The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-04

NAV be surprised to learn, there were lever
poands of raw cotton manufactured IN lSio
than in ls6O-3ss, 1912 pounds, against
1872, ,7o4,s75 pounds. But 1t is due mainly 10
the Increased cost Of the raw cotton. IGe
average price Of raw cotton-uplands anu
New Orleans-for every month OF the year
1850, was 81 cents pound. gold, In New 1orki
the average price at the same place, made up
In the same way, for 1870, was l6t cents
pound, gold; so that the cost of the same
quantity and quality of cotton was IL per
oentum greater In 1870 than in 1850, and ths
increased cost of the cotton, oil course, reap
pears In the increased value Of the goods, and
is the principal element In the increase OIL the
value. Agricultural products, as cotton, tena
naturally to rise In value relatively TO manu-
faetured products; and manufactured pro-
ducts, 30 far forth as their value Is due to the
processes OF manufacture, which are constant
" Improving, and 80 cheapening, tend TO de-
cline both relatively to agricultural products,
which are less subject to such Improvements,
and absolutely as estimated In a fixed stand
ard like gold.
"3. The wages paid In the cotton manufac-
ture of the whole country were, in 1870, s3s,-
OA. 1872; aad the labor thus remunerated
wrought out cotton goods worth SIT, ,4s9,f3s;
80 that the element OF wages was for that
year Just twenty-five per centum OF the value
of the product. The wages paid In 1860 were
s2s. .s3s, ,2s8, and the vslue Of the product,
SILT, ,6sl, TIA; and consequently wages ior that
year in cottons were lrifle over twenty per
oentum of the value of the cottons. These
figures completely expose as fallscy what
has long been considered as the strongest
point of the protectiunsts In this country,
namely, that the higher wages here put our
manufacturers at disadvantage as compared
with foreign manufacturers, and makes pro-
tectlon' necessary. Let any difference in
the rate OF wages between this and foreign
countries that any one can reasonably claim
be freely granted, and what is the conse-
ouence This difference only applies to one
small element In the cost of manufacture, not
more .nan one-afth OF The whole, and o
difference In the rate Of wages even OF. twen-
ty five per centum would only be twenty-five
per centum of twenty per centum; that is to
say, five per centum of the whole.
~. This census OF cotton shows, In conclu-
sion, that not even this Industry is as prosper
GUS among us as 1t ought 10 be. 1t is, Indeed
more prosperous than the woolen industry,
which has to pay heavy protective duties on
its raw material, but both alike are burdened
with duties on machinery and with the duties
on iron and steel In every form. 1t is not
pleasant to be reminded In this official and In
disputable way that che number Of cotton
mills In the United States Is less than 1t was
even In 1850 by 1873; that the number OF
pounds of cotton worked up into fabrics was
rs, ,00O, 600 pounds less in 1870 than In 1860;
and that the larger part OF our cotton crop
still goes to England to be manufactured, and
Liverpool prices of cotton govern the market
in New York. There are two things that we
need In this country, and must have before
we can make any fair show in manufacturing
cotton or anything else; and these are, fret,
sound dollar to measure by; and second,
simple revenue system that taxes only for the
sake of the taxes"