The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-15
Prosperity is tho blessing o. tne
4 Old testament; adversely 10 the oless'
$inh ~ The New, Bacon.
TheSouth.

The South.
There was time when Southern
statesmen took the lend in most Of tllt
h great national movements Since TIC
war the South has been so busy reSulld'
Ing her waste places and preventing het
polltics from being dominated by car
petbaggers and their negro allies tha !
her statesmen have had little time ano
less inclination, to take a prominent part
Il IN national politics. But the time is
+ fast approaching when the South must
resume her interest and active part,cc'i lpla
& lion In the affairs Of the national gov
~ ernment. She is becoming SO rlch ana
Il powerful and such an important sectloh
If the Union that her influence must
assert itself and the nation must recos-
ME 1t and reckon With it,
At a recent meeting Of the Tennessee
Bankers Association, Mr.. F s,.e =
3 wade. president Of the Mercantile Trust
Company, of st. Louis, outlined the
4 growth and progress OF the States OF
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky
Louisiana, Mississippi. Tennessee ana
& Texas during the past twenty years. He
pointed out that in that time the cot
& ton crop had increased from 7,coo,ooo
bales, valued at $500 900, to $4,000. :
+ coo bales, valued at s62S,000,on.
The capital invested in manufacturing
enterprises in these seven States twenty
& Years ago was sl1! 900, 600; ! In 1900. twas
$572, Ooo, 900 The products Of the ia ctorie t
81 ia 1850 we're s222 900, 900; in j 800 $780,
10000. The Individual deposits of the
i banks in 500 were. in round numbers,
s22l 900 900; in 1906. s767,o0o,ooo IF you
simply add the Increased value Of pro-.
81 DUCTS Of manufacturing establishments
Of the Southern States, year by year,
since $780," says Mr.. Wade, you VIII
4 find that such increase in value Is con-
Y siderably more than one-half Of the en-
/ tire stock Of money in the world,
The value OF farm property In the
Il states named Increased s7OG, 600 In 1900
over 1890 while the valuation of such
4 property in 1890 was s1,S47,0oo00o more
than in 1880. Livestock products In the
{ South Increased 100000 from 1890 to
1909. The poultry which these States
now raise is worth more than s250oooV
annually, and the egg product sells for
more than 100000. The total value OF
all farm products for. the States named
is over ssoo,65o, 900 which exceeds that OF
any other section OF the United States,
except the North Central division, com
posed of the upper valley States from
the Ohio to Dakota.
This part of the Union. which is de-
nominated commonly MS the South. pos
scsses," remarks the Now Orleans Plea
yune, "ail the qualities and cndowments
that must make 1t one of the grandest
I countries on the globe. In the matter
of territorial extent natural waterways
sea front, natural resources of all sorts
the South possesses all tho requirements
for the creation Of one of the grr-tsst
nationalities upon the earth. II already
holds So.ooo.0oo OF population, and cnn
contain and support with ease and COM
fort ave times that number"
France hns population OF Ss,o00,oQo;
Germany 5GonD,ooo; Spain, 1s,o19.boo; Den
mark. 100000 Greece, 100000; italy.
20 00o, 900; Norway and sweden, 100000;
Mexico, IA, 900 900; all the South American
States, 100000 The South has made
these tremendous gains In spite OF the
fact that her territory was devastated
and conquered by the Northern armies,
and then followed the blight OF recon
8strucuon. Suppose the Southern Confed-
eracy has succeeded Is 1t not fair
assumption that the Republic of the
South would have been as rich and pros
porous az the Southern States are to-
day? Discussion Of that question cab
( do no good but It is well enough to let
the nation understand that the South. as
Il part OF the Union. is now in position to
demand from the Federal Government
the same rights. privileges, immunities
and consideration that other sections
enjoy.