sit inanimate and
apsthetic and allow the opportunity to pass
uuimproved, because the prospects of the
South have been so much improved that our
taking any trouble to further those prospects
is time and toll thrown away? By a etste-
ment in the New Orleans Times Democrat we
see that Mississippi is showing the proper
activity in the matter. The Governor there
has appointed delegates to the fair from every
county and every industrial interest. Other
Southern States will also exhibit, but Louis
lana and some of the rest are making
no response; they want to be pros
porous like the others, but it must
be without exsrtion by them or trouble
to them; they must have something for
nothing; they do not ask TO be prosperous by
masking themselves prosperous, but they ex-
pect TO become prosperous somehow outside
OF themselves Like the girl with the fairy
grandmother, all the silks and jewels and
silver teaspoons are to come without any of
her toiling. There is no place that can do
more for itself BY making Its productions, its