Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-07-10
One OF the FaIlacies.

When Ben Tillman in addressing tn
convention Thursday, uttered his worl
reifaln This Is sectional issue" h
met with Kisses as we'll as cheers. bu
ne voiced the sentiment which swayet
that vast body of men, nevertheless.
In no other way can their actions b,
accounted for. They seem to overlook
the humiliation there is in the confes
sion that the people of any section o.
this great country are not brigh
enough to compete with those of Other
sections. They appear to gladly as.
sumo the odium connected with such
an admission. But how pitiabIe al
such madness seems when it is seer
upon very little investigation of in
disputable facts that their assumption
is all wrong, an utter fallacy, an in
tegral party of the gigantic fallacy
they are now enacting.
The New York World publishes o
compilation Of statistics bearing upon
this very question. From it we learn
which any one who would look up the
facts could discover for himself. that
The farmers of either New York OF
Pennsylvania have more capital
vested in land and farming implements
than all the farmers of Virginia. " est
Virginia. North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Georgia and Florida combined
New York has 81 .139, $40, 716 invested IL
its farms and Pennsylvania has 81, 062. =
939.Si6, while the six South Atlantic
states combined have only 81 900. 403, :
069. The farmers of New York and
Pennsylvania combined have much
more at stake than the combined
farmers of the South Atlantic and
Gulf states, for Alabama, Mississippi
Louisiana and Texas total up ONLY
S9il 90, $50. Add kentucky, Tennessee
Oklahoma and Arkansas and We have
total of agricultural investment
south of the Potomac and Ohio line OF
$2.929. '9S ,26s-Which is less than that oi
New England, New York. Pennsylvania
and New Jersey. s.. $3.50 81 ,293
Certainly if there is any conflict be
tween the farmers as a class and tn,
New England and the three Middle
states have more at stake than tn,
farmers of the Al states for whom Mr.
Tillman speaks
The value of the farm land and
farm buildings in these states was re-
ported in 1880 at s., 500. 4i3 402, and ir
1890 it had declined to s., $50. 200. 527
while the value of the farm product:
had declined from $40, $50, 493 to SflS,
300 o66."
How is it with the states south OF
the Potamac and the Ohio?"
The value of the farm land in the six
south Atlantic states increased from
SG1o.S4S.141 in 1880 to 1914 POS. $40, while
that of the other eight increased from
1881 ,555, 5S9 to 81, 440, 022 .59S-for the |
an increase of $685., So. 0SS, which i.
greater than the total value of all Tho
farms of the six Atlantic states in 1880
At the same time the value of then
products increased from $3.50 ~ 100 t,
$139, 49, 549"
IF the farmers of the South anG
West have any complaint to make
how can it compare with the com.
plant of the farmers of the North
east"
The capital invested in manufactur.
ing in the Southern states was. il
1880. $193. 045, 49, while in 1890 it had in
creased to 500, 6,412."
Capital seems to have flowed int,
these states in pretty heavy stream
Where did it come from? Did not tn,
dude East furnish Il large proportion
of it? Has not every dollar invested
in the South since 1879 been a golt
dollar or its equivalent?"
In the north Atlantic states Their,
are 5.543041 males engaged in earnins
their living. The combined number OF
male Wage-earners in the II state 70,
which Mr. Tillman speaks is but 4.973.-
3Sl. If we take the whole number O
wage workers. male and female. ther
the proportion is greater-then tht
New England and Middle states hay
ing 6,9Il 400, and the IA Southern state.
having 6.295, 1884,
The Wage-workers of the states de.
nounced by Mr.. Tillman outnumber b,
G16,262 the wage workers of the
states whose cause he advocates
Are they not as intelligent. as wei
Informed, as independent, and as hon
est as those whom he represents? d.