Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-28
The Tariff and Tariff Commission.

Inc proceedings USiOIO IHO 4 dAAA OOAA-
mission in this city on Monday last, as re-
ported in our issue of Tuesday, places
the people of Georgia in rather peculiar
light. 1t seems that no one appeared
before the commission but advocates of
a protective tariff, and, having it all their
own way, they concluded that, although
in ante beIIum days Georgia was ''anti-
tariff, now that she had cotton factories
and rice, iron and coal interests, "a
great change has come over her people.
This is an admission which. if true,
indicates that her anti tariff proclivities
never were founded on principle
never were sincere-and therefore
that she has changed them as
soon as she thought it would
pay to do so. We do not doubt that
this is. the true foundation Of all advo-
cacy Of high protective tariff, and we
do not blame those engaged in the vsri-
Gus protected industries for making the
most of protection; but we do deny that
luAS - t4C pOsAlAOn VI
Every intelligent man in the country
knows that high tariffs to protect
manufacturers of cotton, iron,
coal, or other articles, is class legisla-
ton, and that such legislation is in di-
rect violation of the United States Con
stitution. Georgia was never in favor
of violating the Constitution, and her
people are as true to the maintenance of
its fundamental principles to-day as they
were in ante bellum days. They know
that class legislation was forbidden by
the trainers of the Constitution because
it was an evil, which, once admitted,
would usurp all the powers of the govern
ment, and enable the favored classes to
plumber at will all other classes of citi-
zens in the country, and that such
favoritism would lead to war and final
disruption of the linton.
The Tariff Commission is no doubt
performing its work to the entire salts
faction of the party that called it into
existence. 1t travels around the country,
when not spending the summer at Long
Branch, drawing ten dollars day and,
visiting the principal cities, gives audi
ence to a few protection advo-
Gates, and hurries away to report great
changes in the opinions of the people in
favor of the tariff The truth is, how
ever, it does not get at the opinions OF
the masses of the people. 1t sees and
hears a few business men of the cities,
and in rare cases, possibly, planter of
leisure from the country. But the ques
ton addressed to one of these Eusi-
ness men of a city, ''if in his judgment
there are any differences Of opinion
among the people," ELECTS nothing.
What 'sproteetiUe' business man does not
suppose his views to be the views Of the
great majority in the country; hts in
terest the interest of the civilized
world, and that injury to such interests
must result in irretrievable ruin? In
terested witnesses are rejected by the
courts because honesty and integrity,
even patriotism, are at a discount in the
presence of self interest. It is indeed
mournful blot upon the escutcheon Of
enlightened Christian patriots that self
interest should blur their sight, dull their
hearing and confuse their understanding
in the presence even Of invincible truth.
Protectionists are no exception to this
rule, however upright they may be in
the general acceptation of the term, and
however popular they may personally
be in their several communities. There
have been protectionists ever since the
| beginning of our mining and manufac-
turing industries, and there will be pro-
tectionists SO long as self-interest rules
the motives of men; but that does not
affect the justice of the grand principle
of equality Of rights among all classes
OF the people of the country, as incor-
porated in our benefcent Constitution,
engraftei upon the great Democratic par
ty of the nation, and rigldly adhered
to by the State of Georgia. If, as the
protectionists say, ga great change has
come over her people" because she
(Georgia) now has some little self interest
TO protect, her halls of justice should be
draped in mourning, and her patriotic
citizens should go weeping about the
streets, because the Empire State OF the
South, who formerly threw her sword
into the scale of equal rights, has been Sc
duced by the temptations of wealth to
the abandonment of principle and right.
We do not believe it. The commits
sion has not conferred with the people,
and the parties who have appeared be-
fore the commission in Georgia are in
no sense representatives of popular feel
ing The farmers and laborers of the
country cannot be protectionists when
enlightened upon the principles in
volved in protection, and campaign
upon the issue, so far as Georgia is con-
cerned, would, we are convinced, prove
this to the full satisfaction of the adj
ministration and its Tariff Commission.
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