Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-05
THE nARBoR OF rHE SOUTH AND
sWESF.


Gov, MACCOBKLE, who responded TO the
toast ''West Virginia" made a clear
and eloquent statement Of the vast ad-
vantages this new seaport at Newport
News will give the shippers Of the
South and West, who have been at a
great disadvantage because heretofore
New York has been the only practical
BILE port Of shipment aud entry. The
opening of this new line Of great steam
ers, which Is a continuance OF the Ches-
a2eake and Ohio railroads service to
Europe and South America, Is of vast
Importance to the South aud West. As
Gov. MACCORKLE |eloQuently puts it the
great contest for commercial supre-
macy between the combined West and
| South against the North, is surely com
ing. Every interest of the South aud
West is together. Their every hope is
intertwined. Nature has laid them in
the same great physical system and in
the same parallels Of latitude. She has
wrought her work so that the cheapest
aud quickest communication for the
West with the nations of the earth lies
/ through the sunny waves and deep ports
Of the South" The Governor contin-
ues.
The certainty Of vastly increasing manu-
| fasfrrwfru I'm ina West rho fnaVifahIn low
ering of tariff duties, will also compel the
western producer 70 hunt new and foreign
markets, and in these markets, ne must
compete with the producer Of the North.
| To thus compete and live, be can not go 10
market by circuitoUs routes, as every mile
Of increased route is equivalent TO added
cost Of production. Necessity absolutely
demands that the West should become
more and more a manufacturing section,
whilst az the same time, her vastly increas-
inc agricultural production and the newt
able settling anu e|qualiZing Of prices de-
mand. that the West herself, armed cap-a-
pie enter the markets of the world. To
succeed, she must herself directly enter
these markets unhampered by northern
middle men or manaCled by long transpor-
tation tolls.
Gov. MACCOEKLE thus states the ad-
vantaRes to shippers by way Of New
port News:
To this port the mileage to the shipper is
/ less. Here there are no lighterage charges.
The rate TO the shipper north OF the Ohio
is three cents less than 10 New York.
South of the Ohio il is five cents less.
I From Central kentucky 10 is five cents
less. On cotton from the Memphis dis
| trict, 10 is eight cents less, and IN this port
the steamer is in blue water, whilst the
New York steamer has Just began thread
ing the devious way Inside.
The sections benefited by this new
port are first the Virginias, with their
wealth Of mine and field. Kentucky,
Ohio, Indiana, middle and southern
Illinois, the great central West, the
upper portions of Alabama, North Car
oliDa and Eastern Tennessee. The Gov
ernor adds:
Tell me why q grain merchant or a
manufacturer from the middle West
I should 20 90 New York; Why should the
grand empire dominated by ST. Louis and
/ Cincinnati. 20 TO New York instead OF
| Newport News! The waving fields OF the
great valleys of the middle Mississippi and
Ohio rivers, ara tributary 20 this port, aud
I every law OF trade economies demands
that the product OF this rich region, with
its limitleSs possibilities OF mine and field
and mandatory, should Do distributed to
the people Of the earth through this port.
The Governor elfectusliy demon
strated that South and Central America
are naturally the markets Of the South
and West, because the royal road to
them is through the southern Atlantic
ports. In describing those markets the
Governor says:
Here are all climates, all soils, and all
zones. Here are illimitaOle plains Of rich
and alluvial lands; bOuudless forests Of
rich and orua mental woods; mountains OF
copper ores and quicksilver; mines Of gold
and silver, and lead, diamonds and pre-
ciOus stones; dyes, rich spices, rare gems;
indigo. qUIEiue aud drugs; wool, hides,
fiber aud India rubber; coffee, sugar,
cocoa, t00accO and fruit
When studying this great question, a
few days since / was amazed when, from
the Great Master Of ocean currents, l
learned what the avs OF nature had done
To aid commercial trade between South
America aud the southern and lower mid
die Atlantic ports OF "a continent.
The Amazon is the great river outlet for
South America, as the Mississippi IS the
outlet for Central North America.
The GREAT receptacle for these rivers is the
basin of the Gulf of Mexico and the Car
ribbeau sea. Tne equatorial current and
the gulf stream make the real mouth OF
the Amazon iUst outside OF the southern
coast of the United States. By the luitu-
ence OF the gulf stream a vessel sailing
from the mouth Of the Amazon to Europe
must pass by the shores of the Southern
States and through the waters OF southern
ports.
With the opening of the N~icaraguan
Canal across the Istbmus, the whole COM
merce OF the North, and Of Europe, must
pass riglt by this port aud the South
eru Atlantic ports TO get 20 China or the
East Indies. BY reason OF the trade winds
and currents Of the Atlantic this port must
be O halfway house from the Gulf 10 New
York, % England and to Europe and to
the ports of Africa, South America and
India.
The Governor concludes with this
warning, which the sections be ad-
dresses will do well to heed, for the
statement is as true as gospel:
This is no question for debate, for if the
the merchants and manufacturers OF the
West and South expect 10 continue their
rate of prosperity they must look to, ana
take charge Of, this South American trade.
If we hesitate now YOU will again witness
the vigor and energy Of the North turning
upside down the laws of trade. Her vim
and energy in the nineteenth century
plsced the mouth Of the Mississippi at
New York, and tha, same power, unless
we are true 10 ours elves, will in the TWEEN
tieth century roll tue waves Of the Amazon
into its great hGrb0r.
NOTES OF THE RIVER