The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1922-06-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
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Washington. - There could be no
more appropriate subject for agitation
in the South than that Of Need for
More Self Contained Industry, upon
which one Southern periodical is elab-
Grating" declared the Republican
Publicity Association. For years the
South has given most Of its attention
to production of cotton, to the neglect
of many other industries that offer
great opportunities. Gradually that
section has ben developing other lines
Of production and has gone quite ex-
tensiyely into manufacturing, but has
vet far to go before it will be as near
" self-contained as it should be. Each
community, each section each nation
should be as nearly self-sustainins
and self-reliant as practicable. Whe1
each has produced all the raw ma
terials and manufactured goods 1t can
produce. there will still be plenty to
be purchased from the outside,
"If the South will get away from
the old Democratic idea that II Is al
ways best to buy where you can buy
the cheapest,' and will learn to en-
courage II. own industries and the in
dustries of tn nation. there will be
more prosperity in the South and over
the entire United States. Sending
Sending money away TO buy goods
that can be produced at home is poor
business policy. Even If slightly
higher price is paid for the goods pro-
duced at hime the purchaser receives
an advantage from the fact that the
purchase price goes to pay the wages
of home people, thus further increas-
ing the demand for home commodities
I'm climate, In soil, nthe varied
character of its natural resources, no
other section fthe country is so
greatly blessed as the South. but II
has been cursed by political leader
ship that is unsound upon the funda-
mental principles OF economics. That
political leadership keeps ieself IN
power by appealing to prejudices that
ahve had no reason for existence for
the past forty years. There Is no need
to recount the events out of which that
prejudice arose. The South now real
yes and admits that severance of the
Union would have been catastrophe.
The North realizes and admits that
the gross evils incident to 'carpet-bag'
government in reconstruction days
were unnecessar and would never
have permitted under the wise and
sympathetic leadership of a Lincoln.
But the conflict between the sections
is a matter History - not a pres
ent problem. except so far as politi-
clans use II to divert attention from
issues directly affecting the Industrial
and commercial welfare Of the nation.
Southern statesmen, Washington,
Jefferson and Madison, were leaders
in the establishment fthe American
protective tariff system under which
American industry thrived. Southern
statesmen were also the originators
of tn eship subsidy plan under which
prior to 1850. American ocean steam
ships won place equal If not superior
to that of the steamships under the
British flag. A narrow and short
sighted Southern craftsmanship has
in recent years impaired the inuds-
tries of the nation in general and Of
the South in particular. AS a result Of
those cahnged policies among South
ern leaders, this nation has sometimes
been far from self-contained in its
productive industries and far from
self-reliant in its ocean transportation. ;