The Opelousas courier., 1894-09-15
Prosperity in the South.

New York Sun.
From all parts Of the South come ex-
cellent reports Of material progress.
The Southern corr crop is greater than
ever before; the cotton crop is large
and of fine quality. In Texas the latter
Is the largest that the State has raised,
and the prospect of the market Is
assured. While cotton is now cheap, 1T
| will not do to overlook the fact that six
| cents a pound for cotton nowadays Is a
very different thing from what it was a
few years ago. People generally have
not yet learned to take into considera-
ton the fact that the modern bye-pro-
! ducts of cotton are worth nearly two
cents a pound more, so that the farmers
six cents is really equivalent to eight
cents.
The corn crop is so large that the
South will this year have a surplus
instead Of being compelled to import
corn for her own consumption. The
outlook for her manufacturing indus
tiles, and her cotton mills in particular,
is bette: than ever before in her history
and in every substantial and material
element of business the general condi-
ton of the South is most encouraging
aud satisfactory.
In respect of Southern railroad in
terests the reorganization of the R'ci!-
nond Terminal system and the n4etg-
iug Of the thirty or forty ralir go
composing it into tho new Southern
Railway Company is nothing short of
revolutionary. AS affecting Southern
canoe cannot be overestimated. 1t
means the substitution in the pivotal
industry and dependence of the coun-
Try uf order in the place OF chaos, and
Of stability and responsibility in the
place of absolute responsibility.
Never in the history OF railroads was
such hopeless chaos and inetf1ciency
unaffected as in the administration OF
Ll,e thousands and thousands Of miles
OF railroad directly and indirectly in
yD!ved in the Richmond Terminal sys"
TEN. Shippers could place no Depend
encg upon The railroads. They had no
gualantee that goods contded TO then,
would reach their consignees, or that
goods they had bought would ever
arrive. And above all they had no
redress. There was no such thing as
recover of loss, even when the courts
had done their duty and ordered resti-
tuition. 1t WAS che vast system OF III
efficiency, mismanagenent, and worse,
aud it's effect upon all mercantile bust
ness was disastrous.
The new order of things is very
different. The Southern Railway is the
result Of the practical obiiteration OF
between thirty and forty corporations,
the elimination of millions of fictitious
valuations and unreasonable burdens.
and it sets up in their place a solid,
resourccful, and vigorous railroad sys-
tenn founded upon modern and scientific
economics and of the first efficiency
This has been accomplished by. Mr.
Samuel Spencer, in conformityewith the
general plan and purpose of the reor.
9anization undertaken by the great
banking house of Drexel, Morgan & Co.
Taken for all in all, the business pros.
poets of the South are, at the present
moment, brighter than those Of any
other part of the county. 1t depends
upon the people. Of the South them
selves if these conditions are to con
tinue. What they need is uninter'
mitted industry and 2 sound respect fol
law. If they have the good sense to
abjure popnlism, and socialism, and
anarchism, and see to it that the rights
of property are observed in behalf OF
great and small, rich and poor, they
can be as prosperous as they please
There is no appreciable limi. 20 theil
resources, and with Industry and hon:
esty going be-. ~ hand, there shonld
be no Init to their development.