The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-09-18
The Advancing Prosperity Of tho South.

The New Orleans ItN1es-UenlocrGt S
annual review OF the progress Of the
South makes most encouraging exhibit
for the year ended August S1st, 1899.
There has been, it is shown, steady
advance everywhere and in every line of
business. There has been no boom, ex-
cept IN few isolated spots, but there
has been no setback, no financial dis
tress, no business depression to stay the
march of Improvement. The extent of
the general advance since the census
year may be judged from the fact that
the assessed wealth of the South which
was So. 1G4, 792, ,795 in 1890, is now
So, T59, ,053, 367, an increase Of 73.9 per
cent. The ''trne valuation" of the South
to-day is estimated at IS, 647, 800, ,02S, an
increase of s., 2,922, ,S9O,02S in the nine
years. In the same period the debts of the
Southern States have been reduced
from S124, ,066,S S97 to $50, 557, ,730.
With reduction of the rate of taxation
from AGO to 4.23 mills per dollar,
the revenues have grown from $13, ,201, :.
S66 to S21, 1885, ,633, an increase of 60
per cent. Railroad rileage has grown
in the nine years from II ,S0S to 36,6S6
miles, with 2. Al more miles under con-
struction. Cotton mills have increased
from 142, with 542, ,14S spindles, to $50,
with 1885 .spindles. Cotton seed
mills show still larger development,
the increase having been from 45 in 1880
to 214 in 1889. The valne of the oil pro
duced in 1880 was S7,e90,921, to-day 1t
is S17, ,669,71 These figures do not
simply indicate progress; they point to
the transfer Of an important branch of
manufacturing industry from the North
to the South. The statistics OF the irou
production of the South suggest like
movement. The admission is, in fact,
now general that the North caunot
produce iron as cheaply as the South,
with its exceptional advantages,
and that the future home of the
great iron industry Of the country is in
Dixie. The product Of pig iron in 1880
was but 212, T22 tons; this year it is
1,245, ,595 tons-fgures that signify a
great deal. Related to the production
Of iron is the production Of coal, which
is now 1886 500 tons per aunum,
against 1.e63.574 tons in 1880. The
value Of the annual product of minerals
| Of all kinds was IS, 347, 445 in 1880; in
1889 it is 9,47G, 432, an increase;of 7S0
per cent. The lumber product has more
than doubled in value, and the same
may be said OF the fruit product. Live
stock has increased in annual value from
1891, 312, 254 to $551, ,52s,73 Agrlcul-
tural products show growth in annual
value from 1911, ,G79, ,04S to Ss6S, ,979, ,52S.
The total addition to the agricultural,
industrial and mineral wealth OF the
South last year was 1851, ,513,6 ,686, as
against 81 ,OS9, 366, G54 in $780, showing
| large increase of productive capacity.
Along with this increase of profits
there has been gratifying IN
crease of expenditure for schools. In
! 1850 the outlay for public schools was
Sc, 145, 7O6; in 1889 it is $13, ,905,3 ,3O4, an
increase of 1878 per cent. In every
item of the list the percentage Of
growth has been in advance of the
growth of population. In 1880 the
population was 1859, 714; in 1880 it is
| estimated to be 9,3O4, 1873, an increase
of 32.2 per cent. The South, it will be
seen, is better off as respects material
wealth than for many years past. It's
social, ipteiiectual, moral and political
condition has improved, it is believed,
| at an almost equal rate. The white
population, not having been affected by
immigration, is American still to the
backbone, and is animated by senti-
ments of devotion to cons 'itusional gov
ernment which renders the South the
conservative element of the Union. It's
| growth in wealth, in culture, in popuia-
ton and political influence is, t: re-
| fore, 10 the interest of free institutions,
| to be desired by the whole country
Baltimore Sun.