The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-20
THE soUTHs OPPORTUNITY.
And How the seaboard is Helping to
Take Advantage OF It,

Abner Mckinley. brother of President
William Mckinley, returned today from
Il trip South, taken for the purpose or
cooking into the industrial and economic
conditions i'll that section. Mr.. McKin-
ley was accompanied by Mrs. Mckln-
ley. his daughter Miss Mabel Mckinney
and Miss Jarvis, all of New York city.
and Mr.. w. II. Davis, one of New
York city's capitalists Mr.. Mckinney
seemed to have been not only deeply I'M
pressed, but even enthusiastic i'll his OBJ
seryations upon the Southern industrial
situation. He expressed great gratlilca-
ton at the cordial reception accorded
him by the business men of Southern
cities i'll which he stopped, including
Raleigh. \. c.. Columbia, ). c., At
lanta, Ga, and Charlotte, y. {.
i suppose ! might say that the first
Impression made upon me, sad Mr.. Nc
Kinley was the lack of what l might
call the economy of land in the South.
think in thi connection that what Is most
.hink in this connection that what is most
nesota and the Northwest already have,
namely, German and Irish and Scandina-
vian farmers. / mean small farmers,
and that is why l use the expression,
economy of land
Il do not wish to be quoted here in
any politicaI connection whatever, but it
is hard to speak of this phase of the sit
uation without speaking further of the
obstacles which have thus far prevented
and are now preventing perhaps these
small farmers from coming South.
Whenever there has been a movement
Of the white element towards that sec
ton the cry has come that in the field
Of labor they must be put side by side
with the negro. Ii these people We're
treated as they are in Ohio. l do not
believe that such question would arise.
In Ohio, for example, We choose, our POI
tica leaders from the mechanics i'll
he mandatory. and not, as in New
York, from gatherings at the Waldorf
or DelmoniCO's ut five dollars a plate.
These men should be taken into the
town meetings, made school and church
rustees, be reckoned with as IA citizen, and
should each one be thus treated, doing
ais own work. as he does in other States.
There would then result diversfication
Of agricultural products which would
soon change the conditions at work in
the North.
For example, there is no reason why
from all the section of the county be-
tween the Piedmont region and the sea.
from Portsmouth through Atlanta and
Columbia to Florida. there should not De
| sent up to the North vegetables OF ali
| descriptions Il month or more before we
| ret them in the North. This trucking
| eature has been looked after with profit
| II the sections of Tidewater and Eastern
| Shore Virginia, and there is no reason
| Why such conditions should not be put al
1
| IS waiting for this early produce anc
aager to consume it if the South will
| ,nly send it forward.
| but DO not misunderstood me, these
| oreigners. if brought to the South. must
! ZACH one be bread winner; and in or
Ter to be bread winner contentedly
'ach one must be treated as a citizen
in SOME such way as have outlined
,bove. and SO as not TO bring up the sug
sestion that he is in any manner brought
| II contact or competition with the negro.
| / recall now Il little town III Pennsyl-
| 7ania Of 5000 inhabitants where each
| nam tills his own ground. where each
| nan has a bank account and would you
! elieye it. in that little town, there are
F! wo national banks, only ten years old.
| 'ach with $4,000 capital. each with
urplus Of $4,000, paying a divi-
| lend of six per cent per annum with Il
| 'ombined deposit of over S1,000.00O
Il need not speak OF the possibilities
! # grape and other fruit culture, but | DO
| wish to lay emphasis upon the possibii-
| les of sheep-raising. In mountain
ounty, in Pennsylvania | could point
rou to places where under hard cond-
ions men have gone to work, picking
tones from the fields, which We're used
IS ballast for railroads in order that ther.
night be grazing land for the sheep,
which are now proving greatly remuner-
i've. You can make the application
Yourself
II observed with great interest the
development of cotton manufacturing in
he two Cardinals and | do not hesitate
0 predict that in the early future these
Mills will be doing something else besides
pinning cotton. They will be weaving
.otton cloths. There is no reason why
they should not be turning out lace
urtains and other fine fabrics. Under
he present trend of events whereby 1t
$ likely that thirteen to fourteen mil
ions of people will be added 10 this
ountry-people of tropical climates who
year almost exclusively the product of
he cotton factory--there will be de-
nand for this class of goods which can
lot be reasonably calculated at present
when | come to think of this interest
Coupled with other manufacturing inter
lists of the South. and of this country, i
eel almost safe in saying that we have
lot already even fairly entered upon
he great industrial boom ahead. In the
hip-yards of Norfolk and Newpor,
News there are now orders for eighteen
months ahead. In Camden there is I'M
Ter construction the largest shipyard in
he world. and the great Scott shipyards
,f the Pacific coast that turned out the
oregon, are now being enlarged as rapid
as possible to meet the enormous orders
II hand. In 1896 there We're one tholls-
nd vacant houses in Wilmington, Del, |
oday there are one thousand additional
houses being erected for the use Of the |
increased force Of workmen in 1896 |
here were forty,eight per cent of the
population of New York city unemployed !
-oday there are only four and one half |
'er cent OF the same population unem- |
)loyed
Il bring these evidences of general |
hrift back to the South in its various |
departments of industrial development. |