The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-25
A GREAT SCHOOL.
President tartzng writes of Clemson s
New Branrh.
20 'umbiu Statc.

On September Is, 1S9S the first tex
tile school in the south opened its
doors to students at Clemson Agricul-
tural College, South Carolina.
A brick building 75x100 feet, and
two stories high. designed like a model
cotton factory, has been erected for
theoretical ana practical instruction in
the textile arts. Generous mill mallu
facturers have contributed $4,000
worth of machinery for equipment. a
director has been elected, and the
students have entered upon their
work.
Logically, South Carolina is the
proper State to go forward as the pio-
neer of textile education in the south.
The little Palmetto State has one
third of all the looms and spindles of
the south. Her people have unlimited
confidence in cotton mills us dividend
making institutions. This confidence
is based upon the experience of the
past. Though leading all other south
ern States in textile manufactures, the
cntton mill industry is but i'll its in
fancy in South Carolina. With 1,0O0,-
600 horse power running into waste in
the streams that flow from the Blue
Ridge mOllntains to the Atlantic ocean,
with a conservative, intelligent labor
ing element; with the raw product at
the doors of the mills: with Il pOpula-
ton that has IN Instructive genius for
manufacturing. there is no reason why
the textile industries should not quad
rlplc in South Carolina during the
next quarter of Il century.
Impressed with the present import
ancc aud the future possibilities of
cotton manufacturing, the authorize S
of the largest State institution in South
Carolina have adlletl IL textile depart
mrnt to train young men i'll the manu-
factlirc of cotton goods.
We may pause to ask and answer
this question: is it right to use money
derived from general taxation for the
upbuil.ling of Il special industry? Have
not men in other pursuits as much
right to demand of Il State school for
special training as the cotton mill men9
The government is established for the
greatest good of the greatest number.
During the last seven years cotton
mills in the south have doubled in
number. There are now 49 mills, rep
resrnting capital of $780, 100000. Fac
tory populations are infiamable. Edu-
cation brings conservatism. An eX-
pressed willingness on the part of the
State to dignity labor, to provide
means to educate and elevate ambi-
tious youths for special line OF work,
will do much towards stemming the
snrialistic idle and towards preventing
Labor strikes. When the State pro-
vi.lcs textile schools the factory opera
tivcs feel that the sympathetic arm Of
the government is thrown around
them.
The south has had few, ii any, seri-
olS labor troubles in the cotton mills.
The reason is obvious. Our opera
tivcS, as IL class, are respectable. sober
natives from the farms in the vicinity
of the mills. Most of them have been
accustomed to managing labor of their
own on IL small scale. The Sllpcrinten-
dent is usually IL native. who under
stanlS the peculiar sentiments and
plrjudiccs OF the operatives. About
the same relationship between the
superintendent and the operatives us
that found in he country store between
the merchant and his clerk. Common
interests and common feeling prevent
friction. We cannot hope, however,
that this happy condition of mutual
contentment will continue for coming
years. a factory population will grow
up, alienatetl from the farms. having
no dcrp-rooted sympathy with other
vocations-;l population that will be
from the factory. i'll the factory, and
for the factory. This population will
form IL very influential percentage of
the census of the south in 1923 a. d..
The State, therefore, that takes hold
of this social and Industrial t'lublem IN
time may reasonably hope to find some
solution for the vcxatious questions
that will arise.
1t should be borne in mind. too. that
the textile schDnl is not established for
the mill men alone. a bale of cotton
weighing 800 pounds will bring the
farmer $50 to be distributed between
the rent of the land, labor, fertilizer,
cost of implements. etc. Now let Il
cotton mill br established in the vicin-
iiy of that farm. The mill pays he
same $50 for the bale of cotton and
manufactures it into shrctngs yard
wide. The shcclins will sell to the
inblmrs for $3.50. The difference Of
-. 80 is paid out in tbs. community for
labor, supplies. dividends, taxes. in
s,lanrc. clc. Is il not the part of wise
craftsmanship to encourage. by build
iny textile srlonls. if necessary. an in
dustry that will bring to the Sonth'S5S
for every bale of cotton. instead of $40,
to say nn;hiny of new markets created
rnr truck farming. nf the increased
value of real estate, of opportunities