Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-11-27
TIMELY TALK
BY the Rev. DR.. MahOn-He Thinks
Agriculture, Rather than Manufac-
turing, Should Receive the
Attention of the Southern People, Who
Should Become Rich, Moral
and Prosperous.

street was well filed yesterday when the
Rev. DR.. r 81. Mehon delivered a Thanks
giving sermon which was listened to lin
the deepest attention ar followed with
the keenest interest. DIR. Mahon took his |,
text frcM the tenth Proverb, ', 4. HE
Secsmeth poor that dealeth with a sack
hand, but the hand of the d..,,iiieent makefh
rich" Abiding j. feeling terms to the
death OF y ics-Fresident Hendricks, a sor.
-Sw to mingle with the joys of the day,
the pastor went on to speak of the reasons
why the people of the South especislly
had reason to be thankful. A country is
prosperous, he said, as advantages are af-
forded to the greatest number. The ne.
cessity for every man having g home 6. Lis
own was impressed uncS mis- audience.
There is no r:al prosperity where the mass
OF the people are merely tenants at
will, and live from hand to
mouth; To thrive a country must live
IN the hearts of its ctZsns. No citizen
viii love that place or situation in life
where he is scarcely above the point Ct
starvation. Having no sympathy with
communists, ne vet believed every man
to be entitled to the fruits of his honest
labor, end CAPITALISTS should not Cypress
them by Withholding reasonable compen-
satioD. One of the two lines of industry
which men pursue is the, productive, the
O1nCA AZ hACsitSukCdl. from the held.
the orchard n the fold come those neces-
stiles which sustain LIE, and the demand
Tor such products forms the basis of sup
port. The question for tie people of the
South to consider ia which of these great
lives h they follow, and DIR. Mahon be-
lieved the solution easy. We are to re.
main an agricultural people. Our wealth
must come from an attentive cultivation
Of our soil, Nature affords us every ad-
vantage an industrious people can ask. A
people having a good soil and climate must
be rich. The climate of the South
is the most favorable under the
sun for field and cattle. The greatest
variety OF crops can be produced and with
less labor than anywhere else on the globe.
Under the present system Of trarsporia-
ton these crops can be turned into mar
kets elsewhere far in advance of those in
digenous to foreign chimes. The mildness
OF the climate, rich pastures, abundant
and pure water make it easy in the South
to raise fue stock, and it is proveibial that
a stock.raising people are never poor.
The children OF such a country, free from
the closenes5 OF vice-smitten cities, are not
stitied into pale and weak men and women
as those are who live in the great manu-
featuring countries. They are free from
the contamination which comes Of crowd.
ed tenements, profanity, drunkenness and
lewdness. Ten hours a day during six
days in the week, and through every
time, is the result Of factory life, but the
man who cultivates the soil or
looks after the herd is singu-
larly exempt from such extreme SER
vitude. But resources undeveloped
are. of NJ advantage. Nature has done her
part but we must improve our opportun-
tiles. We must educate ourselves, and if
fthere is anything under the sun the South
should be sold for. it ought to be the
effort in the part Ct the general govern
meDt to assist in the education CT her
people. AS knowledge increases, SO will
ambition, courage and self-reliance. But
it is to industrial education especially that
we should turn cur attention. Every man
should know q trade. Many Of our peo-
pie are too proud, others too t~houghtless
and still others too ignorant to work. We
all know how to raise dogs, the most
worthless creatures that walk the earth,
but we know nothing about cattle, horses,
hogs and sheep, and doubt if adozsn men
in the State know how to pack q irkin of
butter. We need enterprise. All open
ings must be eeized. Capital unemployed
is worthless, and when 50 employed as to
Cypress the poor is an evil. Money is be-
ing withdrawn from agriculture, which is
being left TO those who cannot
carry it on. Brains and capital as
well IS muscle are required to
develop the of the field. Fac
tories flourish because those who invest in
theu put in their brain SIS well. We are
told there is no money in cotton. Those
who manufacture it make something, and
the reason the producer does not is on ae-
count Of the enormous cost OF the supplies
necessary to sustain the labor. Mules, hay,
corn, meal, meat and -four are nearly all
furnished from ether sections. The fur
Their South the higher the price. When
from 10 to 20 per cent is paid by farmers
for monty to buy supplies, CT course there
is nc money in it. We of the South are
absolutely enriching the middle and west
ern sections of the country under our sui
cidal p3licy- We could easily raise those
things we buy from them. We need to
know domestic economy-a wise anage-
ment OF household affairs. There is too
much waste. Farming tools are ex-
posed all winter, wagons are left
uncovered. We f.tter ourselves that
we are more liberal when we
are in fact more prohigate. L do not
disparage Southern hospitality, but We
must not live on Imagination. We must
net say we are not able to command the
lab0r-here lies the root OF he objection.
Too fsw are ready to take up the imple-
ments Of toll. The would-be wise ores,
who stand on the corners and dsscsnt on
the need for factories, have no idea Of
going 10 work If one were built. They
like to gee work going or, but prefer to
see others do it. If factories are to do
anything we must build them and work
them. The labor we must command is
the labor OF our own hands. We should
not be locking to the people of other Sec
tions to develop our resources, aBd there
is no reason why we shouldno do it our
selves. Ii we nave u~noccupied lands
our children may in time occupy
them. We need not be in q hurry to ia
duce a large population of foreigners to
take up our lands for US. We have in
our interest the best laborine class on the
globe. They were born to it. They are
physically able and sipgularly free from
diseases indigenous to the climate. There
is no greater difficulty in managing the
labor OF colored people than other labor.
Their removal would be calamity beyond
repair. In conclusion, DIR. Mahon said:
We are here together. 1t is to the inter-
est of both races to live peaceebly together.
Ii one accepts the place of servitude and
subordinate social standing, and does it
cheerfully, the other should avoid oppress-
ion and insult, and do everything possible
to alleviate their condition, and by SO
doing. under the blessings OF Almighty
God, and the benign influence Of this great
est government in the world, we of the
Soufh NAV hone to come to De the nam