Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-06-16
The Heart of the Southern People
May Well Glow with Pride
as They Read 1t.
A Parallel That Puts to Shame the Political
Defamers of Land That the Crucible of
War and the Intrigues of Hate Have
Relentlessly Sought to Impoyer-
ish, But in Vain.

l
| In 1860 the South raised one hum
dred and eighty-seven million pounds
| of rice, and all the rest of the coun-
try none.
In 1860 the South raised three hun
dred and two million pounds of sugar,
and the balance of the country none.
IN 1860 the South raised thirty
eighty million bushels Of sweet pota-
toes, and the rest of the country only
three million bushels.
In 1860 the South raised FIVE mil
lion one hundred and ninety-six thou
of the country none.
In 1860 the value of the farms of the
South was two billions and half and
of the balance of the country only
four billions and half
Thus we see that with only one
the white population of the country in
1860, we raised over forty per cent. of
the corn, over twenty per cent. of the
wheat, over forty per cent. of the
livestock, over twenty pre- cent. of the
| wool, over forty per cent. of the ami
mails slaughtered, all of the tobacco,
rice, sugar and cotton of the country.
In 1860 the South had nine thousand
eight hundred and ninety-seYen miles
of railroad, while the New England
and Middle states combined had three
hundred and eighty-seven miles less.
r. %o
and including 1860 had invested three
| hundred million dollars of her own
money in railroads.
The gentleman from Kansas was pc
culiarly unhappy in citing the South
to New England In spirit of go to
the ant, thou sluggard," when the
, facts are that in 1860 the state of
Georgia alone had more wealth than
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and
Rhode Island combined!
Thirty per cent. of the banking cap
| ital of the country was in the South
| with twenty per cent. Of the white
population, remember.
Mississippi was richer than Con-
| necticut by one hundred and sixty
million dollars.
The gentleman from Kansas was not
| aware, perhaps, that in 1860, eXclHd=
| ing the negro from the population
South Carolina stood first and Missis=
| sippi second in the per capita wealth
! of the country. Even including the
| negro in the population, South Caro-
lima stood third, Mississippi fourth
Massachusetts fifth, Louisiana sixth
and Georgia seventh. in per capita
wealth, while New York stood twenty
second and Pennsylvania thirtieth,
When the war came these Southern
people-onIy one-fifth of the white
people of the country-0Wned forty,
five per cent. OF the wealth of thu
country.
And then came four years of de
struction, during. which the South sus.
tanned a loss of two billion dollars il
money, while she lost the flower o
her manhood.
J, The census reports show that il
Il 1860 the real value of property in tn
Southern states was six billions and
) half, while in 1870 it had fallen to fou
billions and a half.
II The war which impoverished tn
r South enriched that '-frost-bitten Ne1
= England" to which the gentlema,
from Kansas points us.
( In 1850 the value of the property i
] New England was less than six bi
g lions. Ten years later it had scare
i to the stupendous sum Of fifteen bi
b lions While the South became fift
: per cent. porrer, as the result of thf
national tragedy, the New Englan
d | states became two hundred and fift
Il per cent. richer.
: The period of reconstruction we
g worse than war. And yet what is til
ireeord during that period?
IS From 1870 to 1880 New England al
= the Middle states combined only il
If creased their wealth from fifteen
ID seventeen billions, or thirteen p
ID cent.
1tl Within that decade, during half
which time reconstruction with
al paralysis of business prevailed, Il
n South increased theirs sixty-four pc
Id cent.
Iyl All this without any of the benef