The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-24

pie. There is of course a reckless
criticism. Our people had been so
Ions restrained by the necessity of
staying united in order to face the
danger of negro control OF the State
that when they first gained their free
dom under the Constitutional Amend
ment they naturally felt called upon
to- exhi bit their freedom from re-
straint by frequent, and often undue
criticism. Newspapers which would
in the old days have unhesltaJingIy
sustained my administration at every
point, have criticised it with much Sc
verify and sometimes, as / think, with
much injustice. Speeches and pub
locations which heretofore would have
attracted universal approval or uni
VerSal condemnation, according to the
side that they were on, have met with
a divided support and a divided criti-
ciSm. Controversies have grown
large about small things. Personali-
ties have frequently taken the place
of the discussion of great problems.
All of these things have been done in
assertion of our newborn freedoms
Thev are ever the first fruits of lib
erty of speech. They mark the be-
ginnings of real liberty which will
hereafter be restrained by Judgment.
They show that the minds of our peo-
pie are active; that they are alert
even in fault finding. They can be
destructionistS, but this is the begin
ming of the constructive power as
well. If we pull down now, we shall
build hereafter. If we criticise with
out restraint now, we shall in the flu
ture learn that effective criticism
is that only which is based on
fact and then only to be INDUCED
in for the correction of evil and
for the purpose of turning men toward
better things. This bitterness and
this strife has not reached the great
body of the people They have gone
about their work undisturbed by fault
finding and the asperities OF discus
sion. They have found industry the
best outlet for their superabundance
of energy and they are bringing to
pass a wonderful day in this State.
Truly, as | predicted there has been
n great outburst of industry.
Astonishing Growth of Mills.
At the time of the taking of the
census i'm 1900 there were 1T cotton
mills in this State. Since then 80
more have been erected In 1900 these
mills had 1884 spindles. since
then 863.206 more have been put in.
In 1900 there were 25, 469 looms, since
then 21,001 looms have been added.
In 1900 there was invested in cotton
mills in this State $25,S40, 465.00;
since then $1S,260,000.00 have been
added to the investment. We have
added so per cent to our number of
mills; IS per cent to GU" number of
spindles; "a per cent. to our number
of looms; rs per cent to the capital
invested. The number of employees
in the cotton and wooden mills in
creased from 38.637 in 1900 to 50,324
in 1903 fine thing in this is that
the increase shows 1000 more men
than women.
For the three years Of 1897. 1898
and 1899, SO corporations were form
ed in the State. For the years 1901,
1902 and 1903. 1875 were added. For
the first three years the $40 corpora
lions were capitalized at $12,943,-
080.00. For the last three years the
1,276 corporations were capitalized at
These figures almost
pass belief but they are a simple
presentation of the real facts OF the
business revival in this State.
Other industries, notably the man
ufacture of furniture and other aru-
cles Of wood have fully kept pace, II
not outstript that of cotton manufac-
turing Agriculture has had Won
derful growth. Cotton has again be-