Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-08-17
The South and its Fight for Prosperity

The New York Herald, in comment
ing upon an article by Mr.. Richard ii.
Edmonds in the Forum for August
upon the progress and development in
the South during the decade closing
with 1891, refers especially, says the
Baltimore Sun, to the increase in as
sessed wealth of the Southern States
of over two thousand millions of dol
lars, and the vast increase in the
products of the mines, the fields, the
factories and the forests, which are al
most without parallel in industrial
history. 1t is a great pity that section
al and political hatreds should ever
interfere to shut out these facts in the
interest of local or party supremacy
While the development of the South
has been less exuberant and rapid dur
ing the latter years of the decade, the
tide has not ebbed, but is flowing sure
ly and steadily over manifest obstacles.
Two causes have operated to arrest
the advance of the South, against
which it is still struggling nobly. One
of these was the Argentina financial
collapse and the failure of Barring
Bros, and the other and really the
principal one, the force bill agitation
by the Fifty-first Congress. Previously
to the Argentina affair there was a
great influx of European capital into
the Southern States. English capital
lists were visiting them, subscribing for
the shares of railroads, mining CON-
panies and factories. But the Barring
failure impaired confidence i'll all
American securities, and the capital
which is so sorely needed in the South
ceased to come from abroad
The force bill was a more serious
matter still. Its avowed object was to
restore the carpetbag and negro gov
ernments of reconstruction times
Under such governments it was under
stood in England and in the North, as
well as the South, that no property
would be secure. OF the old carpet
bag governments Judge jeremiah S.
Black, in his vigorous style, wrote that
in comparison with their devastation
the war was comparatively harmless
that general confagration which
would sweep from the face of the coun-
try every particle of visible wealth,
leaving only the bare soil, would be in
comparison blessing of Providence,
for the carpet-baggers had not only
destroyed the value of property and
confiscated everything in sight, but by
pledging the credit of the States and
selling their bonds they had succeeded
in running their felonious fingers into
the pockets of posterity and robbing
children of their heritage whose faith
ers were yet unborn. The natural
effect of bare suggestion of restoring
by force such governments as these
was, of course, to paralyze all industry
in the threatened States. The threat
is not yet removed, and the result de-
ponds upon this presidential election.
The republican platform pledges the
party to the force bill, and Mr.. Harri-
son, in his messages, has endorsed it,
We may, therefore, conclude that the
republicans will enact the law if the
people place the power to do SO in
their hands. s-va
In spite of the drawback which the
dread of this infamous scheme has
caused, the wealth and industry of the
Sauth has steadily increased, showing
a vigor and enterprise among the
Southern people and those who have
come from the North to embark their
fortunes with them, so far superior to
all difficulties and disadvantages.
In commenting upon the situation
the Herald justly says: "All praise to
the South for its past achievements
All success to its future enterprise
But few years ago its territory was
dotted with fresh battle-fields that told
memorable stories of devastation. Its
people were impoverished, its indus
tries paralyZed, its future clouded.-
Devastated by war, oppressed by re-
construction legislation, menaced by
Northern political domination, the
South has shown a pluck and enter
prise and achieved success that can
not fail to command the admiration of
the world. May it move steadily ON in
the highway of industrial and COM
mercial progress