Palisadian., 1923-03-02
AN EDITORIAL JAuNT

business, knows very little OF WHdl S
going on in the South. Not so many
years ago there were scores OF things
that initiated against the section, so
that getting people and capital to go
there was next to impossible. They
simply would not go and could not be
induced to go. One of the big causes
of all this hesitant feeling was state
reputation some years after the war.
Nearly all of the Southern states re-
pudiated their debts, largely because
of the public scandals connected with
internal developments saddled on the
people by carpetbag state govern
ments. A case in point: State aid
was granted by Georgia in 1870 to the
extent of some $4,000 mile to the
old Macon and Brunswick Railroad,
a trunk line between these two cities.
The contractors got sort OF joker
put into the constracts under which
the road was constructed which al
lowed them to draw the $4,000 per
mile state aid when they had graded
each mile of road The joker was SO
worded that II a quarter ofs mile or
a hundred yards of road was finished
in sections" along that particular
mile, an order was given on the state
treasurer for the full $4,000 state
aid, and the contractor pocketed the
money. 1t soon became known that
these tricks had been played upon
the state, so after trying and retrying
to get the contractors to fulfil their
legal contracts. the road had to be
finished at an added large cost to the
state. When the carpetbaggers were
finally put out of power, the state aid
debt of Georgia was repudiated,
which met the nations disapproval,
been negotiated by the late Henry
Clews, who died only recently, and
the day they were offered in Frank
fort on the Main in Germany they
were sold in less than eight hours.
South Carolina, Alabama, Virginia,
Mississippi and Louisiana all repu-
dated these postwar debts, seeming
to follow suit as fast as the move
ment took good hold upon the pub
lie mind 1t hurt the South very
greatly, and rightly so. Capital was
extremely chary about going into a
state where there was no protection
for investments, and reputation is
always false basis on which to set
tie any debt North Carolina was the
only Southern state that did not re-
pudiate. That state scaled it's debt.
1t said to it's creditors: 1--WE have been
fiimfiammed; we cannot pay all, but
we are willing to pay all we can" In
this they were wise, because North
Carolina had not had the same thing
to contend with as other Southern
states, though she was handicapped
some, of course. Nevertheless, the
Tar Heel State appears today to have
not only completely recovered from
all those after the war influences, but
is going ahead with amazing rapidity
in material development From any
Southern Railway train one can today
see the thrift with which North Caro-
lima is going forward. In one bee
hive city alone, Castor, there are to-
day some sixty large cotton mills in
operation. They make a wonderful
show from the trains. They are not
stopping with what they have already
there, but are building more.
Sauth Carolina, also, and Georgia
are fast coming into greater promi-
nence through cotton manufacture.
There has always been great rivalry
between Georgia and North Carolina
in cotton mill building. South Caro-
lima is filled with cotton factories all
over, with ample water power in its
more northern sections. That state
is now making more cotton products
than 1t grows within the state, and
is now buying cotton from other
states for her factories. The other
day out in Texas | saw a company of
North Carolina capitalists travelling
over that state trying to locate two
$3,O00,000 cotton factories. Dallas
and Houston were trying hard to get
one of these mills.
So far as the South is concerned.
1t is one of the most inviting fields
in the world for investment. South
ern cities are rivalling the progress
OF the best cities anywhere in ad-
yancement. All are making progress
fast. When one sees the fast grow
ing cities of the Pacific Coast, it
looks like the limit is reached until
one sees those of the South, and there
the likelihood of running ahead of
any other section is really apparent.
Taking right this minute of today as
start, there is going to be some
sharp rivalry with the South that will
take the nation off its feet. This is
not idle praise, but simple state
ment of fact as it exists throughout
the South, smarter progress than all
of the Texas cities being unknown
anywhere. Away off down there,
fifty miles from the Gulf of Mexico,
Houston has dug itself ship channel
to the sea, and is boasting that in an
other ten years it will rival New Or
leans. OF course, Savannah; Ca.
Norfolk. Va, and Galveston, Tex, are
going to have something to say about
this. But nevertheless, Houston is
dead in earnest. saw ships 45O feet
long with 65-foot beam lying at the
docks of the Houston ship canal, and
the sight was impressive. Galveston
insists that she will continue to be
the port of entry for the Lone Star