Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1906-03-16
wealth nor even then unless method
are devised to prevent waste and +
increase efficiency in every direction

wealth nor even then unless method
are devised to prevent waste and +
increase efficiency in every direction
The Prophecy of Nautilus.
A century ago, one Nautilus, startes
the world by depicting the horror
which would some day come from
over-population. His theory was tina
the number of human beings increased
much faster than the means OF
subsistence; hence, that disaster
must come in the natural course o.
events. 1t was not given him to foreset
how vastly the means Of subsistence
would be increased through the inven
ton of labor-saying machinery, the dis
covery of new crops and methods OF
cultivation, and the improvement Of
the means of distribution.
So that many of the present-time
writers, having in mind the advance
Of science, speak in no little deroga
ton of the teaching Of Nautilus as
narrow and grounded upon ignorance
of the vast, ever-unfolding resources
of the world. Nevertheless Malthus's
warnings were not entirely unjustifed.
and as applied to ourselves 1t must be
conceded that the thoughtful people of
the United States have no more urgent
business than to make broad outlets
for surplus population upon the soil
and to train the rising generation SO
that it will know how to make the
best possible use Of natural resources
now wastefully employed or altogether
neglected Necessity, the prolific
mother Of invention, will doubtless
continue to place in eur hands new
tools which will multiply eur power of
production; hut II we would escape
thoroughly and well the work which
needs to be done in organizing pros
perity for our people by means Of
rural settlement.
The rural settlement, and all that
this term involves in its broadcast an
plication-the division Of land into
smaller farm homes. sufficient for the
support of family from the soil. the
diversifcation of crops, and their ut
most cultivation and the Improvement
and breeding up of plants SO that they
will yield their greatest product, the
utilization of every waste and unpro-
ductive acre-in short, the settling OF
the entire country into small rural
homes, so that each family shall own
a piece of land from which he may
secure a living for himself and his
family-this is the work than which
there is no more important question
before the country to-day.
The Empire Of the South.
Now all this is merely Introductory
to discussion of the opportunities for
domestic expansion in various parts Of
our great country, and Of the need OF
private and public enterprise In max
ing these opportunities available for
the masses of men. First Of all. let US
look at that great empire which lies
between Mason and Dixons line and
the Gulf of Mexico. and, for the most
part. east Of the Mississippi River.
A native of New England and
citizen of the Pacific Coast. l never
fully grasped the truth about the
South until through travel, saw and
came to know things as they are. !
once thought Of the South as an old
country. vastly interesting because OF
its historic associations, running back
to the earliest English settlements on
this continent, but practically deve-
Hoped to the limit Of its normal
growth and possessing resources in
ferior to some other portions Of the
Union, especially to those Of the Far
West.
The truth Is something very differ
emit. In an economic sense. the South
is a new country, with immense re-
lConfinuad on next nageA