The evening world., 1894-06-21
GREAT FUTURE FOR THE SOUTH
Secretary Hoke Smith Says Its
Facilities Are Unequalled
An Intelligent Man Can Mako Money
There without Capital.

Secretary OF the Interior Hoke Smith,
who arrived at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
yesterday, Will return to the Capital
this evening. His visit to New York, he
says, Is to attend to private business,
but he probably will attend the Con-
ference of the Southern business men,
who are to meet number of New York
capitalists at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
to-day to discuss the best manner In
which to promote business interests in
the South.
Secretary Smith is very enthusiastic
over the future of the South.
"As a preface, let me say that the
South does not want a boom, wouldn't
have boom, and would probably pay
literally for any intending boom to stay
away" said he to an Evening World"
reporter this morning. Blooms always
react In the end. and destroy more than
they ever even promised to achieve in
the beginning.
But for a solid future success. based
upon substantial and guaranteed foundn-
tions, there is no section in the country
to compare with the South. Its possi-
biities and opportunities are matters of
TACT anu not VI guess "oih' II pc
sents now the most lucrative field in the
Union for agricultural, manufacturing,
mining and lumber developments.
II know OF no even equal opportunity
for n man of average intelligence and
willingness to work. He can assuredly
make good living. II he adds
larger degree of ability and a couple of
thousand dollars as capital he can
still larger capital and still more OF
other qualities, he can make fortune.
Good land for agricultural purposes
can be had in the SOUTH, say IN the the
middle belt, for from 3 to $40 an acre.
yond his muscle and intelligence he can
make good living working farm on
"The South has not felt to any great
appreciable extent the hard times of the
past eighteen months. For instance
| | do not know OF a single cotton manu-
featuring firm in Augusta or Atlanta
that had to close up, lay off its hands,
| reduce wages or decrease working hours
during the past depression. Opr cotton
| Industry has been an object lesson to
| the world.
Here are some figures that l be-
lievc are accurate. l had them pre-
pared from the census returns, In lS9,
| the gross returns from the agricultural
lands amounted to 24l per cent. OF their
value in the South. while in the balance
| of the united states tne returns "eie
but l31. The net profit was in the same
proportion.
"in 1880 the South's agricultural and
manufacturing product yielded 81 900 wv,
900 In 1890 the amount was 81, 800, 900, 600
an increase OF $500, 900, 900 in ten years.
ii won't say exactly that the South is
quite the place for a many without
money, not of extra intelligence anc
who Is willing to work for others all his
life. But even so situated he. can make
a livelihood, though he would have tc
| compete with negro labor.
"rhe South appreciates the fact tina
for many years to come 1t Will be de
pendent on the colorcd race for mos
OF the labor supply. The South alst
recognizes that the more intelligen
this class of labor Is the better IT Y
for the employers. Therefore the Soutl
has widely extended Its free schools 70
the colored people, and its school facili
ties now will compare. most favorabl!
with any other section"
Secretary Smith declined to say any
thing on the political situation at Wash
ngton. beyond that he believed that I
vote on the tariff would be reached b!
Saturday,