Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-02-13
M'LAURlH ON SUBSIDY.

mlAUklh UN SUBSIDY.
Summary Of the Speech Delivered In the Sen
ate Last Thursday.
The News and Courier, Of Friday,
printed the following summary Of SEN
ator McLaurin's ship subsidy speech
telegraphed that paper by Richard H.
Edmonds, editor Of the Manufacturers
Record;
With the resolution in favor Of gov
eminent aid to American shipping,
unanimously passed by the Southern
Cotton Spinners' association at it's
Charlotte meetine last May, as his text
Senator McLaurin, Of South Carolina,
on Thursday, made one Of the most
this session. Senator McLaurin re-
viewed the wonderful advance in cot
ton manufacturing and the supreme
Importance to the South Of this new
industry. The South, he said, holds the
worlds monopoly Of cotton production.
Upon cotton rests the future Of this
section, and the continued develop
ment Of cotton manufacture is essential
to the prosperity of the farmers as we'll
as the general trade.
Increased manufacturing means a
home market for cotton, which in COM
petition with foreign buyers has dur
ing the last two years broken down
the control that the foreign spinners
had over prices and thus made the cot
ton producer more Independent Of for
e!gners than ever before. Every new
mil built in the South thus increases
this competition and benefits the cot
ton grower; every new mill means en-
ployment for hitherto idle hands and
an ever-increasing demand for diversi-
| fed agricultural products. The cotton
manufacturers OF the South, who met
at Charlotte last May, were the leaders
in that great industry.
They are making two blades Of grass
| grow where none grew before. From q
business having only $21. .OOO 600 capital
in 1880 thew have advanced 1t until now
over s15000O.0OO Is invested. Last year
Southern mills consumed over 1.500 900
bales. and within a wear or two South
ern consumption will exceed New Eng
| lands.
But this industry is only in its infan-
cy. Southern cotton. worth in it's
raw state an average Of only about
5000. 100000 year. though it will this
year bring over s4OO.00O.00O. is turned
into finished products in the worlds
mills which are worth before they
reach the consumer. over $4,000, 000. 900.
For the domination Of this vast indus
try. which has created much of the
wealth Of New England and Of Great
Britain. an industry great enough to
enrich an empire, the South is now
contending. The men who are leading
this industrial army Of the South are
among her foremost citizens. Many Of
them proved their devotion to the
South during the struggles Of 1861-1S65,
while others are Of the new generation,
but all are worthy Of the highest praise
as captains in the great industrial
army whose victories mean untold
progress and prosperity for the Souths
business needs. They are in touch
with the worlds markets and they
have a right to be heard in the halls Of
legislation. The resolutions which they
passed last May voiced the sentiment
then prevailing, and letters and tele-
grams from them to me tell me that
they are now even more determined
upon the need of government aid to
American shipping than ever before.
Needing this appeal Of the men who
are in the vanguard of the South's in
dustrial army, the men whose work Is
leading the South out Of poverty into
prosperity the men who are creating
employment and wealth for every class
and whose success means so much for
the upbuilding Of Southern agricul-
ture, I am compelled to feel that my
duty calls me to vote in favor Of this
shipping bill.
Senator McLaurin then reviewed the
general progress Of the United States
and the dominating power which 1t
must hold in the worlds trade. There
is not, he said, an important railroad
or iron bridge built anywhere upon the
face of the earth, but that America
sets the price therefor. This marvel
lous growth in our foreign trade has
awakened all Europe to Americas eco
nomic supremacy, and already manyof
the foremost economists of Europe are
proposing an industrial combination
against us. With this marvellous
progress of the past before us, with our
resources of industrial development
greater than all Europe combined, with
a population of nearly SO,OOO,OOO Of &C
tive, verile people, unvexed by the ar
bitrary laws of different countries as
in Europe, no man can dare forecast
the future of our country. But great
and grand as we are, we are depending
upon the ships of other countries for
handling 80 per cent. Of our foreign
trade. This is a danger to our country,
which should be remedied at any cost,
and no possible remedy presents itself
except by government aid.
The ante-bellum South was giving
great attention to this question Of the
government to direct steamship lines
from Southern ports to Europe, to the
building of the Nicaraguan canal, to-
railroad building and to kindred inter-
ests, and many conventions were held