The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-10-02
The Real South.

Because the Manufacturers record
criticised the action of railroads in the
central South in giving special emigra-
ton rates to enable the roads of the
Southwest to draw population from the
upper South to Texas and Arkansas,
instead of working in the Northwest for
settlers, the Memphis C0mmcrciat-Ap-
,, peat says:
"1lanufacturcr's Record, published in
Baltimore, and within easy reach of the
Carolnas and Georgia, often oyerlooks
the real South. This real South is where
the cotton grows. The ManW(dcfnrcr's
Records constantly exalting Georgia and
the Carolnas, States which hold no such
opportunities and advantages for the
home.seekers as do the States of the
Southern Mississippi valley. Let the
| lfanufac cturcr'S Record take its eye for
briaf season off the watermelon planta-
tions of Georgia and the phosphate beds
of South Carolina, and pay more atten-
tion to the illimitab]e agricultural wealth
! of the region through which flows the
| Father of Waters"
Is it true that the real South is where
the "cotton grows" and there only? Is
"cotton growing the final test Of what
and where the South is? The 1fanufac-
turcr'S Record prefers not to accept the
definition. If the Commercials Appcdt
would only take look at the wonderful
activity in the development of coal and
iron in West Virginia, Southwest Nir-
ginia and Alabama; the unprecedented
cotton mill building in the Carolinas and
Georgia, where over Sl0,000,0OO are now
being put into cotton manufacturing in
stead of cotton. growing, the amazing stir
| which Atlantas pluck, as displayed in
| its exposition, is creating in the business
world the widespread interest in Bir-
mingham's progress in iron matters the
| growth of foreign com merce from South
ern cities. and the great sums now being
expended to develop Southern ports all
the way from Norfolk, where the South
| ern railway is preparing for an enormous
traffic, to Arkansas Pass, where Balti-
more capitalists will invest a few million
dollars-if the Commc1cial-Appeat would
only do this, it would admit that cotton
growing" Is not the sum and substance
of Southern life"
If Georgia loves the watermelon
patch," it must be remembered that these
patches furnish 10000 carloads of
freight year to the railroads, or the equal
in volume of freight to the product of
over 100000 acrea in cotton, and even
Tennessee or Mississippi land at that. If
South Carolina is proud of its phosphate
beds, it must be remem bered that regard.
less of their value to agriculture, they
have made more fortunes than even the
handling of cotton has brought to Mem
phis, and that the phosphate made for
tunes of South Carolina have been freely
invested in cotton mills all over the State
until South Carolina is fast pressing to the
point of having 100000 spindles in oper-
alton. Have the handling fortunes
of Memphis been as wisely invested to
the upbuilding of the State and the profit
able employment of thousands of other
wise idle hands?
Tennessee and Arkansas and Texas are
great and glorious States, but whom they
cease to regard ''cotton-growing" AS the
highest form of development, which for
tunately many thousands of their people
have long since done, aud learn that only
in diversity Of growth, diversity Of en-
ploy yment and diversity of business In
terests can be found the greatest material, /,
moral and educational advancement, they
will have seen a new light beckoning on
to brighter future than they can ever
hope for under what has proved the
South's cnrse-the fetch "cotton-erow-
ing" to the exclusion of all else.--1lanu-
facturcr'S Record.