The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-07
PATTERSON AND PROTECTION.
A New Application of Old Principles.
From the New York Evening Post.l

new AppllcatlOh Oh olu ETihcipies.
From the New York Evening Post]
Mr.. John ]. Patterson is the new United
States senator from South Carolina, elected
by the Republicans: and, possibly, to be
greeted by o motion for committee Of inves.
Iigation before he has warmed the seat Of his
senatorial armchair. The charge of his hav-
ing bought the Legislature OF his State is
made against him in the most unequivocal
terms, and an opportunity ought to be given
him TO dlsprove it If not true. That he de-
niles 1t was TO be expected, but simple denial
Is not sufficient, and ought not to satisfy
either the public or himself where the accu-
satlon Is 80 grave aud 30 clrcumstantial.
But Mr.. Patterson does not simply deny that
he resorted to any improper means to secure
his seat; he afirms what special influence he
did use, and by which he captivated the elegis-
lators of South Carolina. He is, It seems, q
native of Pennsylvania, and is proud to up
hold in The State of bic adoption the principles
which are supposed especially to distinguish
that of his birth. ae went, he says, before
the people of Sonth Carolina as candidate
for The United States Senate ION the broad
principles OF protection to home industry"
He presented mis- views also In legislative
convention of both parties, and 80 acceptable
were they that a number Of Democrats gave
him their votes In addition TO those of his own
party. The purchase of the Legislature was
South Carolina should be under the benefcent
rule OF protection as great and prosperous as
the State from which he came.
Mr.. Pattersons presentation OF the subject
was both simple and comprehensive. All
that South Carolina needs, he told his peo-
ple, Is that she should manufacture her own
raw material, instead of sending 1t 10 Europe
and returned In cloth. he seems TO have
assumed tnat 30 lar as South Carolina Is
concerned there is no protection against
foreign competition In manufactured cotton
goods and yet he, OF course, knows, whether
they know 1t or not In South Carolina, that,
there Is no possible texture of cotlon that
Is not covered by the tariff. The protection
then that the people need, and which Mr..
Patterson refers to, Is not against foreign COM
petition. for that they have already In COM
mon with the rest OF the country, but against
Northern competition. It is the goods from
Lowell, Lawrence, Newark, York Mills and
elsewhere that must be kept ont Of South
Carolina in order 10 encourage her people to
manufacture their raw material. She must
have State tariff, and as, of course, they
are not so mad as 10 hope for any such thing
must be understood by this time to be losing
business-they can only mean to ask for 1t Of
Congress. Mr.. Pdtterson's first duty, alter
dsposing of the committee OF investigation,
will be 10 Introduce bill for the protection of
home industry In South Carolina.
And why not! Why may he not reckon
with reason upon the support OF his fellow
members of the same faith in both houses
of Congress? If it was q good thing
TO foster the manufacturing Interest OF Mas
sachusetts and Rhode Island against the
of England and France, why is 1t
not an equally good thing TO protect South
Carolina against Massachusetts and Rhode
Island? Whv. indeed, Is it not better and
more reasonable thing to DO this last than IL
ever was to do the first? The raw material is
not the growth OF New England as 1t is OF the
South, aud therein the South has great ad-
gument or consideration that was ever
brought forward to uphold the wisdom or the
necessity of protective tariff for this conn.
try as in competition with any other that
may not be applied with ten-fold force
to the competition between the South and the
North. That the New England State and the
Southern State are in the same Federal Union,
and, therefore, there can be no recogn-
ton OF any antagonistic interest between
them. Is an objection of no force whateVeri
for if the antagonism really exists, and
O tariff can be made to protect the interest OF
one portion OF the people al the expense OF
the other, then the Union Is oppressive and
cruel. So let Mr.. Patterson bring In bis little
bill and push his protective friends to con-
olusIons. Give South Carolina the protection
she needs If that be the true policy. princi-
pie Is good for nothing that will not bear the
test the EXTREMIST application, and there
could not be fairer trial than the suggestion
of which Mr.. Patterson intimates secured him
his election.