The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-01-11

So9ts <ApAA4i D iltWlNl
an authority on steel and iron, nas de
clared that Nowhere else In tho worit
| can the production OF basic steel be es
tablished on a large scale so economically
as in the SOUTH
The coal fields of the south cover 50 uOI
square miles Seven times as larxe Il.
those OF Great Britain. More than thosg
OF Russia, Great Britain. France. Ger
many and Belgium combined
The standing timber OF the South 4.
about equal in value TO that OF the bal
ence OF the Union.
Where then can the manufacturer turn
to seek conditions more propitlous. The
taree great raw mater.a for manui1c-
ture; cotton iron and lumber, are al
hand. 4 limltless supply CT water and
coal are alongside them. and labor IS
reasonable and contented.
I win not describe the granite. the
marble. the phosphate and other Lirsred
resources In the South, The abound ard
are rapidly contributing to Southern com
merce.
The Eastern States are already rich Ia
Overlooking. The Middle States. with
their great metropolis. need no outside
aid, but arc ready for outside invest
ment. These two sections have enor-
monsly ontgrown the South They nave
made this growth without superior nat
ural advantages They have made Il
without neighoors nnd sisters already
strong and seeking new enterprises. In
the day Of their weakness they were COM
PEELED TO rely in aid OF their development
upon commercial strength frc.m across the
Atlantic. The South, with its fields for
investment, furnishes to the EasteRa and
Middle States opportunities more Inviting
than they offered years ago TO old Eng
land. The South is today practically on.
OF debt, With resources CT her own for
her own development. But AZ will as
suredly receive an immense stimuli
from the brains and force of strong men
OF sister States. They will go to enrich
themselves while they help to develop
Southern commerce.
The inquiry Is natural II these re-
sources exist; If these opportunities are
present. why is ii that already the South
does not occupy she commercial position
which l attribute to its future? Such a
question Is pertinent, and the answer
Is necessary to correctly deal with the
subject which you assigned to me. II all
this agricultural wealth; II all ths MIN
eral wealth; II all this opportunity Tor
manufacturing enterprises have existeu.
why have they to such an extent re-
manned dormantf
The explanation is easily given. When
stated 1t becomes obvious. The undeveI-
oped condition Of the South is due to
three causes. but they no longer exist to
hinder growth. The causes were; a.
Slavery. (2) The civil war. (3) The leg
islation following the war known as re-
construction legislation.
Let me bring to your attention as
briefly as possible sketch of Southern
history. At the beginning Of the last
Ger fury in every line of enterprise, agri-
culture, mining and manufacturing, the
South was the entire equal of the Month
ern States. have myself been surprised
on investigation, to find the attention
which at that time was given TO manu-
featuring and mining. Even in the
Southern colonies iron making was an
Important industry. Mr.. James NJ. Swank,
in his History of Iron in All Ages" re-
ferring 20 iron making in the Southern
colonies. sail:
The people VINO built these furnaces
and blocmeres were not only bold and
enterprisng, but they appear to have
been born with genius for making
hon. Wherever they went they seemed
TO have searched for iron ore, and, hav-
Ing found 1t, their small charcoal fur
nAces and 'bloomeries soon followed No
States in the Union have shown in their
early history more intelligent appregia
tion OF the value OF the iron Industry
than North Carolina and Tennessee. and
none nave been more prompt ito establish
Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro-
INA and Georgia operated FORCES ard
past furnaces even during the revolu-
Honary period, and in them the guns
were made Tor the use of the soldiers of
the colonies. The tariff in 1916 on cot
Ton goods was Increased largely at the
instance Of Southern senators and CON
eressmen upon the ground that it would
promote The consumption OF lint cotton
made by small manufactures already
located in the South, and the Northern
States opposed these advances because
Ct their large shipping interests and the
desire therefore, for free trade.
The Introduction and growth Of the
institution of slavery checked the de-
velopment of diversified Industries. The
resources which | Nave described existed
and still exist, but for tae first ATTY
years of the last century wealth. was ac-
cumulated so easily in the South through
the negro IN the cotton fields that no
stimulant was present TO inspire enter
prise and experiment in the variety Of
lines open to the section.
Experience has taught that the high
est progress can only be made where the
individual strength of every citizen Is
developed TO its greatest capacity. The
producers of vealLh are the masses OF
VIC ptoylc Nputl ny WISE
direction. Any system which takes from
the labcring people hope and aspirs-
ton, lessons proportionately the produc-
tive power Of the section where they
dwell
The institution OF slavery divided the
South into three classes The wealthy
slave owner, cultivated and generous,
but with an income ample for his wants.
devoted rather TO the namental tnan
the practical the poor whites. compet-
ing with slave labor. and with few OPP
portunities to improve their condition;
the slaves themselves. compelled to give
TO work every hour suited to labor, with
no inducement TO devise means for In
creaslng results from their energies.
Had 1t not been for the institution OF
slavery, checking the energies of resi-
dents and preventing white emigration.
the South. with natural resources In its
favor, would in 1850 have been unsur-
passed by any section in the Union.
either as = great manufacturing and
mining section, or as an agricultural sec
ton
At the period Of about 1850 most de-
termned purpose was shown TO check
the unfavosable conditions which slavery
and a single agricultural crop were bring
ing upon the South. \ most earnest ef-
fort was made to increase manufactur-
ing ana to diversity agriculture and It
is surprising TO see what was accom-
plished in spite Of the drawback Of sla-
very during the ten years from 1850 to
Dee. fcen tho nf tho cou.b