The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-10-01

From the Philadelphia Times.


visible on every side. 1t is no specu-
lative boom whose ebb is ever as sud
den as its flow. 1t is not in any de-
gree the effect Of combination to force
the temporary advance OF values. 1t
is not the birth Of Third street or Of
Wall street. II is the natural, logical
returning tide OF business prosperity
that has its fountain in the product
i've wealth, the enforced frugality and
the general solvency of the country.
Never in the history of the last quar-
ter of century were all business and
industrial circles as conservative as
they are to-day, and the revival OF bus
mess now certainly at hand, must be
Substantial and enduring because it
has the broadest and safest basis on
which to rest.
In all the many seasons OF honest
prosperity of the past, this country
has never been as universally pros
porous as to-day. The balance of
trade is well maintained in our favor;
the crops of the North and West fur
nish and immense surplus for the
markets of the world; the staples of
the South score up in the hundreds
of millions in excess of the average
yield the mines and mills are quick
ened by the steadily increased de-
mand for their products; industry is
slowly but surely commanding better
wages and is increasing in consump-
ton; the general and crushing in
debtedness that prevailed among the
people Of all conditions OF life ten
years ago, has been reduced to mini
mum; money is called for to enter in
to the productive enterprises of life
and commands solvent and prudent
borrowers, and there is not a channel
of industry, commerce or trade that
is not to-day sensibly affected by the
general and healthy improvement OF
the times.
While the revival of prosperity is
felt in every part of the North, most
casual observers of the drift of bust
ness overlook the incalculable bene-
fits which must be realized through
out the whole country by the wonder
ful improvement in the condition ol
the South. The cotton crop of the
past, and that adds nearly fifty mil
lions OF dollars to the revenue of the
Southern States. To tbis great in
crease of cotton must be added not
, less than fifty million bushels of corn
in excess of the average crop, with ar
immense increase in rice, tobacco, su
gar and fruits. 1t is reasonable to es
innate that the Southern States vii
sell not less than one hundred mil
lion dollars worth of surplus products
this year in excess Of the average salei
of the last five years, and that large
sum will be largely expended in thu
North for improved machinery anC
other necessities. This remarkabl,
growth Of the South is only the be
ginning Southern progress, as hither
e fore the Southern people have had littl,
to spare to enlarge their products
j An hundred millions of excess pro
ducts this year means preparation
i for an increased excess next year ant
from year to year until the maximum
of Southern production is reached
F; This prosperity of the South will great
n ly lesson the burdens of goyernmen
: which have fallen largely upon tn,
/ North since the war, and it will prov
J; one OF the solidest foundation stone
u Of the future general prosperity Of TIL
r Republic.
Il Sectional prejudices have who'll
1t perished outside of few pitiabl
II Bourbons of both parties, and tn
q united business interests OF North an
q South assure the most complete fra
q ternity between the people who onl
3, score of years ago were in deadl
y warfare. The countless sacrifice {
u war, outside of the bereavement tina
!! shadowed almost every home of tn
e, land, aggregated many thousands {
millions. 1t was absolute, total d,
struction, and it has required man
years 10 repair the loss; but tim
& has come at last when the South hf
h. nearly or quite regained the propert
g wealth. it possessed in 1850, an
20 there is more general prosperit
II among the people in the South to-da
20 than there was before the war. Con
as sidering the loss of the money valu
81 the slaves in addition to the sweepin
h desolation Of war in the South, an
81 the angry partisan strife that the pa
H. alyzed the reconstructed States for
: full decade after peace, the recover
al of the South is wholly unexampled
ra the history OF the nations Of the cart
40 and the South is to-day a most in
~ portant factor in the general and sn
bv stantial revival OF business prosperit
:. that is at hand.