The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-03

YESTERDAYS TEMPERATURES.
washington time q p. m. St. Paul..
THE SOUTH AND THE ORIENT.


The interest aroused in the candidacy
of Senator Morgan for reelection is uni
versaI throughout the South. 1t is not the
product entirely of the strong personality
Of Senator Morgan. 1t is rather the out
come of the advanced position WIFI h that
gentleman has taken on the subject of
trade in the Orient The favor with
which Senator Morgan has regarded the
acquisition of the Philippines has raised
up innumerable enemies for him, not only
within the state of Alabama but through
out the entire South. 1t has also made
many men the advocates of his election
who otherwise would remain Indifferent
to the issue involved.
Leaving aside entirely the political side
of the question. it is interesting to OBJ
serve the profound concern which is be-
ing aroused in the Southern states on the
subject of American trade in the Orient.
1t is not an exaggeration to declare that
no other section of the country has as
deep and abiding an interest in the de-
velOpment of Oriental trade as the South,
unless it be the Pacific coast section.
In the one item of cotton and cotton
manufactures alone the South will find
market IS great as that which it now
enjoys in Europe and America should
proper advantage be taken of the vast
possibilities which open UP to view as the
result of throwing open the FIowery
Kingdom to the commerce and industries
of the world. Already the South has
shown that 1t will not be many genera
tons before she shall have become not
only the greatest cotton producing coun-
try of the world, but also the greatest
cotton manufacturing section, of the Unit
ed States
The advance of the past fifteen years in
this direction is little less than marvellous
Whereas in 1880 the South consumed IN It's
mills only ,8S6 bales of cotton, she con-
sumed 1,23l, coo bales in 1899 The capital
invested in Southern cotton mills in 1890
was 81, OCO In 1899 it was sips, ,OOO
The number of spindles in operation in
those mills 10 years ago was $4,000 This
year it reached the enormous number of
100000 spindles. The total wages paid
to operatives in Southern factories in 1880
was STE, 100000. The amount paid to them
this year was $500, OOG, 600
These figures apply to a country which
a few years before 1880 was without any
manufactures whatever, and whose pop
ulation was so diminished that but a
small fragment of the cotton growing
area could be cultivated, and which pro
duced little or nothing save cotton alone
Is it wonderful under such conditions,
that the cotton manufacturers of New
England should have appointed COM
mission to investigate the subject OF cot
ton manufacture in the South, with a
view to the possible transfer of their
plants to the most favorable localities
in the South? What the water power Of
New England has done to promote the
manufacture Of cotton in that section, the
vast deposits Of coal in the South will
more than equalize. Colored labor in the
South is cheaper than white labor will
ever remain anywhere in the world.
Already the market for cotton products
in the Orient is Of immense proportions.
Neither those of New England nor OF Old
England will effectively compete with
Southern cotton manufactures If the adj
yantages Of the South are properly avail
ed Of. Proximity to the Pacific coast.
and the splendid avenues of cheap trans
portation which are available all over the
South in that entire section from Ma
son and DiXon's line to the gulf show
the wonderful advantages which The
South enjoys in this behalf
Cotton manufactures are not the only
Southern commodity which will find an
increased market in the Orient. although
cotton and cotton manufactures natural
~ suggest themselves to the mind as he
Ing those most closely identified with the
life and industry Of the Southern states
Whatever be the result of the senatort-
al contest now pending in Alabama, it is
becoming each day more plain that the