Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-17
The Tariff OuestiOn-Future Outlook.

Editor Morning Ne1s: 1t is an old
sphorism-"That as the times change
we must change with them" or as the
old Romans would say-Tempori paren-
dum-"One must yield to the times. "
The tariff question has ever figured in
the platforms of all parties and ever will,
for it is a question of labor and its pro-
lection. The following from Senator
voorhees,, of Indiana, is significant, and
there is, in my opinion, reason and logic
for his assertions:
sit was the opinion of Senator VOORHEES, thai
the coming few years might exhibit the singu
lar political anomaly OF the New England
manufacturers advocating free trade, because
they have reached a point where their
capital and the skill Of their operat YES enable
them better TO do without protection than 10
risk successful cOmpetl ion with southern
mills and Southern planters warmly support
ing protection for the reason that by 1t their
section would reap double proht-the profit
of the mills themselves and the profit from an
immediate market for their products.
General Hancock was beaten upon the
tariff question out West. The West is
now becoming a formidable competitor
as against New England, and in few
more years New England will find no
market West of New York and Pennsyl
vania for It's manufactured productions.
In fact, the Western States are siablish
ing branch houses in the + st. New
York and Philadelphia, for the sale of
their manufactured products, and in
some instances underselliDg their rivals
of the East.
Hence. New England does not look to
the West for a market. The South is
her reliance and consumer, and her OBJ
iect will be to keep down the growing
competition now threatening her in the
South. She sees 100 clearly that the
South will not need or ask high pro-
tective tariff, and any tariff that will
benefit the Northern manufacturer will
doubly benefit the South. New England
f0ndly hopes to dicourage the South
in manufacturing She would be de-
lighted to see again large plantations
and fewer cotton mills, for we are put
ting up every year new manufacturing
establishments of all kinds, which sim
ply means a competition Of interests as
against New England.
The South is aware of her great re-
sources and advantages as cotton manu-
facturer. Her people know full well the
advantages offered in the production of
the raw material, and the great advan-
tages for manufacturing, and the equally
great advantages as exporters. Free
labor means competition of interests as
against New England; slave labor meant
reciprocal interests between the producer
and manufacturer.
New England and the West may well
fear Southern competition, for we have
every advantage that soil, climate and
productions can give. We now have no
favors to ask, nor fear any kind
of competition. All that the
people of the South have to
do is to put their money in manufactur-
ing. Should New England want free
trade it would not hurt us. Should the
West demand a tariff for protection it
will not hurt US. We can grow as rich
as any section if we but study the first
principles of political and domestic
economy.
We will see the anomaly in a few years
of the North and East asking for free
trade or tariff for revenue only, and
the West asking for a protective tariff.
The South need not look any longer to
the West as her ally in an agricultural
point of view. The West has outgrown
that idea, and has gone into manufactur
ing on a large and competitive scale
against all sections. The South must
look out for herself, and bring her great
advantages to bear in her favor, asking
only free field and fair fight against
all competitors.
New England will endeavor to cajOle
the South, not develop her, and at the
same time curse the politicians that have
made her their competitor. The West
will, with its resources, throw itself on
the market and endeavOr to win success
by selling as cheap as possible and may
ask protective tariff until it, like New
England, can, by its skill and capital, be
independent of protection.
The South should be fully awake to
her interests, and she can stand without
rival, with a broad policy and proper
encouragement to manufacturers to bring
their capital and skill to our cotton fields,
etc. r. NJ. o.