The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-03-04

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people had lost by virtue of the wal
the ability to carry on the well-round-
ed diversified agriculture which ex-
listed prior to 1860. The capital was
lacking for reviving the industrial ac.
tivities which between 1850 and 1860
caused more rapid percentage OF
growth in every line Of manufacture
ing in the South than in the rest OF
the country. The amazing agricul-
tural and industrial progress Of the
decade ended with 1860 is indicated
in the fact that during that period the
increase in the wealth of the South
extended by more than one billion
dollars the aggregate increase of
wealth Of the New England and Mid
die States
The engineering and industrial
traits, which from Colonial days
down TO the time when the invention
Of the cotton gin fastened slavery
around the necks of the people Of the
South, were beginning to reassert
themselves between 1850 and 1860.
This Industrial and engineering trend
OF the people Of the South has again
during the last twenty-five years been
reasserting itself, and it is to the re-
birth OF this inherited trait of char
acter that the tremendous momentum
of this section is due.
The statement sometimes heard
that the great development Of the
last twenty-five years is mainly due
TO an infusion OF outside blood and
capital seriously msrepresents the
facts. No man who has that impress
sion can rightly forecast the progress
or the coming years because he is
viewing the situation from an erro-
neous standpoint.
Since 1855 the Central South has
sent beyond its borders by emigration
into other sections more than $780,
600 of its white people and more than
100000 into Texas and Oklahoma.
The comparatively few persons from
other sections who have come into the
South when given the fullest measure
of credit for what they have achieved,
cannot in the smallest degree offset
rhe tremendous loss of energy and
power Of the 100000 people that
went out Of the Central South by rea-
son OF the poverty OF opportunity cc.
lowing the war and the days OF recon-
struction.
Now the trend is back to the South
Men who have made a success in
other sections are hearing the come
home" call of their native land and
many Of them are returning Many
from other sections are beginning
their southwark march in order to
share in the amazing development
which they see is to come about in
this section. They want to be a part
and parcel OF it and to reap some Of
the harvest. Thus the whole condi-
ton has completely changed. And in
stead OF having to make heroic ef-
fort to keep its own people at home
and to draw men and money from
other sections, as was the case for
twenty-five or thirty years. the South
now finds abundant employment at
home for its own people. 1t finds tens
OF thousands from the North and West
annually moving southwark and it
finds that the capitalist is searching
out in every direction opportunities
for investment in the South. The pro-
moter seeking capital for a new enter
prise no longer has to argue with the
capitalist that the South is IL good
place in which TO invest money. All
that he has to do is To prove that his
own particular enterprise is IL good
one. The outside capitalist IS fully
impressed with the fact that this Is
the most richly endowed section OF
the world ana that II Is the coming
Eldorado of American venture"
Those who would study the future
Of the south with At view to ascor-
tanning something Of the rSpidity sl
its development should fully under
stand what the old South was doiu [.
ia material activities before 1860,
what IT lost by the war and the poN-
crt.' following it and what the Souti,
has achieved since then; and to these
facts should be added q knowledge ol
the uniquencss of the Solths re-
sources for the support Of dense
population. Not until they have done
this will they be able to form even
. elioh' conce"tio0 of Tho ".Niditv -