The evening times., 1899-04-12
s.uthern RIinane...

There are men who continue to walk
along with upbreilas spread after the
rain has ceased; and there are men who
follow an old practice long after the con-
ditions under which 1t was born have
changed. 1t is not so long since New Eng
land was supreme in manufactures. Then
Middle and Western States. The South
considered itself unjustly burdened with
high prices that New England and the
Industrial North generally might enjoy the
delusive benefits of protective tariff.
Gradually and slowly. at first, more rapidly
later, the South madei things. Cotton fac
tories sprang up here and there and iron
and coal were found at Birmingham and
elsewhere. In-tweaty years the develop
ment of Southern manufactures has been
the marvel of the country. Because of
the cheaper labor and the lower cost Of
living. the South has been able to cripple
the cotton industry of New England-per-
haps eventually destroy It. The great roll
ing mills and other iron and steel works
in the North are feeling and will feel still
more the sharp competition of the South.
sessed BY the microbe Of manufactures,
they turned their thoughts to everything
that can be made. .-s-----
But they still think on the same old
lines about some things. They assume. for
example, that when We get into the mar
kets Of the world with our manufactured
products. the beneht goes to New England
and the North almost entirely. Nothing
could be more fallacious. This early Pc
riod Of Southern industrial development is
when. Of all times. new markets are to
be desired by that section most of all.
Before the Southern manufacturers get too
far on beaten tracks to be inflexible. while
they are still able to adapt their products
to the needs or caprices of foreign con-
snmers. 1t Is 10 their advantage to have
this country's commerce extend to every
part OF the world.
The Philippines have the potentiality Of
an enormous commerce. Under the SOW
ereignty of the American Republic. the
islands will become the home OF new mil
lions of industrious and prosperous people.
mostly of American birth and habits.
There has been no exaggeration as to
their resources-there can be none. The
Southern Sttaes have a keener interest in
our retention and development OF the ISL
ands than the North. There is more than
this. Our possession Of the archipelago
gives to us the right TO voice in the
political and commercial future of Asia
the scene of the future great events of the
world. Here will be markets compared
with which all others are small. The South
has a more direct interest in this than the
North. Yet under the influence of tradi-
tion, many Southern papers. probably rep
resenting the sentiment of the section,
favor the exchange OF the matchless Phil
ippines and all its possession carries with
Ii, for a wretched tradeless, futureless lit
tie island in the West Indies with a popu-
lation virtually all black and including the
intractable Maroons. 1t Is almost incred-
ible. On the one hand. a priceless treas
ure capable of consuming an immense
share of Southern products and opening
the door to an Asiatic demand beyond the
power of the South to meet In full. and
on the other an impoverished, worn out
island which will demand that we add
new tax on certain imports from other
countries to enable its starving people to
find in the States a sale for products which
must go begging under normal conditions
What folly!