Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-27
Let Us Alone, Please.
Charlotte On. O. Observer


The New England folks used TO own
negro slaves. New England is too cold
for the negro blood. New England sold
her slaves TO the southern people, VINO
lived in a climate that the negro thrved
in. Then the New England and northern
folks said il was wicked and naughty TO
own slaves, anyhow, and that the south
ern folks must abolish slavery. The South
kicked about abolishing her property,
much of which she had bought from the
good Puritan people of the far Northeast
The two sections quarrelled and scrapped
and the South, along about the ninety
ninth round was pushed to the ropes. fell
down. and was put to sleep with no more
slaves and no money in their place.
When she was rubbed down ana got
her eyes open and had her bruises plast-
cred. the South quit farming with ne
groes and went to making cotton fabrics
with white labor. Now theme England
folks had been doing the cotton-cloth
making before and during the time that
they were raising the racket for aboli-
ton. The southern negro slaves raised
the raw cotton on the white folks plan
tations, il was sent to New England
mills, made into cloth, and shipped back
for both the white folks and the black
folks to wear But when the South found
her negroes free, her houses burned. and
her plantations devastated, she decided
to diversity her long-continued occupation
Of agriculture. She grew cotton at her
doors, she had water power TO turn mill
wheels, she had a contented Anglo-SaXon
breed of white operatives, so she dotted
her recent battle-ground with mills, and
went actively and earnestly into cotton
manufacture, and she succeeded beyond
har She 6iCQOWarp1 that
she could successfully compete with the
New England folks, who are far away
from the mills, and have discontentedi
restless, foreign immigrants or their de-
scendants for laborers.
Now. in the course of some thirtv-three
years, the New England people find them
selves hard pressed by the southern cot
ton-mills. They find that southern goods
undersell their own goods, of similar
grade. They come down to see us, we
show them our mills, and how we run
things, and they go back home. say 1t
is our long hours and non-striking work.
ing people that give us the cinch- and
forthwith reduce the wages Of their
hands 10 per cent.
The southern folks have no kick to
make about this. But when a New
England Congressman tries TO secure con-
kIthSlOldi Oh our southern
working hours, we do kick. New Eng
land, led by Massachusetts, is responsible
more than any other section of the North,
perhaps, for weaving us from our peace
full. listless, easy-going farming life, on
our Understanding, sun-kissed acres of
cotton and corn, and impelling us to hus-
tie and get a hump on us, to rance to the
music of the spindle and to double-quick
into prosperity to the rattle Of the shut
tie. Let New England move her mills
down among us. We will welcome her.
But she must not intermeddle The
Ashevlle Gazette hits 1t off right when
it says:
Now If some statesman whose patriot
ism covers this whole country like
blanket mortgage, will introduce a bill in
Congress to do away with the mono
poly" Of temperate climate i'm the South
which works TO the disadvantage OF New
England, the hope may be entertained OF
graduating the discriminating conditions |
that are now cramping our manufacture |
ing industries" Congressman Lover |
ings bill introduced in the House to place |
hours OF labor under national regulation. |
i'm order TO do away with dlscrimina- |
tons in favor Of the South, is altogether |
too conservative. 1t is merely tempo
rizing with conditions that should be |
violently overthrown. No monopoly |
should be allowed TO exist in this coun- /
try. In Alaska miners should be de-
barred from working more than eight |
hours n day, and be compelled to rest
the other eleven months and 7i2 hours.
The Constitution should be so amended
that no cotton factory should be nearer
than 100 miles from cotton plantation.
Mr.. Coverings bill is worthy of the
genius Of Kansas Congressman. His
folks forced us into the cotton manu-
featuring, for which relief much thanks.
We are grateful for their kindness But
they must let as alone henceforth. No
interference by the govern
ment. States rights are not all gone.
No congressional intermeddling with
manufactures, 1