The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-26

HOW TO ADVERTISE THE SOUTH.
The New Orleans picayunc under the
caption OF The 5outh's Opportunity,'
says:
Capital may he secured by Il proper nd
vertising of the undevcloped wealth Of
the South and showing the inducements
it offers for profitable investment. The
confidence of those who have money to
invest must be gained. This cannot he
done by hostile nets and unfIiendly eX-
pressions Capital must he invited
There are yet thousands OF miles OF rail
way to be built in the South. Great cit.
les are to arise on the seacoast and in the
heart of every rich State. Southern iron
is to be manufactured in the South into
every article of use. from steel scagoing
ships. railway and bridge work to cooking
stoves and other household utensils
The forests are to be converted into lum-
Der, and the treasures of the mountains
and the mines are to he ius out and con.
verified into available wealth All is to
tie done with money and by men, Enter
prise must he applauGcd, industries slim
uiated and encouraged. All the grand
possibilities of the South must be con-
vcrted into realities. There is abundant
capital for the accomplishment of all this
If only il can be directed hther. This
money is seeking investment, and for a
long period it found employment in the
West. The West has been developed in
excess of its necessities, and it REQUIRES
time to grow up to its railways anu cit
les. In the meantime the capital which
is being Withdrawn from the West must
be used somewhere Why not, then. in
the South? Why shall! not it he used to
build Southern cities and railroads and
factories: Everything depends On the
Southern people themselves. Capital
| will not 20 where it is not kindly re.
ceivcd. 1t must be woocd; it must have
security. Any show OF popular hostility
will drive it away. There is no good rea
son why the next twenty years should
not be Il period Of extraordinary develop.
inent III the Southern States.sif oniy the
Southern people shall take wise measures
! to have it So All depends on them
This is the South's opportunity Op-
pOrtunities once lost are never rcgnncd
This should be seized on and improved
to the utmost.
The spirit of this article is encouraging.
and gives Il valuable enc to the progress
sivc clement Of the Southern press. pOss-
IDLY the Picayunc IS IN error in supnos-
! ing that investors are in Ignorance OF the
vast resource of this grcnt region. The
advertising that is most needed Is not
glowing pictures OF hidden wealth that
lies i'll our hills and forests. hut abating
the hostility to investments which has
cropped ont in foolish and needless lepis-
latlon and lHyn" aside some of the polit-
zeal delusons which, if ever realized
would ruin the people. The Picayune
makes the right suggestion when it says
the confidence Of those who have money
must be gained, and this cannot he done
by hostile acts ana unfriendly expressions
The News would like to see the lcgisla-
turc Of Texas adopt broad and liberal
spirit OF progressivcncss and leave off
foolish enactmcnts calculated to hurt or
repel capital There is no Tangible sur.
Plus or accumulation Of capital Of the in
vestment Kind III the State, therefore bills
TO regulate or coniscate it are simply