The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1896-04-18
HER INDUSTRIAL DEPRES-
SION-1TS CAUSE AND
IT'S CURE.
An Original Paper Read April 8, 1906.
Before the Mississippi Association
of Washington.
BY WALTON HARRISON.

We, the people of Mississippi.
considered collectively as a peo-
pie, must be known in order to
be appreciated, and yet we are
comparatively unknown. Even
the people of New England, not
ed for their knowledge of the
world and its inhabitants, are
densely ignorant as to our Gus
toms, avocations and method of
thinking.
To be sure the average indivi-
dual Yankee has vague know
ledge of our partisan and section
al traditions. He knows some
thing of our public men. He
knows that we can produce cot
ton, and that along at intervals
we can raise quantities of a GER
tain other commodity, which for
want of more elegant term, is
commonly known as gehennah.
He knows that we can stop bull
lets, talk free silver and hang
niggers. But there are a good
many things he does not know
and does not seem anxious TO
learn. He does not know that
our people are broad-minded,
kind-hearted and generous. He
does not know that our gambling
dens are few and our churches
are many. He docs not know
that capital invested within our
borders is as safe as capital in
vested in Massachusetts. He
does not know that business,
which he may establish at Colun.-
bus, at Vicksburg or at Jackson
will receive such protection as the
law affords, and that our statutes
have SO amended the common
law as<to make that protection
adequate. lie does not know
that manufacturing has proven a
phenomenal success at Ellisville,
Water Valley, Wesson, Stonewall
and other towns too numerous to
mention. He does not know that
in our midst his wheelwrights, his
lathe operatives and his armature
winders, if legally qualified, can
walk up to the polls and vote any
ticket they choose. In short, he
knows the exception; he does not
know the rule.
1t is not necessary here to dis
cuss the causes which brought
about this misunderstanding of
our people and their institutions.
Suffice it to say that they are
closely allied to politics, and that
they doubtless had, during the
war and for several years there
after, a foundation in fact. Now
the band of time has wrought a
wondrous change, 1t is but fair
that the change be made known.
until it is known we will be dis
counted severely.
The mischief consists, among
other things, in depressing eff
feet upon our industries. Capt.
tai, always timid, is deferred
from flowing toward us as it
should. The remedy must be a
complete exposure of the falla-
cies concerning us. When the
people of other states thoroughly
understand our people, the bal
ance of the problem will need no
solution.
Mississippi has all the natural
advantages necessary to make her
a great industrial center. She al
so has hardworking, intelligent,
economical population. But these
are only two of the essentials.
She needs capital, and she also
needs q few skilled workmen to
instruct her people in the arts.
The capital that she needs is ly-
ing idle in the Golfers of New
York City. The skilled workmen
that she needs are scattered over
the Union. When all these ele-
ments are united, the result will
be the compound called success.
But unless they are united and
united thoroughly, unless they
are not only brought into contact
but caused to assimilate, disaster
must ensue.
The situation may be illustra-
ted in q commonplace but accu-
rate way as follows: A man, cold
and hungry, at the close of day
is lost in the forest; be has a sack
of meal and a few slices of raw
meat. There is plenty of fuel "
ing around, but he has no matches
with which to kindle a fire. I'm
less he can get matches he must
remain cold and hungry. Ano-