The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-03-13
SARGE PLUNKETT.
An Open Letter From Georgia
Woman.
atlanta Constitution.

atlanta Constitution.
I learn of the most reliable source
that the following letter is from lady
whose excellencies cntitle her to more
than a passing notice:
"Puryears District, Feb. Z, 1095.-
Mr.. Sarge Plunkett: When [ think
about how much you and Brown know,
am constrained to ask you two ques-
tions. Maybe you can answer them,
and if you can't, ask Brown about it.
Only don t keep this letter as long as
the foremost young democrat kept the
epistle from David B. Hill-and then
spring it on the country as prophe-
cy.'
"First, I want to ask you why the
citizens Of Georgia don't build their
own cotton mills, using as corner
stone the money they are offering as
inducements to eastern mill owners?
I have seen many strange things in my
chequered career, but this sending OF
delegations, offerings of tracts OF
land, and giving Of premium chromos
just in order to get outside mill owners
down is the very strangest phenome-
non / ever witnessed. The eastern
mill owners are having a picnic. L
shouldn t wonder if competition didn't
become so lively in the south that the
Georgia cities striving after this It'd
bit will charter whole railway sys-
tenn, bring the whole kit and bilin'
of them at one fell swoop, drape the
favored section with red, white and
blue, and get up Fourth Of July de-
monstration! Georgia citizens can
raise money for this, but they cannot
raise money to build Georgia cotton
mills! Georgia citizens can offer free
tracts of land to strangers on which to
locate cotton mills, but you watch a
Georgia citizen offer free tracts of land
to his neighbors for the same purposel
Before that happens you and Brown
will be gray-haired angels, and it takes
angels long time to grow gray. Geor-
gia is rich enough to build her own
cotton mills, and she ought to do it;
don't you think so, Mr.. Plunkett?
sMy second question is this: When
the eastern mills come south what do
you think is going to become of the
vast army of mill operatives they leave
behind? Do you think they are going
to stay up there and starve? The sup
ply of mill hands in the eastis already
far ahead of the demand. 1t stands
to reason then that the departure of
the mills will throw great body OF
laborers out Of job. And they are
going to come after the mills. If
southern citizens don't furnish them
all free passes, and they haven't the
car fare, then they will walk. You
will see another great army of the un-
employed in line of march. But they
are not going to Washington to worry
congress. They are coming south to,
GUST the Georgia cracker. The east
ern mill owners will give them the pre-
ference and the southern mill owners
will do likewise, because it is the
fashion in the south to patronize
northern things. Now, Mr.. Plunkett,
[ want you to tell me what will be-
come of that patient, long-suffering
class Of people-the Georgia crackers?
If you don't know, ask Brown. Your
reply will greatly oblige.
"a FACTORY WOMAN" !"
|. I take it that there is something to
be read between the lines in this let
ter. Perhaps the questions are in the
nature of a rebuke to southern people,
and think it is justified by present
conditions.
I have been strong advocate Of
southern people joining together and
starting small industries of their own.
I IF it were nothing more than broom
factory, or a chair factory-any start
in this direction would be good. There
is enough money spent for plowlines
every year to start small rope fac
tory. Enough spent for ak handles,
swingle trees, plow stocks, not to men
tion larger things, that would soon
turn our wasting water. into a source
of profit. Conditions in the south
stand as menace to New England
manufactures. Our climate and our
water powers are things that the New
England mill owners have been watch
ing, and so soon as they discover that
the south is going to help herself on
this line they, the New England mill
owners, will come in a hurry. To
capture these positions themselves is
the way for the New Englander to save
himself-he must ''hedgc." There
is no sentiment about these mill men
to make them prefer the north to the
south, and it is the most foolish thing
to suppose that they are afraid of ku-
klux-we have long since decided that
the average yankee is afraid Of moth
ing. Their money is heavily invested
in manufacturing plants, and they
would much prefer for the south to
lay still and let them run on just as
they are, but whenever they find that
the southern people are going to do
something for themselves on these
| lines, there will be a rush to capture
the positions. The New England mill
owners are smart people, they know
the situation, these flaming advertise
ments have no efect.up them. They
are watching with eagle eye to see that
a cooperative movement among south
ern men does not capture these posi-
tions and practically demonstrate their
great advantages.
Anyhow, the south is to have the
mills, and this fact makes it part OF
wisdom to turn our attention to the
complexion Of the operatives that are
to come. These immigrant operatives
will shape southern politics and south
ern relig gion. The Georgia cracker"
is a democrat. The idea of knownoth-
ingism has always been repugnant to
the "cracker." 1t remains to be seen
whether this will continue to be the
feeling, and it much depends upon the
temner Of the incoming immigrants