National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-10-17
Continued Progress In the south.

several Of our cutCrprslug southern con
tempOrarics have presented their readers
with review of agriculture, manufactures,
and commerce for the year ending Aug 81,
lSoj. From these reviews, which appear Ia
the New Orleans Times Democrat, the Sal
vannah Morning News, the Memphis Ava
lanchc. aud the News aud Courier Of |
Charleston, II would seem that, IN spite Of |
gloomy forcbodings and the general ilnan- |
ciul distrcs, which has prevailed, the south /
continues 10 steadily progress, alike from |
an agricultural, commercial, and industrial |
standpoint.
In the spring Of 1884 a stan correspond |
cnt OF the Press made tOuruf the southern |
states, aud, In a series of letters to this !
journal pointed out that new era Of
industry and prosperity had dawncd upon
/ the south; that the encouragement Of
manufactures, the growth Of new industrial
Ccntcrs, the development Of mineral wealth,
/ aud the general increase Of the productive
powers Of these states were likely TO
| change this section Of the country from a
/ purely agricultural region to n region
| capable OF manufacturing many If not all,
| the staple articles for home consumption.
We rejoice to find that there has been no
| halt In the progress which we then chron-
iCled. The increase In the value Of the an
nual products Of southern manufactures in
twelve states ,Omitting West virginia. since
1850 has been Sl3O,OOO,OOO.
This extraordinary growth in manuCac-
lures has not been obtained at the cost of
the agricultural interest, aud we sincerely
trust that the few stllwart protectionists Of
the south will not fail to point out this i'm
pOrtaut economic fact lOthOse of our south
cTn friends who are willing to sacrifice mau-
ufaCturing interests on tile erroneous sup
position that 1t will benefit agriculture.
For example, we lind that the annual
value Of agricultural products for these
states In 1850 was $3.50, 100000, as against
500 100000 in 1855; the value Of stock aud
dairy products was Sl3l 10000 In 1850, as
against $lG9, 600, 600 IN 1855, while the value
of the products of the mines has taken a
bound upward from ST,OOO,0 600 in 1850 to
t S2l 100000 In 1885. If we add to these
| figures the relative values of manufactures
in the respective years, we find that, in
round figures, the annual production of
| these twelve states has increased In value
r from II ,OOO, 100000 IN 1850 to upwards Of
/, - 300, 900 in 1855, an increased produc-
, tivencss Of $500, 0OO,O 900, or 80 per cent,
G Such u wonderful increase Of productive
0 power during II period of almost universal
d depression ought to strengthen the belief
l. of the intelligent and cntcrprsing south
e crners, who have taken such AN active part
v in this progress, in our present cCOnOmi,
" system. They must be aware that the cN
It detrimental Industries Of these states, ant
J. the new and prosperous industrial cen
Is ters which have sprung up, would bt
e the first to succumb to re
|, duction in the present tariff
Ie Is it possible in view of thes
Il facts, that the majority Of southern
1t statesmen will be heard in Congress thi
le winter dcnOuncing the men who have thu
10 made their own states blossom with pros
n pcrity, us advocates Of blood money" a
At "mcn enriched by the aims Of the govern
| uE fuIttnRl itlHTul
ID slation at the expense Of the planter AM
is consumeryn In short, will Tn y, after sue
o. newspapers rs we have mentioned uhOy
nj have written Of the enormous mineral II
ut sources, of the fertility Of the soutl
Is ern soil, Of the wealth and spler
SIS dor of the climate, and, after hnvin
ns said to northern capitalists, "lirng you
rs money, bring your brains, bring your entc
he pris" and energy into these sOuthcr
statcs,n will they, we say IN all caudO
calmly come TO Washington and advocate
policy that must bring certain and ObsOlu
ruin 10 every manufacturer in their mids
mpOvcrsh the labor Of their country, an
reduce its agriculture to the one or tvs
,.t staples II could bOust OF before the war;
''' We repeat again, that IL these sO-Call,
Ia, southern statesmen come thus array,
T against the national system under Whit
"' this great progress which their own new
papers so proudly set forth has been pc
siblc, the south does not deserve the pro
pcrity she enjoys. 1t might he well {
mo southern statesmen to heed the sGnsil
"' advice Of the Memphis Ayalancl
Inc which has said; "Ihe rap
ri. growth Of manufactures for I
80 past two years in the south has conyinc
emf the people that jldicIous tariff policy W
.ia, be Il potent factor in not only building
-" rich towns aud cities. but will build up al
great home markets for the products Of q
farmers, so that they, too, can share in
h. general prosperity, The problem OF div
,t, south And the figures show that ey,
, mH word Of this Is true
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