The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-05-09
A New Southern Question.

DETROIT, May 2.-The Southern
question:" which Northern politicians
trouble themselves about, says the Neacs
of to-day, may possibly soon disappear
before another ''SouEhern question" of
much graver interest 10 Northern business
men and farmers, namely: us the
South to enter the field as q competitor
of the North in the production of bread.
stufs and manufactures? 1t has already
been demonstrated that the cruder forms
of iron can be produced in Alabama and
other parts of the South cheaper than
anywhere in the North. The same is
true ofseveral grades of cotton, factories
for the manufacture Of which are spring
ing up in the immediate vicinity of the
cotton fields of the South Atlantic States.
There is little or no expectation as yet,
merely because the facilities have not
yet reached the stage of development
necessary to supply the home demand !;
but the quantity of Northern iron and
cotton sent South is rapidly diminishing,
and the time cannot be far off when
Southern staples in these lines will begin
to come northward to enter into compe.
tition with the products of Pennsylvania
and Massachusetts in their own proper
fields.
In respect to breadstuHs, the reports
are something tremendous. The Manu-
Jacturers' Record, of Baltimore, will this
week publish some startling figures illus.
trative of the Southern boom. Business
in the North is dull, and complaints are
heard everywhere from New York to
San Francisco. Agricultural products
are so low that they scarcely pay the
cost of production in oar colder Northern
climate where the necessities of the
laborer's life-warm clothing, fuel and
abundant animal food-nearly exhaust
the capacity ofthe land. In the South,
instead of complaints, congratulations
are heard on every hand for the usual
activity in all lines of industry, and es.
pecially in agriculture, whose abundant
results are produced at insignificant ex.
pense from the richest of soils, and in
climate where the laborer needs no fuel
to keep him warm, and only clothes
enough to partly cover his nakedness,
and where any sort of shelter is sufficient
for health and comfort. The Southern
bankers are jubilant from Texas to
Virginia, one of the best indices of bust.
ness prosperity.
In the States which composed the
Confederacy, during the last two years,
10000 new industrial establishments
were started, 5000 miles of railroad were
built, and 100000 bales of cotton,
/ 900, 100000 bushels OF oats and wheat
were raised. The total agricultural pro.
duct averaged 100000, 900 per year.
Some years ago, a northern congress.
man, rebukiDg his Southern opponents,
advised them to Ego home and raise more
corn and less hell" They have followed
the advice with vengeance, and it is
the Northern statesmen to whom this
sage counsel should now be addressed.
We commend it to some of them, who
imagine that the chief duty of Northern
representatives at Washington is to look
after the South, and to teach the South
ern people how to govern their States.
The Northern States now need little
attention from the superhuous wisdom OF
these gentlemen. The South seems to
be taking care of herself pretty well.-
Charleston World.