The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1892-03-25

onarations at all seasons and the natural
Law OF commerce that directs 1T along
straight lines and through deep channels
will soon make Savannah, Newport News
orsYorktown or Norfolk the great centers
for the Southern and Western output. 81. OF
both minerals and cereals as we'll as cot
ton; and to these points the Appalachian
coal and iron district will have the most
direct and intimate connection.
The impression has prevailed in the
North that the South was unhealthy, yet
the statistics show that the mortality
throughout the section including the ma
Iorial districts ia less than in the North;
and Of course there is no question OF the
healthfulness of the mountainous DIS
tricts If sanitary laws are at all respected.
There ia but one great danger iii the
South, and particularly its mining dis
tricts, has to fear, and that is the folly OF
cur representatives in Congress The
price of iron is now so low that many turn-
aces in the North and West must suspend
operations. There has been all enormous
production, exceeding the steadily lncreas-
ing demand This prostration OF the mar
ket has resulted from the underseling OF
the Southern furnaces. Iron can be made
so much cheaper throughout the four or
five Southern iron States than in the old
iron States Of the North, owing to the
abundance and location of the raw mate
rial. that the latter has found further com
petition impossible unless legislation can
he secured which will give Eastern furn-
aces ores free of duty-such as can be
brought from Spain, Algers and Sweden
at a low rate by vessels that are anxious
TO secure ballast on their return voyages
from Europe after delivering our grain
and cotton. Unless such legislation can
he speedily secured Eastern furnaces must
suspend or move South where the raw ma
terial is 80 much cheaper and in closer
proximity. 1t is simply a question of the
survival of the fttcst and, unless our
representatives in Congress are traitors
TO their constituents or too ignorant to
comprehend the situation, the fall in iron,
which appears to the superficial observer
"a calamity to the entire country, will
proye of incalculable value to the South.
Do they not see that Massachusetts,, New
Jersey and Connecticut are allying them
selves with the democratic party upon the
assumption that it will give them tree raw
material and avoid the necessity and cost
of moving their manufacturing plants to
the South? Insane Southern free traders
are contributing all in their power to this
movement, though its success would prove
of incalculable injury to the vast indus
trial section Of which Big Stone Gap may
be regarded az the center Should the
Democratic party acquire control OF the
government desperate fight will be made
! bv Eastern manufacturers to secure legis-
lation which will most assuredly save
them and ruin the future prospect
! for Southern development. Ores can be
brought from Spain and Cuba where min
ers are paid only 30 or 40 cents per day
and delivered at any seaport Oil the At
lantic coast Mt a nominal freight; and but
for the duty the Southern miners would
| find it impossible to compete with them.
/ The issue is vital one to our mining dis
tricts and those who have invested their
capital in those districts can not too zeal
ously oppose any legislation which will
reduce the;duty. Remove the duty on iron
ore and coal and, for my part, would not
give one dollar per acre Tor any iron or
! coal land in the South. That persons
whose entire fortunes are involved in such
l investments favor it, is the most remark
able mental phenomenon that has ever
come within my observation. Deme-
gogues who thrive by bordering to the
/ ignorant prejudices of people may vote
for it in congress. others may favor it to
maintain their prominence and contribute
to their notoriety; but can not see how
any honest friend of the South or any pa
triotic citizen of the United States can
i SUPPORT proposition which, if success
FULLY would put one half of the union back
to what it was twenty years ago and de-
lstroy one third or more of its wealth
But the Eastern States have had their way
for thirty years, sacrificing every other
section for their advantage, and they may
carry the day. They may, by the aid of
ESoutheren renegades maintain high duties
on what they have to sell and remove all
duties on what they have to buy, and per-
petuate their power. They are practical
AMI cunning schemers. They shape our
legislation. They take every advantage
of our lack Of bushes acume and of Our
silly sentimentations, They cajole and
corrupt our alleged leaders. They frame
the laws while our representatives are
prating their platitudes OH the floor Of
congress and getting the kid gloves ap-
plause of the galleries. They now realize
the necessity of putting stop to the indus
trial movement in the south, and they
will leave nothing undone to save them
/ selves and destroy u.s. A blind man may
see the play they are making; and no one
but traitor or simpleton will contrib
ute to their triumph.