The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-10-03
SEEING THINGS Al NIGHT. :


We have had occasion several times TO point
out the causes operating toward Southern pros
peritv. hot only As il has been - magni tlcenly
pointed hv the present census, bui Tor the fglufe
Ii is story that cannot I've too often rctold hat
the era Of manufacturing has 81 far been devc
.ped In the South that New England mills now
manufacture less cotton Than their competitors
in this section. Il cannot be loo strongly repeat.
ed thar the staple al cotton alone has reached the
billion mark that H. byProduets >el tof fheIr
HUNDREDS 81 millions; thai tobacco culture hnds
IL supreme development IN the hetds. and iaoac
co manufacture iii the factories Of Dixie thai
the South makes more III truck than II made III
cotton ten wears ago; that lis farmers are diver
styling. that KING corn * coming into new cln'
plre. Ii cannot he TOO much stressed that all tins
constantly accommodating capital Is tndlng home
1 Investment that from >aorehouse Tor one or Two
commoditie, The South is becoming distributing
center for the world thar she Is at the same time
marketing and conserving her timber, thai every
where. in railroad buiidng, III city building. in
soil exploiting The new has arrived when. still
under expansion the golden dividends coming
home.
SO much for the south. This fall the Nation
is experiencing harvpsls such a. were never be-
fore. The great bases Of prosperity, the tull
bins and the bursting barns, were never more
full were never selling at better price@. Every.
where is felt the thrill Of confidence and Of hope.
The assets thar count are piling up in the hands
Of people NOT afraid invest their capital
not chary Of trusting their land and the woFk
that they have to do in H.
Yet recently YVES published from a Richmond
man. in Richmond paper. cry Of industrial
and financial ill-omen. The writer Is bear
IN the market, lie sees the clouds with prophetic
rye He bcckons 10 take shelter from the storm.
In some way from cause. the very rosy
dawn has y iaundieed look ~ to the dvspeptie
all the world Is sick, TO him the era bright.
cst with hope Is shot through with the Fremont
tory pains OF impending disaster.
This northumberland lan4s-aboHt him. He
should remember the Richmond Of ten even OF
five years ago He should stroll through the
streets, block upon block 81 masonry that few
years ago eullic- and fields He should
ascertain the relative values Of these lands. He
should Investigate 1hoir earning capacities re
should remember tnat under the crops AZ
basis OF al prosperity and progress. lies the
land that cheap lands means cheap peopNs and
stce refsa that III Il country full of promise in a
section atremble with. industry. nothing better
than Richmons dir can point the prosperity.
not only Of Richmond, but ot fhG nilel States.
If afraid of the rawlings OF a politician here ana
another syonder; Il. appalled, by some 'fnnor
started in Wall Street. This pe,slnist desires
some place which he can invest hi~ holdings
in certainty 81 Increment, let him 20 % any one
Of the repre- sentative real estate men ot Rich
mond From the truth ii their own character,
with The assurance al their deserved reputation
( rs sound mea who have made ,ncccss UleB wtH
shom nam doe otd ,eAq. II then be he not
ashamed 10 be longer afraid, indeed docs nm
reasoning panic have him IN it, grip
II is 1rHe shat Wall STREE eNert- throughout
the country tremendous influence II i 1rile
that the shifting prices ot stocks which represent
stable values have thcif->eptiinnnlal- Effect on
men and industries that never saw Il stock room
or provision pit. The pom. Is that the in
nuences Of suel thing are sentimental and The
sentiment is that most craven fear which in the
dark, makes monsters of familiar objects The
ther saflti tiatita pou Is ttIa7 fear feeds on
itself. that il never affected the substantial that
it never touched the underlying aiucs.
With the eternal things ~ they are what a
bringing thing Il is 10 convert them into ghosts.
and with bulging eyes and quiverine ears stand
appalled, before that which has not reality. not
even suspicion behind il