The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-09
The Cottor, Tnx-

TAX on COTTON, IN the House OF Rep
resentatives, February %, 1867. Mr..
Blaine said:
[ move to amend the bill by in
serting after line sjxty-two the words
''that from and after the 1st day Of
September, 1867, no tax shall be le-
We'd or collected on cotton grown
within the United States
Mr.. Chairman, from the temper
which has already been manifested
by the House on this question, I do
not know whether there is the slight
est hope that this amendment will be
adopted; but [ believe, with the old
covenanters of Scotland, that It is
sometimes valuable to bear testimony
against q wrong which we are unable
to resist. l think the tax ON raw cot
ton IS altogether the most extraordi-
nary shat was ever laid by an intelli-
gent Government Six years ago,
when the val began, we had mono
poly of this article in the markets Of
the world. The course and events of
the war robbed us Of that monopoly
| The system Of labor on which tie
cotton culture rested was utterly de.
stroyed, destroyed as a necessity of
war. and for the permanent welfare
Of the nation, as we'll as to vindicatc
the right Of every man to personal
freedom. Nor was this all The war,
III It's ravages, consumed the horses,
the mules and the farming implc-
mcnts Of the South, laying waste the
plantations and using up the accumu-
lated wealth and the reserved capital
of the South, Owing to this state of
circumstances IN our own country,
we find that Brazil, Central America,
the West Indies, Egypt, Australia
and the East Indies were greatly
stimulated and encouraged to engage
in the cultivation OF cotton, and
hence, during the five years in which
the business was practically suspend
ed in the United States, every other
country in the world. where the eli
mate and soil arc suitable, engaged
in the effort with great zeal and en-
prise. And they have succeeded in a
remarkable degree, despite the asser-
tlons to the contrary, and are now
presenting Il formidable competition
with us III foreign markets.
We now desire to regain our as-
tendency, and the first step which
Congress Sakes is to impose heavy
tax OF fifteen dollars on each and
every bale of cotton before it can be
removed from the plantation or dis
trict III which it is raised. 1t seems
to me that absur,lity cannot go fur
ther; :hat if We had specially design
ed to lay a great obstacle in the way
OF our ever reyiving the cotton bust
ness in this country, we could not
have invented q more certain and
efficient mode than this tax proposed.
Many gentlemen seem to imagine
that the business of cotton growing is
enormously profitable, and can, there
fore, pay any amount OF tax. Now,
sir, 30 not hesitate to say that no
business OF equal magnitude in the
whole country was attended with
such unsatisfactory results as was
cotton growing in 1866. [ hold in
my hand some very valuable and re-
liable statistics on this subject, and I
wish | had time to read them to the
House; but some brief extracts must
suffice: In Alabama, on sixteen
plantations, the total cost OF the wear.
allowing q very moderate rental for
the land, was over S212 600, while
the total product was only $137, ,000
showing q net loss Of S105, 600.
Twenty four plantations in Arkansas,
Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia,
show total loss OF $l21,OO0. The
season was, admit, extraordinarily
! unpropitious, and the misfortune is,
that this fact operates to discourage
the cotton culture to such a degree
that we ought to make some special
effort to revive and stimulate it; and
we could do nothing SO effective in
this direction as to remove the tax.
[ have no doubt that if Congress were
to repeal this tax to-day, thousands
of acres would at once be planted in
cotton that will otherwise lie idle
throughout the present year.
We hear great deal of talk in this
hall, Mr. Chairman, about the re-
sumption of specie payment. Thco-
rizing on this subject may be enter
tanning, If not instructive; but prac-
tical men see that we shall not get on
to a specie basis until we export
something else than gold eagles and
tive-twcnty bonds to pay our balances
in Europe. Our hope of balance
of trade in our favor rests on the
increase of our exports, and the only
way we can effectively increase our