The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-25

| @''o'Noo,oo' "eie aNueu dnHually 10
the pay-rolls of the South, and if you
can realizo tho immensity Of those
figures, remember, as wcll, that 90
per cont. Of the money paid to wage
earners is expended immediately for
food and clothing. Think, too, what
it would mean if 100000 souls
were added to tho population of tho
South, and this an honest, industri-
Gus, self-sustaininS class of people,
And why should not all this come to
pass? Why should we go on rob
bing the southern treasure fields and
cheating ourselves out of tho profits 1?
Why not manufacture our raw ma
terials hero in the South?
l wish it wore possible to pass a
law that would prevent the sale of
Georgia products beyond tho bor-
ders of the State until they were
manufactured into usablc articles and
ready for tho consumer. Such Il
law would be Il real blessing, for it
would guarantee employment to an
army of sturdy wage oarncrs, and tho
daily moods Of these men would, in
turn, establish Il local market for
varied farm products; then tho great
economic wheel would DO complctc.
All interests would prosper because
all would have distinct mission to
perform.
Time was, when Southern lands
were fertile and labor was controlled,
that wo could dcvoto our whole at
tentlon to the production Of a single
commodity, but that day is gone,
and we are face to face with tho
problom, not of making money, but
of making a living on our farms.
FIve-cent cotton will not keep body
and soul together, and the prospects
are that five cent cotton has como to
stay. We know, too, that our lands
arc growing less productive and less
valuable every year under the pres
ent system of farming. Every can
did man must admit that tho situa-
tion is desperate. One hears tho
question constantly: What Is TO
become of the farmers of Georgia?
[ have taxed your patience and
your good nature by telling you how
our Northern brother conducts his
farm, but this was done to prove tho
imposslbillty, rather than tho posi-.
blllty, of operating Il Southern farm
IN like manner SO long as general
conditions remain as they are today.
But lot me remind you that reforms
como slowly. Thoro is now no ado,
qnate market in the South for tho
diversified products OF agriculture,
bnt the market is better than it WAS
ten yoars ago, and it will improve
steadily from this tino on. 1t will
improve because wo are going into
the business of tho manufacturing
here in the South. This is the loci.
cal and only way out Of our present
dilemma. If we don't create homo
market we are done for, and a homo
market can be created only by the
development of manufacturing in.
dustries and the enlistment of n prcut
wage o-earning army that will draw its
support from those factories and feed
upon tho varied products of our
Southern fields.
A bottcr day is dawning, and this
better day will be usherod in by tbo
merry music Of humming factory
wheels. Our idle lands will bo
called back to life and usefulness.
The farm gardens Of the North will
be duplicated here in tho South. Tho
best labor saving machinery that tho
genius Of man can devise will bo
used, for every acre Of our land will
bo titled and the ingenuity Of our peo-
plo will be taxed to supply tho ever
increasing demands of our local
market. We will discount the har.
vcsts Of the North, because we arc
blessed with bottcr climate. Wo
may labor out Of doors throupbont
the ontire year, and our harvest OK
tends from May to December. tell
You, my friends, that this better day
is dawninr. boseech you to watch
It's progress and take advantage of
its opportunities. Study well it's DOS.
sibilities and keep step in the march
Nf