Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-06-30
TWELVE PAGES
FRIDAY. JUNE 30. 1899.
VIE HOWL AGAIN!

The people should lend some of their
careful attention to the testimony now
coming before the industrial commits
sion In Washington. It may not all be
so sensational and startling as Have
meyers unexpected assault upon the
tariff, but a great deal of 1t is more i'm
portant in revealing the real truth of
the situation, despite the shouts of
prosperity from those who profit out of
files of the country. On last Tuesday.
Mr.. James Barrett. vice-President OF
the Georgia State Agricultural Society,
dared to tell the truth OF our condition.
despite the organized lying of the
money trust and the cowardly corrobo-
ration OF this lying given by Southern
gold Democrats; and 1t will be noted
that his brief picture of the times is
very different from that presented by
the dealers in "a limited prosperity for
the rich" and who scream at the deal
ers in truth as calamity howlers." Mr..
Barrett Is reported by the Richmond
Times, as follows:
ditions of the South, saying that they
were worse tot day than they had ever
been in the history of the country. He
said the cotton interest was especially
depressed, prices last year amounting
to O. little over 4 cents a pound.
Mr.. Barrett said that ninetenths of
the cotton grown was mortgaged be-
fore It fnatured. Rates of interest and
commission were high and the mer-
chants were gradually coming into pos
session of the land. The banks charged
10 per cent. for money for three
months time. He advanced the idea
that the National Bank act has done
vast damage in outlaying real estate
as security for money loaned to these
banks, and that all told this act was
to the South the most damaging leg
fslation that had ever been enacted"
Although Mr. Barrett was the only
witness before the commission on Tues
day, and although his testimony was
evidently very important. that was all
he was allowed to say. or all that was
allowed to reach the public through the
Associated Press. Any commercial
traveller or drummer who had forced
himself upon the commission, and told
Arabian Nights Stories of prosperity
in some utmeg-manufacture, or in the
development of the toothpick industry.
would have been heard for hours and
accorded columns OF report. But our
current secular news and situation are
under as close censorship and sup
preston as the press correspondence
from Manila and Havana
On last Wednesday, Mr.. ]. Polk
Brown. President OF the Agricultural
State Society Of Georgia was heard by
the Industrial Commission. The press
export (Which we also clip from the
Richmond Tlmes) Is as follows:
''IIe agreed with Mr.. Barrett. who
testified yesterday that the condition OF
agriculture In the South was more de-
pressed than 1t had ever been. MORE
PEOPLE WE'RE FLOWING BARE
FOOTED AND BAREHEADED THAN
EVER BEFORE. He agreed with the
late Henry Grady that the fault was
not with the soil OF the climate, nor,
as many had claimed, was II entirely
with the tariff. One OF the most pro-
life causes of the trouble was In the
fact that cotton was practically the
only crop.
"Education. he considered. was not
sufficiently practicable. 1t should teach
people to do manual labor. So far as
the colored race was concerned there
was no opening for them In trade or
the professions.
Mr.. Brown dweit on the presence of
the negro as the special cause Of the
want OF development in the South. He
regarded him as Tetarding the indus
fyio1lA moral, religious. social and az