The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-08-05

a We all know that the Recon
struction and "~carpet-bag" govern
ments, which piled up the public debt
of nearly every one of Southern
States to many times the sum it
amounted to at the end of the war,
was a greater and more lasting evil
than the war itself. But when the
ballot was given to the negro, igno-
rant. superstitious, easily prejudiced,
and easily corrupted, the greatest, and
by far the most lasting evil came.
This was a crime inspired by motives
of revenge and selfish desire to per-
petuate the ascendency of the party
in power. and simply cannot be ex-
cused. For thirty-fve years the South
has been struggling with this evil and
~endeavoring to throw it of. Indeed,
the white peope have scarcely had time
to think Of anything else,and all their
energies. which might have been ex-
pended in the solution of economic
problems and in the furthering of in
dustrial progress, have been spent in
r~escuing government from this ig-
norant and corrupt element and in
maintaining it by the educated and
moral element. Thus incentive and
D to solve other problems was,
for nearly all these years, almost
wholly abandoned.
But now that our people have
changed things so that the negro is
no longer much to be feared pOliti-
callv. progress, industrial and eco
nomic. has been resumed. It has even
reached wonderful proportions dur
ing the last ten years, surprising in
many respects that of any other sec
ton of the country. This progress
is along the several lines of agri-
culture, manufacturing, mining, lum-
bering and oil-prodUction. The total
production of the Southern States
for the year 1900 was $2,765, OOO. 900;
and one-third Of the exports from the
United States that year were of
Southern production.
The Chief Statistician OF the United
States Census for 1900, Mr.. I. c..
Powers. writing for the Manufac-
turers' Record, says that the South
has not only held its own with the
rest of the country in increase of pop
ulation, but that S. per cent of the
total increase at the South was in the
rural districts as against 20 per cent
in rural districts at the North. He
says also that the relative increase
in farm values at the South was
greater than that for any other sec
ton of the country.
In manufacturing the South is rap
idly nearing the front. Our cotton
mills probably number between six
and seven hundred, and a half-hundred
more perhaps are under construction,
some of which will be the largest of
their kind in the world. Many of these
new mills are really old mills that have
been moved to the South from New
England.
The iron, coal. and other mining in
dustries of the South are hardly sec
ond to those of any other section Of
the country, and in numbering it cas-
lily leads all sections. The South pro
duces much of the pig-iron and coal
exported from the United States.
There are great steel works in Ala
bama, in Virginia and in Maryland.
Some of the best ship-building plants
in the country are at Newport News
and Richmond, Va, and at Baltimore,
Nd. Richmond also has great loco
motive works, and has an export trade
in locomotives with Europe.
This great industrial activity at the
South makes it easy for our young
men~of good education to find employ
ment at good salaries. They are not
slow to realize this either. as is shown
by the increased enrolment at our
colleges, The technical colleges, cs-
pcciaily, are largely attended. Two
years ago the presidents of these col
legcs gave out statements showing
that, aside from the thousands Of stu
dents in attendance who were able to
LIKE OTHER EVILS cramps and