The evening world., 1894-06-21
GREAT FUTURE FOR THE SOUTH
Secretary Hoke Smith Says Its
Facilities Are Unequalled.
An Intelligent Man Can Make 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 a 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.
LAS a preface, let me say that the
South does not want a boom, wouldn't
have a 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 founda-
tions, there Is no section In the country
to compare with the South. Its possi-
bilities and opportunities are matters Of
fact and not of guess work. 1t pre-
sents now the most lucrative field in the
Union for agricultural, manufacturing,
mining and lumber developments.
II know of no even equal opportunity
for man of average intelligence and
willingness to work. He can assuredly
make good living. If he adds a
larger degree of ability and couple Of
thousand dollars as capital, he can
n
still larger capital and still more of
other qualities, he can make a fortune.
Good land for agrienitursi purposes Ir1 tbs
middle belt for from s. to $40 an acre.
Even II n man has no capital at al pc
yond his muscle and intelligence he can
"The South has not felt to any great
appreciable extent the hard times OF the
| do not know of a single cotton manu-
featuring firm in Augusta or Atlanta
that had to close up. lay off II. hands
during the past depression. Our cotton
Industry has been an object lesson to
the world.
l,eve are accurate. I had them pre-
pared from the census returns. In 1880
the gross returns from the AGRICULTURAL
lands amounted to a.i per, cent. of their
value in the South, while in the balance
of the United States the returns were
but i3.1 The net profit was in the same
"in 1850 the south's agricultural and
manufacturing product yielded 81 10000
O00 In 1890 the amount was 81 SOoWoU
an increase Of $500, 100000 in ten years.
Il won't say exactly that the South Is
quite the place for n many without
money. not of extra Intelligence and
who is willing to work for others all his
life. But even so situated he. can make
a livelihood, though he would have to
compete with negro labor
The South appreciates the fact that M
| for many years to come 1t Will be de-
pendent on the colored race for most
OF the labor supply The south ;m,ai,,snSt ais3
| this class OF labor is, the better 1t Is
for the empyers Therefore .theos the so1oh for
the colored people, and its school facili-
ties. now will compare, most favorabiy
with any other section"
Secretary Smith declined to say any
thing on the political situation at Wash
ington beyond that he believed that
vote on the tariff would be reached by
| Saturday.