St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-06-04
THE SOUTH.
Its EXegincy. Its Oppor-
tunity, It's Call.
AN OPEN LETTER
To the Leading Men OF
the South.

After a profound study OF what the
Southern Commercial Congress, is am
convinced that it is the movement of
the moment-the greatest single en-
deavor that has come out Of the South
in forty years without political in
tent and without selfish purpose;
working for all the South all the time.
So great is the value of this move
ment that | consider it an honor to be
associated with it and shall take active
part in its affairs.
The moment has come in Southern
history for constructive, positive at
titude towards commercial develop
ment. There is room for change of
heart among US. Some of us are proud,
like the Pharisees, that we are not as
other men. Some of US dread the
supposed contamination of labor.
Some of us think the South is we'll
enough as it is. Such spirit never
built anG never will build an enduring
civilization. 1t is we'll to honor our
ancestors, but we can do it best by
serving our own day, even as they
honored and served theirs. Thousands
have done heroic service in the past
generation, clearing away wreckage
and building anew, marvelously and
| with courage; but more than 2, 900, 600
of our strong sons moved away. Yet
even if all OF US had remained to dis
play quiet courage, that would not be
sufficient in the present exigency; for
we are too few.
The Southern eXigency is this:-in
six years, maybe five, the opportuni-
fcy. x1,orlS fhot in
the Panama Canal and its influence
| upon the transportation routes of the
world, will be ours to have and to
hold, if we are ready. We are not
ready. Some of our ports have in
sufficient docks to even meet present
day needs; the back country to main
tain these ports is much of it empty;
our rivers are practically unused; the
standing timber so heedlessly sold for
song is fast disappearing as per-
| manent inducement to bring ships to
our ports. There are few lines Of
| contact with Europe, starting from
Southern ports; and still fewer exist
to the nearest commercial outlet OF
all--South America.
The Southern opportunity is this:-
Coast line pre-eminence; nayigable
streams of nearly 10000 mile meas
urement, out of the $4,000 in the
whole United States; power in coal
and in streams, and streams and coal
closely related; splendid rainfalls and
growing seasons; forests; minerals
metallic and non-metallic-in bewild
ering variety and in abundant quantity.
This combination of commercial possl-
bilities in one region proves an ap-
preaching commercial Importance,
even if the Panama Canal were never
completed. A greater opportunity for
| commercial victory was never given
to any group of men. 1t is for US to
see it and to work for it; for victory
does not come from merely boasting
of greatness, past or present.
The Southern call is this: every
man at a task, and each man at his
task with better heart, because he
| realizes that his success is part of the
| growth of the South. Business men
of a community should be held to-
gether by common interest for a
| greater and better community. Farm
ers and city people, merchants and
| manufacturers, must each come to
realize that they are closely bound
| together by the prospects that belong
to the South. Towns should forget
| iealousies. States should vie with each
other in generous rivalry. The whole
region should work as one without
partisan feeling, because our nation
needs the commercial strength the
South can give it. The Southern
Commercial Congress is the meeting
place for for all such enlightened men
and organizations purely co-opera-
tive movement for the good of all.
Let the South show the world that
it's men are not alone to be united by
a common danger, as in the past; but
that they can be brought together
into more enduring strength by the
common opportunity of today.
DAVID R. FRANCIS,
First Vice-President
Southern Commercial Congress
Washington, D. C..
February, 1910.