The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-01-24
Invest in Cotton Factories.
An Address, Deliver ed Before the
County Alliance

At It's Meeting Held Friday, Janu-
ary 18th, by J. ". Dreher, Esq,
and Published by Request of the
County Alliance.
Nature has greatly blessed this
beautiful sunny Southland of ours
and its adaptability to all the produc-
tions Of agriculture and horticulture
unrivaled by other lands makes US
peculiarly rural and agricultural
people.
Nature and natures god has been
so indulgent to US that We, like spoilt
children, did not have any perception
or care as to what would add to our
material prosperity or future well
being. Long since the people of the
North, living as they do in an un-
yielding ice clad country, turned their
attention to the arts and manufac-
turies. And after having Us in every
conceivable way to assist them in
making and increasing their wealth,
heve found out that We, in our slow
go-easy way, are taking on some ct
their energy and enterprise in estab-
fishing plants for the manufacture Of
various articles in merchandise right
here in the midst of theraw materials.
adding millions annually to taxable
values and the country's wealth
The far sighted, shrewd Ysnk 'es,
seeing that they cannot compete sue
cessfully with US 80 far away, are not
slow in getting on the move with
their capital, and coming down South
and taking possession of the land in
various places by building and man.
ufacturing.
Brothers, for many years the farm
ing interest has been injured, Of
pressed and crippled through a
money stringency and otherwise,
causing the agricultural population
to be greatly reduced by going into
other occupations. Then this coun-
try is supplying her own army, as
we'll as The armies Of other countries
with horses, mules and meat ami
mails. These causes have reduced
or lessened animals by the millions,
which will make an increasing de-
mand for them for time to come.
lam fully convinced in my own
mind that the time has come when
the demar d 70. all that the farmer
produce and raise will be above the
supply, and for long time to come
will give him paying market that
will reward or remunerate him for
his labor.
Oar South-our grand old South
is on an expanding and an enduring
boom that will bring gladness to our
hearts with prosperity-that is the
expansion we love-not that impe-
rial kind that comes through an alli-
ance with this government with Old
England, our enemy, to acquire the
country of heathens and bArbarians
with the blood and lives of thousands
of our brave soldiers and the expen-
diture Of many millions of money
for the purpose of killing out the
democratic principles Of our fathers,
while England is stealing through
! highway robbery, by force Of arms,
without legal or moral law, to pos
sess herself of the Transvaal coun-
try because it is rich in gold and dia-
mond mines. Somehow 1 don't
know whether it is right or not. [
feel like I would rejoice if the Beers
would bore them to death and out of
their country.
But, let US return more directly
along the line of the question. The
farmers have bright future before
them. The South has been gradually
improving and bettering her condi-
ton through diversified farming; and
with hands growing less year by
year by removing to turpentine,
wood and mill business, the farmers
are ezerting Themselves in supplying
this deficiency OF labor through i'm
proved machinery and learning tne
scientific and intensive system OF en-
riching their lands and making as
much and more on smaller
area, and making two blades of grass
grow where only one grew before
with the 80 millions of people OF this
country, and many others drawing
large supplies from this nation, it
seems conclusive that this demand
will always be above the supply, then
when we see the various enterprises,
and factory towns springing up ali
over the country, bringing markets
nearer, making trucking and all