The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-16
THE SHADOW OVER TBE SOUTH.
It's Marvellous Prosperity Threatened ny
the Hue and dry Against the Railroads.


To THR EDIroR or THH SUN--iSir: In dis
GUSHING the wild populistic agitation AGAINST
railroads which is sweeping over the south
the New Orleans Picayune very wisely says
II II shall turn out that. blind TO their own well
fare. careless Of their great economic interests
and deiudcd by politicians who are playing with
vast issues for their own political ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
some ofthe states Of the great new South are ctamp-
Ing their present and s,rangllng their future BY
legislation and attempts at Legislation which tena
TO ruin their lines OF communication WIN their
markets, they may awake 70 tho fact that there
is grave danger OF widespread Industrial disaster
as a consequence OF III advised railway legislation.
Prudence should be called into play In every case
70 prevent conditions that may bring serious mis-
fortunes TO the South.
Whatever may be tif conditions in other
parts Of the country, mere In certainly no
section of America which has 80 little excuse
for hostility TO railroads and corporations
generally as tho South. In the South. at
least. the rapid increase in wealth In not being
concentrated in a few hands. but on the con-
trary IL being shared in by everybody. In
every village ana every town. on every farm
and In every factory there are seen evidences
of increasing wealth. and IL 10 widely dis
tributed among all classes.
The farmers Of the South produced last
year more than 1900. 600. 900 worth OF crops
and stock. which ives s<5O. 00o. 900 more than
the total value OF the agricultural products Of
the United States. the South excluded. in'isso.
or manufactured products the total In theSouth
last vear was 4, 5Oo ono Ooo. which vas more
than Ave tines the value Of the south a msnu-
sacti,rad nrodncf. In Isso In ,soa the incveas.
In the assessed value OF property In the South
was 81 100. 600. 900. which was ssso. 900. 900 more
than the total gain In assessed value from
increase In a.ss.ssd vslus ms s7sO O0o ono
In IN. tue yaars zoos and iona the ssin ma.
mora thar a, eo ono oo0 The South h.. Ia
veIoned its industriaI Activities until II now
has s,so GOO oo invested In cotton miIls- or
more than the cotton mill csuatnI Of the entire
country in Iss0
sta ndipu tbe tremendous dsvelop-
ment Of iron and steeI in the pittsburr dir-
,r,ct ae an o,tcoma ~ the di.coy.rv ~ the
Mesabs ores the south. though ,ts iron and
s,seI hus;nsss 10 An ia ;nfsrcy n. vat nn.rinv
nj the rate of a zoo 600 tons N nig iron 4 YEAR
which Il but Iittie less than the United
states made in Isso and more than the
entire country excluding the south. made
nj that time 4, ,sso ths Tynited ststes nina
A, 400 noo TONS NJ bituminou. coal ~ vhIcb
the south mined q ono ono tons. Last wear
the southern states minea AZ mo ooo to,.
TYeptv-nye wears aro the oxpoyts through
southern norris amonntsd IN .ho,a s,so ooo oo
q vear uberaaa foreivn .hIrr.nt. throush
southern morris the Iast ascsi vssr we're
s7a4 Ooo 600
Indicative ma tbese statissica ara of IN.
broad general proVress m ths south. th.v
do moi begin 10 tell the whole story of ia
material advancement Moreover. this adj
yance,nept would have been even sraatrr hut
for the fact that the South IA .unerinr from A
great .carcity of labor and from the inability
of railroads TO handle the traffc offered to
them. So vast are the RESOURCES Of tbs south
40 maryellously blessed by nature IA n that
IL affords TO the railroad builder and the in
weston in industrial pursuits the most inviting
opportunities in the world. There is scarcely
a railroad In the South that does NOT ne,d
double tracking. and 5000 or 5000 miles
should be built every year for the next fiftecp
or twenty years TO meet the pressing pecessi-
ties for increased TRANSPORTATION facilities
under normal conditions of growth.
Despite these conditions. however. the wild
clamor OF the politician. seeking to ride into
power by arousing the mob spirit against
railroads and corporations. In seriouaIy
threatening a continuation Of this marvel
lous expansion. II ia worse than folly for the
people of the South to expect capital 10 seek
investment in the extension Of Southern rail-
road facilities In the face of hostile leeislation.
actual and threatened. None hut peopIe
blind to these conditions or without anv
knowledge in the world Of financial mstters
could imagine that capital would seek in
vestment or could be induced TO invest In
the proiection and building of nsv railroad
facilities i'm the South at present. IL IA prao-
ticaIly impossible for railroads now operating
there to secure any new money for Souhls
| tracking or the extension OF their f~aciIities
such railroad work az ia now being dome VA.
/ financed long before the present agitation
swept over the south. Though hnndrsds
of millions of dollars are urgently ne,dsd for
new railroad facilities In the south II nav he
stated that practically not q dollar of new
money will be available for such work uptu
the CAPITALISTS of the world ara oonytncsd
that the wave of pop,Iism IN .ner,
In th. msantims Ma.ion wh,.h .z-
nnaarIa., nro,.o.,nn - o.r,..S ,S-n-I""
~ nnp,.s =, 80. r.T,osS SoSomnt
u ." -" W.. .s.oau s.u iuuus't'ai
,Jts NO that ,hs Wsrr,msn ns.ns. ~.
nIanrins tor the h,tid,n. ~ sho,,s , 80 -.
- Wa,ioa Will. nsnv o,h.r ~n,s-rSvS..."
,,ndsr rav It 4. sst,mstad ,hst -" 49,
AGO noo noo ~ Amsrin.n csn,,.I n. 49, 10"
1900 IN Ns,ioo ana ~ Ia n,,,,. a....S. IN.
,y;,h The continnat,on ~ nrs.sn, ao.s,.sa.s
~. vas, ann Viii hs ,rsm.nSsus,v .Nns"n
~ ,hs Io.s oS,hs sor,h snd ntSsr 80.
osns r. ~. na.,h ~ !. c.~ToeI
n,shtn. n. rairosd wnrr s,,h .,os ~.
- in.,rs g,s.ntJc dsv.ionm.r, on..sa.s.
w Sbtha