The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1904-08-18


national flag. seeks for political pur-
poses to break down our social ties.
break down our election laws and force
the negro over and above the white man
OF the South. 1t may succeed In reduc-
ing our representation, but IL can never
force social equality between the races
let come what may, for,
For, lol around our Southland we draw
the magic circle OF Holy Church;
Set but a foot within that Holy ground
and we launch the curse OF Rome"
-...r internal improvements.
We Of the South, especially of South
Carolina, have succeeded In the face of
national misrule and opposition. The
Rpublican party has turned millions OF
dollars to the West to irrigate tho great
fields of the West bat not a dollar has 1t
turned to drain the lowlands OF the
South. The Republican party has car
ried millions OF dollars to Northern har-
bors for their improvement, but spent
scarcely anything to build up the coast
defences OF the South. Vast treasures
are expended annually to develop the
rivers OF the North and the East and the
West but the proportions for our section
or this Republic have been exceedingly
small II 1t is constitutional and not
ps ternal to irrigate the Western arid
plainA can see no reason why the low
lands Of the South should not be drained
and brought into utility as well.
South Cardinals Position.
Still we are proud OF South Carolina.
We are proud OF the history that we
have made. We were first In the war
for independence; first in the war of
1872; first in the Mexican war; and first
to declare Nur rights in the great Civil
Conflict OF 1861 Just as we were great
in military history. so have we been in
every department. South Carolina was
the first to erect a cotton mill, and il
was a citizen Of hers who first invented
the cotton gin. though the fruits OF that
invention went to Eli Whitney of Mas
sacnusetts. Those elemnets which made
valiant the sons OF the South and made
Lee and Jackson great generals have
been handed down to their sons and
they. following In the footsteps of their
fathers, have made such progress On
material lines challenges tiae-e-Ssesr--
alton OF the whole world. Look at our
condition when the soldiers returned
from Appomattox. South Carolina stood
as the second State in this Union I'm
point OF wealth and intelligence at the
opening OF the war. When the war
closed her wealth had been conascated.
her homes destroyed. her plantations
ruined. negroes freed and direct taxes
laid on her greatest product and In
every way she was crushed to the earth.
But step by step she has orercomt all of
these conditions. Destroyed homes
have been rebuilt. farms reorganized.
improved and re-equipped. We began
life anew and today we are one of the
great cotton producing states arc first
In phosphate manufacturing second in
cotton manufacturing. fifth In gold pro-
duction, and soon will be nrst in the
manufacture and production OF alumni
mum. All this has been accomplished
with limited resources and with much
toh and struggle.
What we now want Is TO build up the
South and make her greater than she
has ever been Within our state is be-
ing spent for public. private and danorn-
fnal education a sum exceeding two and
one-fourth millions (s2 25O .OOO) OF dollars,
and yet IT is inadequate. We have a tex
tile agricultural and mechanical school.
built on broad lines. This institu-
tion IS great one and is doing a great
work, but It does not reach the masses
OA our C4llZeIlS w nat We need Is q syS-
tenn OF special training whereby there
may be taught in the public schools OF
our country the principles OF agriculture
mechanics and textile knowledge, so that
when the child has finished its sduca-
tion in the common schools IT can step
forth. trained and well equipped for his
pursuit. By this means we can build
up both the agricultural and mauufac-
turing interests OF our state. II thu
farmer is enabled to make two bales or
cotton grow where only one Is now pro-
duced. his profits are doubled and IL
the operative working in the mill is en-
ahled to earn double the wages which ne
now receives, he is vastly benefited. and
II the cotton mills can produce more
sheaply ara largely. their prohes VIII be
increased. So that there is common
ground on which the farmer the oper-
ative and the mill owner stand The
farmer desires the highest price for the
raw material, the operative the highest
price for his labor and tra mill rxvpar