The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-03-21

State Senator William Campbell of
| Charles Town did a bit of home mis-
sionary work which should be taken
up by every Southerner who has an
opportunity to talk to exiIes from his
part OF the country. He could not fail
10 mention the credit won by West
Virginians in the metropolis, but his
most important thought was of the
attachments of the South, had all of
its sons who have succeeded else
where given their energies anu abili-
ties TO upbuilding at home. and that
IN spite of the tremendous progress
made by the South.
Today the true value of property in
the South is greater than $40, 000, O00,-
OOO- That sum is nearly three times
that OF the wealth of the south in 1880.
The population of the South today is
about $4,000, 600, or 1900, 900 less than
the population of the whole country
in 1860, yet the South's wealth is S4,-
OOO,0O0,000 or $4,000 100000 greater
than the wealth of the whole country
in 1860. What would that wealth be,
had men of Southern birth remained
at home during the past 80 or 40 years.
Now and then attempts are made to
estimate the cost of the war to the
South. A reasonable approximation
as TO materialities may be had in con-
sidering the progress in wealth made
by the South in the 10 years before
the war, the progress that might have
been expected naturally in the next 10
years had war not interviewed, and the
actual condition in 1870. Between
1850 and 1860 there was an increase
in the true value of real and personal
property in the South from $2,s47 ,OOO,-
600 to Sc, 2S6, 900 900, or at the rate of
121 per cent. and in the rest of the
country from S4,289, 900, OO0 to $9,S73,-
600, 900, or at the rate of 100 per cent.
Had there been no war, and had the
rate OF increase not tended to be Gu
mulative, one might have expected
the true value of real and personal
property to increase by 1870 in the
rest Of the country to at least 1922,
100000, 900 and in the South to at
least S13,S92, GOO, 900. AS a matter OF
fact, the census of 1870 showed that
the increase in the rest of the coun-
try had been to S25, 667 eco, eco, while
in the South the true value of real
and personal property had decreased
by nearly $4,000, GOO, 900 to $4,401 ,000,-
600. The difference between that ST.
401 600, 600 and the 13,S92 100000 that
might have been expected had there
been no war, q difference of $780,
100000 in round numbers. is I'VE be-
lieve, fairly within the figures repre-
senting the Immediately material cost
of the war TO the South. That does
not include the inealcuIable loss of /
probably 250,000 Of the flower of |
Southern manhood killed or crippled |
for life and the loss through the bur-
den OF the pension system and other
extraordinary national expenses con-
Sequent upon the war.
But even the aggregate OF those
losses is hardly equal to the loss suS-
tanned by the South in the migration
from its borders between 1865 and
1900 Of at least $500. 900 Of it's native
born whites. They went to all quar-
tiers of the country, and it is only
necessary to scan casually great
in many lines of pro-
ductiVe enterprise to know how sue
cessfulIy they have seized opportuni-
ties given them or made by them in
distant parts and to realize what the
South would be today had they re-
NAMED at home. To be sure, In the
earlier period of this migration such
did not present them
selves in the South, not only exhaust
ed by four years of war. but stripped
of the material means of development.
But, as Mr.. Campbell emphasized, the
South has made most notable progress
in spite of the loss of its native-born.
1t is gratifying to know. as might have
been expected, that progress has been
marked not only by a checking of the
migration from the South, but by a
steadily increasing influx of capital in
brain, muscle and money into the
South. How could it be otherwise in
the face of the facts about the South
which the Manufacturers Record has
been publishing for more than a quar-
ter of a century, those facts sum
married by it few months ago in its
review Of Southern progress since
1880? Some Of the increases in that
period have been:
Population, from 16,369 $50 to 26.-
S34, 7O5. or by 10,464,745, equal to $50
per cent
True value of property, from ST.
sos GOO. 900 to S20,073, 6S6,216. or by
S12. SOS, $685. PIG. equal to 167 per cent.
Capital in manufactures, from $751;
,44,564 to $1,100.000,000, or by ST.
S42, 755, 436, equal to 1855 per cent.
Products OF manufactures, from
,457. 454.777 to $4,000, 10000 or by ST.
AZ. 545. 22S. equal to 1859 per cent.
Capital in cotton mills, from S21,-
400. 900 TO syst, 500, 600, or by S245, 800
700. equal to 1859 per cent.
Active spindIes in cotton mills.
rom 667,754 to 1O,443,761, or by 81
776,OO7, equal to 1864 per cent.
Active looms in cotton mills, from
L4.323 to 222, 53e, or by 20S.2I6, equal {
o 1853 per cent {
Cotton used, from 10S,694.Ss9 pounds {
O I.059, 519 1913 pounds, or by 95e.- I
sS5. O04 pounds, equal to $50 per cent. {
Capital in cotton-oiI mills, from S3,- I
100 600 to 100000 900. or by SIS, 2O0, '
700. equal to 226S per cent. +