The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-05-15

THE SOUTHERN EDUCATlONAL
MOVEMENT.

A gentleman from Rockingham coun-
~ in the citv last night, brings news
of one of the biggest propositions yet
hoard of He SAYS thai Mr.. B. T. Med
ane has interested a number OF Ger
man canitalists and is or has organized
q syndicate to erect in or near spray
q mill OF PIC. 900 spindles and l4,VOO
looms. Also that the same company
will build 4 wooden mill for the manu-
"a c+rra of Ike Four thousand
acres of land have been purchased al
ready. In the opinion of the gentleman
who brings the information there is no
doubt about the maturity OF the pro-
iect. If consumated it will be the Dig
yest mill in the entire country, north,
south. east, west or anywhere. Mr..
Mebane is we'll known in mill circles
and is a NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Record.
This is the kind of news that makes
glad the heart Of the southron, and
which brings worry and f~orebodings to
the mind of the New Englander. 1t is
to prevent just such enterprises at the
south that the advocates at the north
of anti-child labor laws and other re-
labor measures for the south
are bestirring themselves 10 such an
extent. Just TO hin of North Cardinals
having the largest cotton mill in the
ountry The promoters of this enter
prise are going to locate their plant
where, in their opinion, the best re-
suits can be secured. Did they think
greater profits could be realized in
Lowell or New Bedford or some other
New England town than in close prox-
unity to the cotton fields they would
locate their mill there. These capital
fists are not choosing a North Carolina
town for the location of their mill
through sentiment OF as an experiment,
but because they know from experience
or from observation that the south is
destined to be the cotton manutactur-
ing section of the country; that here is
where the most money is to be made in
this industry. This fact has been dem
onstrated beyond dispute.
There is one peculiar circumstance
connected with this sudden development
of the manufacturing industry of the
south and that is that cotemporaneous
with the realization of the fact that this
section had become a formidable rival
of the New England and other northern
states in the milling business, the mill
owners and their friends of the latter
section began TO display great interest
in the welfare of the mill operatives,
especially those of tender years, in the
south, and they also awaken to the idea
that we in this section We're not able
TO educate our children and that phil
anthropy demanded hat they should
come to our aid with their millions of
dollars. The southern youth and maid
ems are to be educated at the expense
of the people of New England who have
taken pity on our ignorance n our
poverty. Who impoverished us? Why
is our percentage of illiteracy greater
than that of the states whence comes
this sudden desire to lift US out of the
mire of ignorance? We ask no return
from these people for the greet wrong
done Us. That We are behind in the
March of education we admit. That We
are doing all a people Impoverished by
the results of the most devastating var
ever waged, no one can deny. a We
will in time place ourselves on an equal
plane with the more prosperous states
of the north. no one doubts. 1t will
take time and the expenditure of great
sums of money 10 do it. but when it is
done We wish to have the satisfaction
of knowing that what We have accom-
pIisned has been through our own ex-
ertions and by means OF self-sacrifces
and not through the benficences OF out
siders. If We educate our children at
the expenses of New E~nglanders we
must educate them according TO the
ideas and principles Of those from whose
hands we receive the means for giving
the education.
The new army rifle is said to be as