The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-18


In a year Fail River, Mass, has lost
$40 per cent of its population. The
cause Of it, according to various authori-
ties. is the shutting down of the cotton
manufacturing establishments, and the
cause of the shutting down Of these es-
Establishments IS attributed to the compe-
titon of Southern mills. The Providence
Journal. noting the decline Of population
In Fan River. asks: us a like fate to
descend upon other cotton manufacturing
centers in consequence Of Southern COM
Dctitlon?"
The Washington Post, in considering the
matter, is able to see in The decline Of New
England through the competition of the
South something in the nature Of retri-
butive justice, though that is not what the
Post calls it. New England was the hot
bed of abolidonism; New England wished
to dictate the moral code which
should obtain in the South; New England
busted hersef to free the slaves, to destroy
the value of private property owned in the
South, and 10 punish the Southern people
for daring to hold opinions contrary to her
own. What is the result? Well, New
England has had her wish in so far as the
abolition of slavery Is concerned; but one
Of the first things the reorganized South
has done has been to take away New
Engand's monopoly of the cotton manu-
featuring trade This is not because the
South harbors any animosity towards New
England for her Interference, but
because new conditions have made known
10 the South her advantages which were
before uurecognized, and the South has
taken advantage Of them. The South has,
indeed, greatly benefited by emancipation,
while New England has suffered from the
recasting of industrial lines following the
change of system in the former slave
holding states. However with true Puri-
tan spirit, il is incumbent upon New Eng
land to accept her lot with becoming res
,gnation and thankfulness.
Recurring to the case of Fall River,
it appears that the cotton manufacturers
of that center are going to make an eff
fort to stem the tide of Southern compe-
tition by putting new machinery into the
mills and endeavoring in other ways to
lower the cost of production. New ma
AIliilCly ~ Allc Ndfut VI PoVVJsVVJ 10 9lUVJJs
GOO is to be installed as soon as possible,
it is announced. With this improved APP
paratus il is hoped that the inevitable may
be postponed for time. This expenditure
VIII, of course, mean tax upon the CAPT
tai of the mills, and lowering of their
dividends for time. Meanwhile the mills
of the South, which are already supplied
with modern machinery, win go on making
cloths at profit, and without any reduc-
ton in dividends 1t seems that the emf
nently sensible thing for the New Eng
land manufacturers to do is to sue
cumb TO the inevitable at the earliest prac-
ticable moment and move their plants to
the South. A warm welcome awaits them
here. There isn't room for doubling that
the South will within the course of few
years be the cotton manufacturing section
of the country and that nothing in New
England can prevent it, To put new ma
| chinery into the Fan River and other
| Northern mills may delay for short time
the transfer of the center of cotton manu-
featuring interests, but it will not stop the
transfer; that is bound to occur, and the
Northern manufacturers who first shift
their positions will reap the greater bene-
| dss