Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-11-03
CHAA|P Clark LETTER
New England Unhappy
Despite Protection.
POPULATION is DECREASING.
Her Industries Drifting to the
Southland.
POPULATION is DECREASING. q.
WHY SHE CANNOT HOLD HER OWN.

Price of Labor and Cost of Living
Be Manufactured Cheaper Where
1t is Grown - Prosperity Would
Follow Free Coinage of silver.
Especial Washington Letter.
Not long since in the Washington
Post read an extract from New Eng
land paper which should furnish food
for reflection te every citizen of the re-
public.
For thirty odd years New England
has forced the policy of high protec-
tive tariff on the rest of the country for
her special benefit and behoof. When
good Governor Dingley fastened his bill
on the people, it was supposed that he
had made all New England happy as
CLANS at high tide, but he himself was
forced to admit OH the floor of the house
that the cotton spinning industry is
leaving New England and going south.
The New England editorial quoted
by The Post made the startling decIa-
ration that within IL months the popu.
lation of Fall River, Mass, one of the
largest manufacturing cities in the
state, had fallen off 3 5-5 per cent.
Some time before that Judge James
M. G1iggs of Georgia, one of the ablest
young men in congress, in a speech in
congress gave the reasons why the cot
ton spinning industry is moving south,
just as the shoe and boot industry is
moving to st. Louis, just as other in.
dustries will move west and south.
Prosperity Still Absent.
Among other things Judge Griggs
said:
When Alexander the Great was on
one Of his campaigns in Asia, it is said
that news of his death came to Athens,
and that the Athenians, who had suf-
fered SO greatly from his oppression, re-
solved to have meeting to jubilate
over the occurrence. Great preparations
were being made, and there was much
excitement. While this was going OH
an old Athenian, wiser than the. rest,
came out and asked the occasion of the
oommotion. Upon being told that Alex
ander was dead and that they proposed
to celebrate their liberation the old
man shook his head and said: "Oh, no; !;
Alexander is not dead. | have not smelt
him yet. If he were dead, the stencil
would fill the universe. Besides, if he
Is dead today, he will be dead tonlor-
row, and ii might be less embarrassing
to await the confirmation of your news
before indulging in too much celebra-
ton.
just SO, Mr.. Chairman, with pros
perity. If it were here, We could smell
it, feel it and know it. There would be
no need for argument from anybody in
order to show that prosperity had re-
turned. Every gentleman in this house
recognizes this truth whenever, while
he argues the presence of prosperity,
following the example of The American
Economist, the Lewiston Journal and
the gentleman from Maine, he endeavors
to account for it's absence. propose to-
day, Mr.. Chairman, to compare tho in
dustrial conditions of New England and
the south. shall neither present the
advantages of the one in boastful
spirit nor critioise the other in an un-
friendly manner, for. while we have
our little family jars, it is genuine
source of congratulation to all patriots
that on the first intimation of foreign
aggressions we are one people from
Maine to Texas, from He'll Gate to the
Golden Gate.
Southern Competition.
[From the EostonSPost.
What does this southern competition amount
to that the Arkwright club alleges as pretext
for cutting down the wages of cotton mill
operatives in Massachusetts?
Light is gradually breaking in through the
fog in which the club committee left the mat
ter. care all these New England manufac-
turers,' asks the Charleston (S. CT News and
Courier, "engagcd in making coarse goods or
grades that compete with the grades made by
fhe southern mills?r OF course not The
Massachusetts, mills make fine grades, alto
gether outside the competition of southern
manufacturers.
It seems. then, that the Arkwright club gem
tlemen hold it to be necessary to cut the wages
Of their operatives in order 10 meet a competi-
tion which does not exist. Is there not good
deal of humbug in the ante7Christmas-and
anti Christmas as well-proclamation of the
Fall River mill owners?
If it be true, Mr.. Chairman, that out
Of the mouths Of two or three witnesses
the truth is established, might rest my
contention on the testimony of these in
teIligent and reputable gentlemen whose
knowledge, gained from long expert
ence, entities their utterances to the re-
speet and consideration of all fair mind
ed men.
They ds gree on some points, but
they are uh imous on one, and that is
one of the truths am seeking to i'm
press ON this house-that lower wages
and longer hours in the southern mills
are not the only advantages possessed by
the southern manufacturers over their
New England brethren. Some of them
declare most positively that there is
nothing in this alleged southern COM
petition. One of them-Mr. Amory-
instead OF charging the trouble to low
labor cost in the south and conceding
other advantages to that section, charges
it up mainly to abnormal labor condi-
tions in New England, to the great con
gestion Of this industry there, and the
lack of diversification of industry.
In the Path of Progress.
It sounds strange indeed, Mr.. Speak
er, to hear this charge brought against
immaculate and omniscient New Eng
land by one of the most successful and
prominent among her sons. The infalli-
bility of the pope Of Rome is not more
zealously claimed and jealously guarded
by the most devout Catholic than is the
infallibiIity of New England by her
children wherever they may be found.
This is a tribute to her greatness of
which she may we'll be proud. We are
often reminded Of the shortcomings Of
the south. It is a favorite pastime of
many to tell us of our supposed sins of
omission and commission. The gentle
man from Maine loves to point Us to the
error of our ways, and he earnestly
sought to impress on us the other day
the mistake Of raising the large crops OF
cotton which he claims have helped to
bring about New England distress.
He would reform the southern farmer.
He says in effect that the southern farm
or should diversity. / tell him that his
reform should begin at home and under
his own hat. The New England manu-
facturer should diversity. The great