The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-22
MCCLURE AT OCALA.
The Veteran Editor Gave the People
There an Interesting Talk.

There an Interesting Talk.
Oeala, Fla, March 21.-Col. A. K. Nc
Clure and party were given a drive over
the rolling hammocks east and south Of
Ocala, out into the country several miles
and what he saw he made the basis of a
very interesting and instructive address
Wednesday night on what were the ca
pabilities and possibilities of our soil and
climate. He said he had studied the
south for fifteen years, and in that study
had noted the great change the war had
caused.
Before the war cotton was king. Since
then Egypt and India, whom the south
had instructed in growing the finest long
staple cotton, had become it's competi-
tors-hence King Cotton had become de-
throned-and the future of the south is in
the diversity of its Industries.
When Col. Mcclure first visited Bir-
mingham and carefully examined its re-
sources and possibilities, fifteen years ago,
he said Alabama was the richest state in
the union ana that within ten years Biz
mlngham would make as good iron as
P1ttsburg for less cost and sell it in Phil
adelphia. These facts he discussed in
his paper, the Philadelphia Times His
friends laughed at him for such absurd
statements, while his enemies said he was
crazy.
How was it? Why, within five years
his predictions had come true-and the
of Birmingham We're better paid and bet
ter satisfied with their condition than anv
class of producers in the world.
he spoke of the banefu influences of
speculation and the ruin it had wrought
People s IDEAS of wealth and prosperity
were all wrong. Speculation never Great
ed cent, except at the expense of the
producer True, lasting wealth only
could come from the producer No finer
climate or richer country existed in the
world than that embraced from the Pot
omac to Key West All it needed was de-
velopment-that kind of labor that laid
hold of the ploW, followed it and never
looked back. He said if the soil Of the
south was cultivated as he knew the
thrifty Dutch farmers of his state cult
waited their soil, almost every working
hour of the year land with all the disad-
Vantages of climate and ragged, rocky
farm SOLD no country could compete with
the south. He said the mistake made by
Florida and Ocala was that when phos-
phate was discovered the first thing it's
people should have done was to get a
mill to ground 1t and use it on their land
The second was not to let ton leave the
state, but to utilize it at home and pros
perity would have. been certain reward
He said our people had gone into the
growing of oranges in the same spirit and
belief that it's people had done before the
war under the Favorable conditions of the
patriarchiaI institution. A blizzard came
along and in night millions had vanish
ed. This would teach diversity-diversity
of productions would bring competency,
contentment and happiness.
The south needed more capital 1t
would come as fits people appreciated its
usefulness, but the best capital and capt.
tai promotion, was the existence of a con-
dition of things rndustrially, that compell-
ed capital to seek those conditions.
He said the great trouble was too many
people were dissatisfied because they
could not make a fortune in a day. They
were an the while referring to the prices
and profits of war times forgetting they
were not the natural condition of things
and those days and times, had passed
away never to return. The ability TO pro-
duce and to produce intelligently, was
certain to bring reward.
He paid Ocaia a high compliment. Said
Ocala and its surroundings was a reyeIa-
ton to him.