The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-02-08

that Am"rt"ar money is becoming in
vested In Germany, where it cannot
find employment In this country. II
we coulu Greet propOrtionately as
lar2" Amcricau shipping interests as
the United States once had, we would
prosper on this foreign trade alone, re-
gardless Of ary improvement of our
domestic trade.
made visit lately to Newbury-
port and Salem in Massachusetts.
There is evidence in both those towns
that at Ooe time in the past they pros
pered greatly because Of their ship
ping Interest. AT the present time
this interest is practically dried up,
and towns which were once OF impOr-
tancc from Il maritime point of view
| have, simply become very ordinary
provincial New England towns, living
upon such domestic trade as they can
find.
THE cotton manufacturing interests
OF this country can and will be great
ly improved by extending the knowl-
edge OF better ard cheaper methods of
producing guuUs 1t is by the es.ab.
Iisbment Of technical and textile
schools that Germany has forwarded
her textile inle rests most. Without
the interest that nation has given to
shipping she could not have prospered
as she has done, but without her
technical and textile schools she could
not have created lhe business for ship
ping. This subject is attracting
great deal OF attention, both in New
England and in the South.
- A fine sch, oil has been established
at Lowell by the people Of Massachu-
setts and OF Lowell Another fine
school has been established in Philu-
delphia, Chi, fly through the instru-
me ntality OF Mr.. TncJdore g. Search,
and there is a discussion of the sub
ject in many parts Of the South. With
better technical and practical knowl-
edge both New England and the South
will make better goods at cheaper
PRICES. This, Of course, will have a
tendency to extend trade, and will put
us in better position to ship goods to
foreign countries in competition with
those OF Eug land and Germany.
The product of cotton in the
South has reach d the agnitude OF
10000, 600 bales. The terdency ali the
time has been TO make more cotton at
cheaper price. Ten years ago it cost
S3 bale to gin cotton; day mary
glnners are satisfied with 81 d bale
In many ways the cost OF producing
cotton aud preparing it for the market
has been recu"cd. This process of re-
ducing cost wi in the main tend to go
lower. The prospect is that there will
be large quantiti' Of cotton raised at
all times IN tnr future. If we desire
to continue TO mnnufacture 1t in this
country aud to increase this interest
Ia proportion 10 the production OF cot
Ton, 1T Is important to take steps to
improve our drrn' stlc trad" to extend
cur foreign TRACE and qualify the com
ing generation nv better education TO
make chcapcr / better goods. In
the work ol accomplishing these re-
suits there is no need for controversy
between tho North and the South. If
there Is little shifting from one
section to the Cchcr Of the making Of
certain lines Of goods, there is certain
to remain ample room for the people
of both sections in the manufacture Of
cotton If we will make the conditions
in the United States favorable for the
manufacturer. Auy unfavorable laws
are bound to apply to both sections and
any favorable law are bound to benefit
both sections.
"The great emphasis lately laid in
New EnglanL on Southern competition
nas been more for the purpose of in
luencing the labor to submit to re-
duction OF wages tnan anything else.
III mas neen from no conviction that
the South had any more than the or
dinary advantages that pertain to it's
proximity to the cotton fields. Most
of the New England cotton manufac-
turers know this very well. In the
past they have been mistaken about
the needs for a better currency system
in the West and the South. They
have been many times told that the
reaction produced by this want of cur
rency would finally reach them and
effect their manufacturing interests.
Southern competition has very little to
do with their troubles at the present
time, excepting in u secondary way,
but If the present condition must con-
tlnue to exist and no remedies are
iouDd for improving our domestic trade
or our foreign trade, then for some
time to come there is going to be some
hard shedding in both sections and the
South will probably stay in the race
about as long az there Is anybody in
it.
The present relative conditions ex-
listing North and South may not re-
main long the same. The white labor
available for service in cotton mills
may be exhausted in few years. AT
ter that the tendency will be to equal
ize the matter OF wages unless it trans
pires that the negro may be utilized
Tor the coarser work as the white la
bOr goes on the finern