Amador ledger., 1906-03-23

wealth nor even then unless methods
are devised to prevent waste and ia
increase efficiency in every direction.
The Prophecy of MaIthus.
A century ago, one Nautilus, started
tne world by depicting the horrors
which would some day come from
oVer-population. His theory was fbat
me number of human beings Increased
Mucn raster than the means of
subsistence; hence, that disaster
must come in the natural course "a
sVents. 1t was not given him to foreses
no" vastly the means of subsistence
wouIo De increased through the jnven.
tion OF labor-saving machinery. the fija.
covery OF new crops and methods a
cuItlVatlon, and the Improvement "A
tne means of distribution.
so that many of the presert.+i,,.
writers, having in mind the advance
VI science, speak in no little deroea,
tion OF the teaching Of MaIthus an
narrow and grounded upon ignoranca
VI tne vast, ever-unfolding Resources
OF the world. Nevertheless Ma1tbuSss
warnings were not entirely unjustiied-
and as applied to ourselves it must IA
conceded that the thoughtful neonla "a
the United States have no more nrgenT
business than to make broad outlets
Ior surplus population upon the coil
ana to train tho rising generation %
tnat 1t will know how to make the
Dest possible use of natural resources
now Wastefully employed or altogether
neglected. Necessity, the prolific
Motner or invention, will doubtless
continue to place in our hands new
tools which will multiply our power Of
production; but If we would escane
grave trials and hardships we must do
thoroughly and well the work which
needs TO be done in organizing pros.
perlty Tor our people by means Of
rural settlement.
The rural settlement. and all +bey
this term involves in its broadest an
division of land into
farm homes, sufficient for the
support Of family from the soil. the
dlversifcation Of crops, and their Mt.
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-
1uctive acre-in short, the settling az
he entire country into small rural
homes, so that each family shall own
! piece OF land from which he NAV
secure living for himself and his
.am1ly-this is the work than which
here is no more important question
before the country to-day.
The Empire of the South.
Now all this is merely Introductory
o discussion of the opportunities for
domestic expansion in various parts Of
,ur great country, and of the need Of
private and public enterprise in max.
ng these opportunities available for
he masses of men. First of all, let M
ook at that great empire which lieg
between Mason and Dixon's line and
he Gulf of Mexico. and, for the most
'art, east Of the Mississippi River.
A native of New England and O
,itizen of the Pacific Coast, ! never
ully grasped the truth about the
South until through travel, I saw and
'ame to know things as they are. !
,nce thought of the South as an old
country, vastly interesting because 06
is historic associations, running back
70 the earlies.. English settlements ON
his continent, but practically deve-
oped to the limit of its normal
growth and possessing resources in
'erior to -one other portions Of the
Onion, especially to those Of the Fan
West.
The truth is something very differ
snt. In an economic sense. the South
Is a new country, with immense re-