The semi-weekly messenger., 1902-08-08
WAR ON SOUTHERN COTTON MILLS

the front in the matter of cotton manu-
facture that the northern mill men see
their doom IN the no distant future Ca
less something can be done to check
the rapid progress of their young and
vigorous rivals. They recognize the
fact that those mills situated at the
doors of the cotton planters, with long
er hours of daylight; warmer climate
and cheaper labor and fuel will event
ually drive them out of the business
unless something can be done to check
their progress.
Already the southern mills are far
lahead of those OF New England in the
lexport of their products. 1t is wonder
full how the south in the few years 1t
has devoted TO the manufacture of cot
ton goods has come to the front in this
lexport trade. While it has made rapid
ladvance in the cotton milling business,
the growth of its foreign trade has been
IstiIl more remarkable. The total value
lof the products OF southern cotton fac
tories during tn year 1900 was $685.
lOO2, ,659, while tina. of the balance of the
country was SEA, ,197, ,661. AS these
Figures show, the south's mill product
Twas less than half that of the other
mills of the country. Now turn to the
lexport figures. During that year south
iern cotton mills exported goods to the
value of $14, 100000 while the value of,
the exports of ali other mills of the
country was only $9,6O0,00O. In the last
1.-TWO years the southern mills have
made still greater strides. While keep
ling up their foreign trade in the
Icoarser cotton goods they have entered
into the field Of manufacture of the
finer grade of GOODS which are required
for the home market and are in this
lbranch of the business becoming dan
lgerous competitors of the northern
markets.
The northern mil men Say this thing
must be stopped. If it is not, in a few
Years they will De completely thrown
Unto the shadow by the southern mills.
IThey have tried every way to check this
lgrowth of cotton manufacture at the
south and their last move is the most
ldevlish scheme ever devised. This is
Ito interest the sympathies of the
llaboring class b. hypocritical crusade
lagainst the alleged system of the south
ern mills, which they declare is worse
lthan the ante-bellum slavery. Their
lagents and tools came south and after
pretended inspection of our mills re-
turned to the north and raise the cry
lof child labor, low wages and factory
lslavery." They would have us believe
they are actuated entirely by humani-
ltarian impulses: that they are working
lentirely in the interest of the poor
ldown-trodden factory hand of the
lsouth'': whereas in fact and in truth
their sole object is to create discon
tent and restlessness among our fac
tory hands: to SOW seeds of dissension
and produce unfrIsndly feeling between
employer and einploye. They, while
processing great concern for the well
flare of the factory hands of our mills,
are bent on sowing discord. What
they want is TO Curtail the profits of
the southern mills, and they care not
whether this result is secured at the
expense of the mill operatives or not
Demands for hI2ner wages and shorter
hours, followed Jy closing OF the mills
for indefinite periods if not granted is
their chief weapon. They care not how
much the poor, deluded operatives SUI
fer from idlene5s and stoppage of pay,
so they can cripple the mills and check
the advance of this industry here. This
was plainly illustrated by the recent
strike at the King mill in Augusta,
where the operatives were induced to
strike and then left almost entirely to
their own resources.
Considering the cost of living here
and in the northern mill towns. and the
longer hours the mills can run per day,
the southern operatives were just as
we'll paid as those further north and
they were contented with their pay and
treatment until these emissaries of the
northern manufacturer under the dis
guise of friends came amongst them.
One great cry that has been raised
lis that of child labor in the mills of
the south. One would suppose from all
that is being said at the north that
tSOuInSTn IIlllI OWuSTS little GILL
dren to work lii the mills: that they
lwere gathered up from the surround
ling country anG compelled to labor in
these factories. That there is too much
lchild labor in the factories of the south
and Of our own state. we admit. There
should be laws regulating II, and we
are fully convinced that the next iegis-
lature of our state will enact laws re-
lgarding this matter. But the evils OF
child labor in our factories are no worse
than they were al one time in the New
England mills, before the legislature
OF those states were forced by the con-
lditions existing TO take cognizance OF
the matter and regulate it. It must be
remembered that manufacturing is in
its infancy at the south and we must
lproceed slowly and carefully in regu-