The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-23
THE NEGRO AND THE COTTON TAX

THE NEGRO AND THE COTTON TAX
1t is very certain that the prosperity OF every
part of this country is dependent on wise laws
we'll executed. If the South to-day is unable
to reconstruct her labor, re-establish her in
dustry and rebuild her former prosperity, 1t Is
because of the unwise agitation and unconstl-
utional legislation on the part of the North.
The South is depressed; capital refuses 10
come hither; the labor of the country is more
interested in following Psrson FRENCH, et ID
osuu, on,ae, at political meetings than in making
bread Through the whole country Union
Leagues are disorganizing labor or endeavor-
ing 80 to do. The Radical is striving to retain
mower. NOT only at the sacrifice of the Consti-
tuition, but also at the sacrifice of the entire
South Can he not see the results of his WORK
re-acting on his own section! Can he not see
that the North is not to-day in the healthy
condition that il would be if the South were
prosperous? Can he not see that every dollar
made at the South is of actual benefit to the
North? Does he not know that Northern ships
remove our produce, Northern capital nego-
tistes our bills of exchange, Northern manufac-
nrers sell TO us in exchange for our products
the domestic goods that we are obliged to wearf
Do not Northern aud Western farmers exchange
their corn and bacon and hay for our money?
Are not Northern coal and iron the necessities
of our daily life? Does he not know that unless
we produce we cannot buy? If he does know
these things, land one can scarcely imagine
that he can be blind to them, we may well ask
ourselves if the policy which he has inaugu-
rated, and which he is making Titanic efforts
to carry out, is not based on spirit of selfish
ness, which is determined either to rule or
ruin this land, 80 rich in capabilities, but
| whose capabilities, like those Of any other
country, may be destroyed by unwise and un-
just legislation?
| 1t is fixed fact in political economy that
any legislation which imposes burdens on the
productive capabilities cf country is unwise,
and certainly tends to diminish the wealth of a
country in diminishing its material resources
If restraints are placed on the industry, or on
any industry, of any portion Of country, the
wealth of the entire country is reduced.
Whether the South be reconstructed or not;
whether Radicals insist on calling these States
Military Districts or not whether our mem
bers of Congress are admitted to the Senate
and House of Representatives or not; whether
we of the South are obliged to bear the burden
of taxation o. not, without representation, 1t
cannot be denied that the North and South are
members Of common country. Their inter-
ests are joint and any legislation which affects
the prosperity of the South will react, as it is
to-day re-acting, on the prosperity of the
North
The Radicals are. appealing to the ne
gro to DESTROY the white man in the South.
They have organized Loyal Leagues through
out the South, and they delude the negro
by proclaiming 10 him that the war
was fought by Radicals, when the contrary
istrue. Few, very few, Radicals, gene
rails or privates, took any prominent part in
the war. The army was conservative, and
fought principally for q constitutional Union.
The Radicals, as rule, stayed at home, manu-
facured 'shoddy." got contracts, made money
and talked boldly. Now that the war is over,
that party is determined to claim tho results; and
in claiming the results, to perpetuate its power
at any and ut every cost, and if it is necessa-
ry to do this they will, if permitted, destroy
constitutional liberty on this continent With
regard to the reconstruction Acts and their
logical results, we shall to-day say nothing.
The northern elections must settle those ques-
lions. With regard to negro rule in the South,
we do not design to speak. The radical press
may disguise the fact as it will, it may attempt
to delude its readers by speaking about the
power of brain and of capital, but when regis
tration shows as il does in this State, that the
black vote is to tho white, as is two to one, 1t
follows as thing of course that if the Radical
does not mean to turn over this section into the
hands of the negro, he is both committing
a folly and giving the lie to his doctrine. Oh
maiorities We do, however, design to show
that the negro is merely TO be made tool,
stepping stone to power, thing to be used'
and to be crushed; used to control the white
vote in the South, and crushed by being made
to bear large part Ofthe taxation of the c0un-
try, and to tighten the burden of white Radicals
at the North,
The cotton crop of the present year, is e'ti-
mated at $500, coo bales. On this, the Radical
Congress has imposed tax of two and
a half cents pound, while it has not only re-
Trained from taxing the products of the soil al
the North and Northwest, but it has protected
manufactures in New England to such an e1-
tent as to shut us out from the cheaper markets
of the world, and to compel both white and
black men at the South, to pay to the manu-
facturers of New England, much more than
they would otherwise be compelled to pay LOT
their daily necessities Two cents and half
a pound on cotton, will produce ten dollars
bale, at an average of four hundred pounus
to the bale. If the crop reaches the estimated
quantity, tax of twenty five millions OF dollars
will be the effect of this, and who will be most
injured by this system of legislation, seems 10
10 he too clear to admit of much discussion.
large part of the labor of the South is done by
the negro, and very large part of the negro
labor is devoted to the cultivation OF cotton.
Now, it is a we'll known fact, that labor ID de-
pendent on capital, and that capital, IN order
to be induced to embark in any labor, must be
promised fair reward. If capital cannot make
money with labor at certain price, labor
must either starve or it must work at reduced
rates. The price of cotton has been steadily
declining, and with the markets of the world
open, and with the East in active competition
with the United States, the day is not far dis