The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-09
Oklahoma's Record for Ten
Years Is Amazing.
Like Condition Prevails Gener-
ally in Southern Section.
FIND LITTLE FRICTION THERE
Number of Men Employed
Shows Good Increase.
Spirit of Unrest Does Not Pre-
vail There.

New York May Sin some parts or
the south there appears to be a better
understanding than exists in other
parts of the country of the fundamental
causes of the spirit of unrest which IL
being voiced chiefly in political agita-
tions, and to some extent in the de-
mands of organized labor. For in the
south there has been a sincere attempt
wisely to bring about a cordiality of
relations between that kind of democ-
racy which represents equality of OPP
portunity in all political relations and
that peculiar kind of aristocracy-to
use the word for want of a better
which is due to the great increase OF
wealth which. in turn, has been Occa-
stoned by the amazing development OF
inventive talent in the United States
and the conquest of some of the laws
of nature SO that they may subserve
material purposes.
There appears to be less unrest in
many parts of the south, relatively, at
least, than has been observed in other
sections of the United States, particu-
larIy the midwest and the remoter west
and some Of the manufacturing dis
tricts.
Mr.. Oscar Underwood, for instance
the leader of the Democratic majority
in the lower house of congress, is re-
ported by some of his friends in this
city to believe that the prevailing I'M
rest IS due to the friction which Is
caused by the attempt to adjust newly
created conditions which have result
ed from the application of electricity
and steam and marvelously constructed
labor-saving appliances to the condi-
ton of political equality. He believes
that the way will be found by which
this friction will be eliminated. When
it is, much of the unrest viii disappear.
That, too, is understood to be the view
of the governor of Texas, the governor
of South Carolina, and has peen pro
claimed as the view of the recent gov
States senator, Hoke Smith. This
opinion was freely expressed at the
recent meeting of the advocates OF the
reclamation of the swamp lands in the
Mississippi valley, which was held at
New Orleans.
But perhaps the best evidence of the
manner in which the south is endeavor-
ing to adjust new conditions with the
old and fundamental spirit of political
equality is contained in an exhaustive
study of the INDUSTRIAL growth of the
south within the past ten years prepar-
ed for the Manufacturers Record OF
Baltimore.
The South's Industrial Growth.
These ten years are also the years in
which this spirit of unrest spread over
the entire country. At the beginning Of
the decade there were in progress the
massive combinations of capital, ability
and skilled craftsmanship which were
sometimes called trusts, and are now
known as big business" In the year
1899 the entire south-including Okla
homa, whose industrial growth has
relatively surpassed that of any other
section of the Union within a like per-
iod of time-had invested one billion,
a hundred and ninety-six million dol
lars in manufacturing. In the same
year the entire United States had, in
the way of like investment, a little I'M
der billion dollars.
Ten years Iater-that is to say, in
1909, the latest year which has furnish