Fitzgerald enterprise., 1906-09-20
The South's Imperial Staple
From the Atlanta Georgian.


II is almost impossible to grasp the magni-
tude of the South's staple crop and to realize
fully the important part it plays IN the COM
merce and industry of the world
The imagination is partially assisted when
it is known that over $2,00O,000,00 is invested
in cotton mills in Europe and America, depend
ent for their raw material upon the South
It will probably come as surprise to many
of our readers to know that 10000, 900 people in
Great Britain alone live on the cotton industry
of that country.
In pointing out these facts in it's current is
sue The Manufacturers Record says:
'Irhe balance of trade in favor of the United
States depends upon cotton exports, which
now annually reach $400,00O,O0O, or more than
the worlds gold production. Of this royal
crop, imperial in magnitude and in domination
of the worlds financial and manufacturing In
terests, the South holds world monopoly. Its
ability to develop cotton manufacturing COM
mensurate with it's monopoly of cotton produc-
ton, are limited only by its labor supply.
Economic forces will of necessity bring
about great increase in population and thus
prepare the wav for vast expansion in manu-
featuring and in production as the price and de-
Il w FSA
ent of the cotton for the 49, O00 900 spndles it.
self. Think of the imitless possibilities for ex-
pansion in this industry alone when you are
studying the future of the South
MM
The Atlanta News is waging righteous
war on the senseless and dangerous custom
which is indu1ged in 10 some extent by very
few of our southern ladies of riding in a narrow
seated carriage beside their negro driver or
footman. In discussing the subject the News
INDUCES in the following vigorous language:
1T is a senseless custom for which we see
no reason watever.
1T may be stylish for our society women to
drive through the streets with big black or
yellow footman, or coachman, sitting by their
side, but in our opinion it is style as Infamous
and almost as dangerous as social equality ITSELF
I'm fact it is very little short Of social
eqaty, for there is not negro under the sun
who does not feel proud and elated over the
privilege accorded him of riding alongside Of
white woman.
They get in these narrow seated buggles
and take big black buck up by their side, and
it IS utterly impossible for the woman to keep
from touching the body of the negro.
Witness and The News believes that if the
women cannot be persuaded to voluntarily aban-
don the custom, there ought to be a law passed
making it severe penalty for any white woman
to ride alongside of negro in any private con-
veyance of this city.
We were very anxious to see Mr.. Jesse
Mercer elected railroad commissioner, and if the
holdovers on the board could be induced to re
sign and let our new governor have full hand
and a clean sweep something would be done in
Georgia. We do not believe Gov. Smith and a
new board of honest, upright commissioners
would do little injustice to the railroads. We
want to see equal justice done to both the rail-
roads and the people. The legislature grants
extraordinary powers to the roads and should
demand justice from them. We don't side en-
tire1y with Tom Watson, no. do we believe
with the Macon Telegraph in toto. We think
our new administration will pursue wise and
Just course and do justice to a11.-Poulan
Searchlight
Being engaged in arranging final details
relative to number of important enterprises
has thus far prevented Fitzgerald putting for
ward any formal claim for the location of the
branch agricultural college for this congress.
siona1 district. However, in the interest of the
general veal, the Enterprise would advise Gov.
Terrell against the Of overlooking this
city's unsurpassed inducements in fertility of
SOIL ideal topography, keenly enterprising
and progressive class of agriculturists and an
accessibility which is the delight of travelling