The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-05-29

UlOn IS I46, 800 not half that OF n OrUn
Carolina. But again we find in Con
necticut an example Of a manufac-
turing State. She has within her
borders ,518 mortgaged homes,
over four times as many as we have
Joining Connecticut is the little State
of Rhode Island, which, taking into
consideration its size, is nowhere to
be eXcelled as a manufacturing State
1t has an area of 1850 square miles
just one and One-half times the
size of Wake county, and a pOpula-
tiOn of 345, ,5OO-abOut seven times
that of this county. It also contains
:, 5S3 mOrtgaged hOmes-nearly 1000
more than the whole State of North
Carolina If each family averages
eight persons, we find every sixth
home mOrtgaged. If each family in
North Carolina averages the same
number of persons, we find only
every thirtieth encumbered.
Nine per cent. of the American
population possess 1895 of all the
wealth. This is considering the
whole country, but in manufactur-
ing communities it is great deal
more in favor Of the classes. Ladies
and gentlemen, these are facts, and
do they not prove that the added
wealth from manufacturing comes
not to the masses but to the classes?
Although North CarOlinu has had
but little experience in manufacture
ing the above statement is strikingly
illustrated in an adjoining county.
Within the last 13 years in Durham
county, five country townships lost
1924, 900. Durham township gained
in the same time So, $50, 900. OF this
amount S4,95O, 900 went to five fac
tory owners of Durham. Ten or
fifteen others gained about $500, 900,
leaving a gain in 13 years of only
$43O, 600 for the remaing 5000 in
habitants, or an average of a frac-
tion over - perlyear.
Admitting that manufactu
brings wealth to a State, but with it
brings those perniciOus influences
which corrupt our politics, degrade
our morals and destroy our man
hood Just in proportion as the
farmers of North Carolina are forced
into factories, just to that extent are
the free and independent citizens of
our State made political slaves. They
fight the battle for their employer as
completely as the vassal did for his
feudal lord. These are the sins
which in the end bring forth the
death Of nations. Let us not poison
our body polite with the lust for
gain, nor fever it with excitement of
artificial life.
The conditions which exist in fac
tories and mills are not conductive
to the proper development of young
men and young women. Children
are required to rise before 6 o'clock
every morning and work until dark
Men and women who have to be sub
iected to such long hours of con
tinued toll from childhood amid
sweltering and sitting atmosphere Of
mill and factory (for Il poor exist
ence), cannot be expected to develop
the ambition and force Of character
necessary to inspire and elevate their
domestic and social relations. The
effect of these conditions upon wO-
men and girls is always more than
upon men and boys. The forcing of
girls into the factory tends to destroy
the very principles of character out
of which noble wOmanhOOd is made.
Just in proportion as woman IS trans
ferred from the home to the work
shop, is her inspiring and refining in
fiuences in the domestic circle de-
strOyed, thereby lowering the char
acter of the children, the family,
and ultimately that Of the whole
community.
With these facts before us, gentle
men of the committee, North Caro-
lima cannot afford to give up her
agriculture or devote her entire time
to manufacturing. Our successful
competition in the production of cot
ton, corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, not
only secures our independence, but
by the statistics of paupers and
mOrtgaged homes in such States as
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and
Connecticut, makes US, as a people,
rich compared to the leading manu-
featuring States. In addition to this