The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-06-06
THE NEW SOUTH.
An Industrial Jubilee-Decatur's
Grand Celebration,

An industrial JuDllee-DecaJur
Grand Celebration.
A dispatch dated the 2Sth of May, fur
nishes an interesting account of the bap
tism of number of industrial plants il
Decatur. Ala. We publish the report
first to show the progress of the South il
industrial enterprises and second to giy'
currency to the kindly sentiments of thu
administration. as voiced by GenfShields
towards the South. in the sound practica
i / leas the speakers advanced as to the basi!
of the the policy of this country. The dis
patch says:
Decatur cele brated to-dayithe opening OF
number of new and important industrla
enterprises, among them the new shops OF
the United States rolling stock company
the new shops of the Louisville and Nash
vile company; charcoal iron blast furnace
and charcoal works; American oak tan
ming extract works: Decatur compress
works: Irwin e Son s foundry and ma
chine works; Southern horse nail factory
Decatur car wheel works: the new works
of the Decatur Gas company; the new
plant of the Decatur Electric Light COM
pany; Decatur water works thirty five
miles of mains completely, and many 9th
Ell industries, including large wood work.
ing plants. Invitations generously dis
tributed had brought large number OF
distinguished people to the city. among
them Coy. Seay, of Alabama: Gov. Cor
don. of Georgia; Senators Morgsn and
Pugh and Congressman Wheeler. Tie
orator of the occasion was Hon, George
H. Shields, assistant attorney general, who
had been sent by the president to repre-
sent him.
General Shields was enthusiastically
greeted when he arose to speak. In his
introduction General Shields sald MY
mission is not to indicate policy nor to
discuss partizan politics. Much has been
written and said about southern policy OF
this administration. The president has
shown remarkable ability to convey his
ideas to the people in his own way and at
the proper time, and you may be sure that
his administration will be broad enough to
embrace the whole country. and will con-
serve the interests of the south as we'll as
the north, and that both he and his cabinet
take the greatest interest in the advances
ment of your material interests and con.
tinued prosperity" Mr.. Shields said that
the best evidence that the president felt
no parlizan hostility to the southern peo-
pie was found in the fact that he appointed
a representative of a southern state secre-
ia Y of the interior. On the stump and in
the press the republicans of the north have
been denounced as enemies of the south,
and these statements had caused feeling
of alienation between the sections that was
unjust to both. The republican party be-
lieved the national government to be su.
preme; that the issues settled by the war
could uever be reOpened; that the citizen
had right to cast his ballot and have it
counted as cast, that the children of the
country shall receive a liberal education at
the public expense and that the best inter-
ests of the country demanded the en-
forcement of the American system Of pro-
lection to home industries. There was
deep sympathy with the southern people
in all portions of the north in view of the
tremendous problem confronting them
Individually, he said, he believed that
these questions would be solved in the
near future by parties realigning on eco
nomic and industrial lines. He believed
ho rial dauoIcnVoopf nt tho
south. 30 rapidly occurring, would furnish
the key to unlock the situation.
with the development of the mex
haustible national resources within nearly
all of the southern States he said, new
issues. new interests, new policies and new
views will constantly demand the atten-
tion of the. business men and the young
men of the south, and as these questions
are widely of reason and not of prejudice,
of to day not of yesterday, your intelli-
gence will bring correct decisions and
your prosperity will revel in its luxury
the luxury that nature put in your hills.
| When this country, north and south. for
gets the differences of the past, and real
| izing that its destiny is before, not behind,
| in accepting the results of the war IN good
| faith, then the astounding progress OF the
| first century of our national existence will
pale before the N magnificent grandeur of the
next century. Ia the expectation of q
realization to some extent of these results
| we hail the new star which has arisen ir
the south and extend both hands to vel
come you within the circle of the indus.
trial States. The voices of Washington
jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Franklin
and others, the founders of our country
thunder down the century bidding TIT
people of the United States encourage an(
| foster manufactures. AS they reyerberat'
along the course of time, jackson, Web
ster, and the gallant Harry of the West,
with unselfsh patriotism and far seeing
wisdom reached the strain, Lincoln, Gran
and Garfield catch up the refrain and will
the added experience of one hundred yeal
call the present generation not only of tn
north, but of the south, the east and tn
west. to bind on the brow of the American
goddess, the legend American production
for American markets.
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