Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1890-11-18
The Force Bill.
Some Inside History Of That Carcass
Of Hyamy.

MT. 1HcmaS i. CraSGV, the CRleI
correspondent of the Baltimore aEan-
e.fdcturerS Record, who has been so
influential with his pen in the devel-
opment of Virginia. 5 resources, spent
last night in Richmond, aud whilo
here gave some inside facts about tho
late force bill. He said: ''About
two months ago Mr.. w. P. Rice, tho
leader in Southern Investments 'aS
Boston, had occasion to visit WASH
ingtou. AT his request went with
him. Having formerly been a noted
New England Republican he was re-
! ceived warmly by Speaker Reed in
his private room. Reed had lost
sight OF the fact that Rice had placed
several millions of dollars in South
ern properties, and so he took him
into his confidence. Said Reed:
"See here, Rice, something must
be done to stop this exodus of capi-
tai from New England The South
threatens to paralyze our industrial
prosperity. This Election bin will
call halt on Southern Investment,
ard that's why am urging it so
strenuously." Mr.. Rice conIden-
TALLY reported this conversation to
my friend, Harry St. George Tucker
Of the Staunton, Va, district, and
not only to him, but to number of
Northern and Eastern Representa-
tives and Senators.
cat that very moment it happened
that the very men on whom Reed
most relied in the SENATE to strangle
the South were so heavily interested
in Southern properties that to man
they repudiated allegiance to party
aud bethought them OF the losses that
would have to be pocleted in case
the odious Force bill should be
passed. 'We spent the entire day
at the capitol, during which Mr.. Rice
(who is man of irresistible mag
netism, great forcefulness and tre-
mendous presence) got a chance to
speak private word--a word to the
pockets of various controlling spirits
in the Senate. The result was the
shelving of this Force bill.
'That the bill would be brought
up again and passed after the cleo
tion no one then doubted and there
fore it was considered only tenn
porary postponement. This recent
tidal wave, however, which the sub
stantial people Of the repuhlic have
set in motion, viii make Mr. Rice's
preliminary work permanent.
"There is no boom in Virginia It
is true that at such points as Buch-
anan apparently high prices were paid
for lots; but outside bears forget
that multiplicity of naY=rolls, such
as Is guaranteed atCoshen, for in
stance, will make lots worth just what
the extra cost of substantial build
ings plus the original cost OF lots will
pay interest on. To illustrate: Let
US take $4,000 corner lot Put a
200 building on it, and experience
shows that in all good prosperous
towns with pay-roIls, such as arc
guaranteed at Goshen, such an in
vestment will fetch in rents at least
10 per cent. net in rents.
Mr.. Edward Atkinson, OF Boston,
the leading statistician of America,
has conclusiyely proven that the out
put of iron, and of iron and steel pro-
ducts, must increase twenty per cent.
per annum for the next fifty years to
keep pace with the demand. Where
is the proper sites Of this increased
productionY Virginia primarily and
the other Southern States next. Mr..
Atkinson says this in express terms.
All OF which means hundred new
towns in the Valley of Virginia and
in the Piedmont iron district within
five years.
10, there is no boom in Virginia.
1t is simply normal deveIopment.-
The country needs more Industries
and Virginia is the situs for such in
dustries. The cheapest place for
pig-iron and steel is the cheapest
place for scores of industries using
iron and steel provided the climate
be healthful and transportation faciI-
tiles be literally managed.
II claim that the wiping out of the
Radicals, as you Yirginians call
them, will have for its effect the Ioca-
tion of all the new industries at points
where production is cheapest. This
means the addition of hundreds of
thousands of wage workers to the
population of Virginia, for Virginia
is the cheapest place for making mer-
chantable commodities produced from
iron and timber.
"But after all that I have said,
fear that have failed to make the
main point plain. So soon as the
Mckinley bill was passed thousands
of manufacturers set to work to in
crease the capacity of their plants
Many of these plants it was intended
to locate in Pennsylvania and other
Northern States. That was part of
the programme-to make the profits
to manufacturers go great that they
could locate their plants in Alaska
and still make money. Now they are
so far advanced in their schemes for
enlargement of and addition to plants
that they can't recede. Since doubt
has been thrown on the perpetuity of
McKinIey's high tariff, they must
needs look out for locations close to
raw material. That means Virginia
and the South. And here is food for
thought to all who think.
The Presidents coat pocket protruded eo
much at the recent Florida fishing that some
one asked the reason why sfIt's only a bottIe