The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-03-20
COLUMBIA.
Tuesday Morning, March 20, 1866
The Coming Issue.


Republican journal, often presents
sensible views on matters pertaining
either to commerce, politics or morals,
Notwithstanding these proclivities.
Recently that ''.S,tm" has been expend-
ing it's light and heat upon the
coming political issue, the only live
one ao,o being, as it states, the ques-
tiof, of Southern restoration. The
new issue it predicts will come before
long, and of its nature and character
it thus enightens it's readers:
cit will have reference to pecuniary
and business interests, and the d.
visionzwin be between the manufac-
turing districts of the Eastern States
one one side, and the producing CI !
tricts of the West and South o., u ,
other side. According to our pr >scAt
laws for the government of trade, the
interest of the producing and manu-
featuring districts are so directly ut
variance, that political issue upon
= that difference cannot long be avoid
ed. Many years ago, this conflict of
producers was used as political issue;
but in those times the country was
not groaning under q heavy debt,
taxes were comparatively light, du
ties on imports were lower, and the
subject finally became stale, and
ceased to furnish the necessary ex-
citement for q political issue. At the
present time, the case is different.
The public debt weighs heavily upon
the people, and naturally causes them
to examine closely every feature of
their load. 2
This examination discloses these
facts: Manufacturers are getting rich
with marvellous rapidity, and the cor
porate companies are all declaring
immense dividends. On the other
hand, the producers OF the West are
bitterly complaining of the high
prices that they are obliged to pay
for commodities, and the low price
that they get for farm products. For
& example, corn is worth only fifteen
consequently takes fifty bushels of
corn to buy a pair of coarse boots.
The cause of this difference in pros
perity between manufacturers and
producers is clearly apparent. The
high tariff upon imports shuts out the
competition OF foreign manufactures.
By this means the manufacturing in
terests in the Eastern States have a
monopoly; they can charge such
prices as they like, and while lucky
stockholders complacently count their
< fat dividends, consumers in the pro-
dueing regions are obliged to pay
enormous prices as consequence of
this monopoly. There is no discrimi-
nation of law in favor of home pro-
ducers. = In fact, there conld be none.
for the reason that our staple products
can be raised more cheaply in this
country than they could be imported
under any circumstances. Slavery,
secession and restoration nave in turn
furnished the pabulum of our politi-
cal parties, but there is no doubt that
q new issue upon the merits of free
trade protection Will soon occupy the
political field"
The Sum is O good prophet. After
the settlement Of the question of re-
storation, the issue will be between the
great farming interests of the West !
and the manufacturing interests of
the North and East; political con-
f1ict will take place, perhaps more
animated, heated and bitter than it's
predecessor in 1882, on the high
tariff system, when the South had to
contend against the whole North.
The people of the West nowbegin to
see that the whole protective tariff
system enriches only the manufac-
turer. It does SO, too, at the expense
of the great agricultural interests of
the West, granting to the latter no
equivalent in either exchange of pro-
ducts or in trade. With the pro-
ducers of the West, it is low prices
for grain, and high prices for manu-
factured commodities..sW With the man.
nfacturers of the East and North, it !
is guarantee for heavy dividends and
extension of IL monopoly now already
huge in its dimensions, threatening
to control, in all future time, Con-
gress and the country. The contest,
then, in this coming political issue,
will doubtless be q fierce one. It |