Birmingham state herald., 1897-06-03
UNJUST ASSIMILATION.

The Birmingham State Herald is again talking about moving the capital. Bir- mingham has been talking of building $500, GOO cotton factory for ten years, and the only visible evidence we so far have of this factory Is a lot of secondhand cotton machinery which some shrewd Yankee dumped on them some years ago. Montgomery began talking about cot ten factory last year. and behold the completed structure is ready for the ma chinery, which is now being put in and soon we will hear the whirr of the spin dle. Birmingham had better quit talk ing and really build a cotton factory, and follow her manifest destiny by de- veloping her mineral resources, and get out of debt before talking about the cap- ing a capitol and calling herself the cap ital city of Alabama. Wait awhile. By far the larger part of the population stand by Montgomery in this matter, ana will continue so to stand for many years in the future. re."-Montgomery Advertiser.
 What motive could have prompted the Shove other than a desire to injure Bir- minsham in a financial Hoint of view She State Herald is unable to see. While there does exist differences of opinion in matters political, we do not believe there exists in all Alabama a disposition to decry the progress and advancement of any city or section. Our people are in perfect unison in proclaiming their de- sire that every section of the state should build up and prosper, and if there is the least shade of jealousy along this line it exists in narrow minds whose influence is intellectual and whose purse strings have kept pace with their energy in con- traeted selfshness or expanded idleness.
 Birmingham bears no animosity to- wards her sister city. Montgomery, nor any other city or town in Alabama. She glories in their prosperity and sympa- thizes with them in their diversity. Our people are of that type who believe in progress and development. realizing that the advancement Of one section in measure is beneficial to all sections. They look with pride upon the introduction of new industries in the Capital City. he they industries of the smaller class or mammoth cotton factories, of which the Advertiser boasts.
 Then why should the Advertiser, which pretends to be Vhe leading paper of the state and representative authority on state matters. make the false statement that Birmingham has ben talking about building a $500,000 cotton factory for ten years, and The only visible evi- dence we so far have of this factory is a Tot of secondhand cotton machinery, which some shrewd Yankee dumped on them some y=ars ago?" Is unis would be representative state paper ignorant of the fact shat just one year ago Birming- ham began operating a cotton factory equipped with the very lat5st improved machinery, costing in the neighborhood Of $250, coo? Is it ignorant of the faci that for several months past this cotton mill has been kept running to ills full capac- ity right and day every day in the week exc-pt Sunday? Is this Tom Jones "ignoramus" so blind to its own columns as not to have seen that the foundation for $600.000 coijton mill is now complete and the force of hands at work on this structure is greater than ever before en- gagged on a southern building? Has it not read in its own columns of the 100 and odd dwellings and business houses now being constructed? of the mammoth Auditorium, with a seating capacity of six to eight thousaild; the new Southern Methodist college th= best arranged and the best equipped of any seciarian school in the south; the s60,000 fertilizer factory; the mammoth cotton seed oil mll vim egar works; blow factory; brass works car wheel works, covering several acres; handsome nlatatorium, the first built in the south excepting Fort Worth, Tex. a dozen or more machine shops. ofa va- rious character and cast; powder factory; and numerous O., her things that we can- not now call ito memory, to say nothing of the Warrior river canal project, which will give *us an outlet by water to Mo bile for the general distribution of our coal and smineral product, and all this accomplished during ehe past three years and in tife midst of the greatest panic this couDtry ever experienced.
 And is It not reasonable to suppose that the citizens of Alabama ue uld prefer to have the state capitol in the central portion of the state. where it is cf easy access, thereby. lessoning the time and expense to visit it. to say nothing of the fact that Birmingham is the accepted "s-" of Alabama and destined te be the