The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-10
A Word in Season.

the "unwarranted attack on capital and
corporations" alleged to have been made
| upon them in the South and appealed to
the people of the South for fair treat
ment for all who become interested in
the industrial development of this part
OF the country. Every intelligent man in
/, the South closely connected with busi-
ness interests, it says, knows that the
agitation there against corporations and
| railroads and capitalists has proved to be
a very serious hindrance to the work Of
southern upbuilding. He knows that
| capltal has been less ready to go South
than II would have been had there never
come to that section the curse that in
| South Carolina is known as "Tillman
ism and in Texas as ''Hoggism." These
'lsms' have represented the fight of the
| demagogic politician against the con-
servative upbuildng interests that have
| been striving to develop the employment
creating resources of the Southern States
| The New York Commercial has been
| impressed by the statement of the Record
| and expresses it's admiration in these
words: ut sometimes requires a good
| deal OF courage to send the truth home
| so bluntly But the Record Is in an ex-
ceptionally strong position when it es-
| says to fire this shot, etc, etc. AS a
matter of fact it did not require the least
| courage for the Record to fire this
shot" and while it may be true that
"Tillmanism' has operated against the
| Industrial development of this State, it
| is nevertheless true that the most active
period in the manufacturing and indusL
| trial development of South Carolina has
| been contemporaneous with the appear
| ance of Tillman as the controlling poiti-
| cal force in this State We have pros
pered in spite of Tillmanism, perhaps, but
| we have prospered amazngly-how much
| better we should have done had the con-
| ditions been otherwise is only question
| for idle speculation. There is no doubt
| that he has exercised a malign influence
| upon the public sentiment OF the State,
| and that, through his Incorporate ut
terances on the stump and platform, he
| has brought shame upon the common
| wealth which has done so much to honor
him. He has destroyed the liquor traffic
| OF the cities by building up a great State
| machine for the control of the whisky
| business and as far as possible through
| this machine the politics of the State he
| has inflicted great injury upon the phos-
phate mining industry of the State, and
| he has done many things for which he
should never be and will never be, for
| given but our commercial contempor-
aries judge men and movements by re-
| suits and they must admit that in spite
! of "Tillmanism" let us say, 1.-The en-
| ploymept- creating resources of South
| Carolina have been remarkably we'll de-
4 .I~o vrsIr
| man in this State. $40
Tillman was elected Governor of South
| Carolina in 1890 and since that time he
| has been the controlling force in this
State. s"Since 1S90i' says The Columbia
! State in its splendid industrial art edi-
| ton, South Carolina. has gotten richer
| by over $50, 900, 900 In other words the
property, on the tax books has advanced
| from $3.50, 602, 451 to $3.50 III 033; and the
| latter figure does not include S2,312, 100
the accumulated valuation of the Cheraw
| and Darlington railroad for ten years,
| during which time that road has not been
| on the tax books The development of
| railroad properties and the growth of
| railroads in this State has kept pace with
| the march of progress in other direc-
| tions.'' In the decade of 1899 1899 the in
crease In the railroad mileage of the
| State was CAT miles, and the work of de-
| veloping this employment creating re-
sources has not stopped-1S3 miles of new
froad having been built in 1900, and since
| the first of the present year the con-
| struction of 131 miles of new road has
been undertaken. Besideg the steam
railroad construction there has been
| nf oil ri
| building in the State, some millions of
outside capital having been invested in
| this work.
| During the last twenty years the de-
| velopment of our cotton manufacturing
| industry has been without parallel in the
history of this country. Twenty years
ago there were IS cotton mills in South
| Carolina, with $3.50 spindles; there are
| now 1876 mills. with 2,249, 7O9 spindles, and
! the largest development of this industry
! has taken place during the last ten
years. In the last two years AZ cotton
| mills have been chartered by the State
and 80 of the old mills have been en-
| larged. The capital invested in these
| mills aggregate $13 499, 900, and there is
q good deal of northern capital invested
in the mills Of this State. Ten years ago
Columbia had 100000 invested in one
| cotton mill today it has six mills, with
an aggregate capitalization of 81, 600
| Ten years ago Columbia had but a horse
car line, with only four miles of track;
| today it has lone of the best and most
| complete systems in the South" with
| 1871 miles of track and power available
| for the almost indefinite extension of the
| system. Next to Charleston, Columbia
has suffered more from "Tilmanism''
than any other town in the State, and
| yet there has been a steady development
of it's industrial life until it is now one
Of the most thriving towns in the coun-
/ try.
We do not know how much capital
would have come to the South if it had
not been for 'Tillmanism" in South
Carolina and "Hoggism'' in Texas, but
we do know that South Carolina and
Texas are the most prosperous States in
the South. The statement OF the New
York Commercial that the Baltimore
Manufacturers Record has been the
| firm friend and defender of the South
| from the very first hour Of its establish
| ment, is true in way; but our Balti-
more contemporary has been devoting so
| much of its talent lately to political