Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-27
Protection and the South.

| editor gives encouraging indication OF a
return to something like a sensible state
| of mind. In his first emanation he al
lowed the exuberance of his enthusl-
asm, to use the homely but express
i've parlance of the day, to "get
away with him." and rashly pronounced
all, who now differ, or who in the past
have differed, with him on this great and
and interesting subject - albeit that,
/ among them; are to be found
many of the master minds Of which
the world has boosted from the
dawn of civilization to the present
ay-ignOramuses and lunatics. In his
second article, however, as he devotes
considerably over a column to the sub
iect and makes at least an effort to reply
logically, though discursively, 10 an arti-
Gle of little more than half column in
| the News. he manifests a commendable
willingness to admit that the vast array
of political economists who oppose pro-
lection, and who have, in doing so, com
manded for themselves the admiration of
the world, are entitled to some consider
alton at his hands, even if they were in
favor of a doctrine which was ''the acct
dental offspring of ignorance and insani-
ty." Nor is this the only encouraging
sign of his gradual return to a more rea-
sonable frame of mind. In this sec
ond article, excepting in one or two
slight instances where his bubbling
''sarkasm" will in spite of himself,
get the better of his reason, he also mani
tests some dignity, thereby showing
somewhat more of confidence in himself.
and evidencing that he is beginning to
realize that he cannot successfully, in
controversy of this nature, adopt the
tactics of the cutie fish, which. when
in an embarrassing position, attempts
to make its escape by discolOring the
water by which it is surrounded. The
fish, by this means, frequently succeeds
in its purpose, but our enthusiastic pro-
tectionist OF the Macon press cannot
hope so readily to hide the weakness of
his position behind flippant personalities
and strained efforts at wit.
So much for the persOnslisms which
form so prominent part of our contem-
pOrary's reasOnings. Now let us see
how it maintains itself in argument. 1t
first discusses the doctrine of protection
in connection with its special applica-
ton to the South, and next in its appli-
cation to the country at large. We will
do likewise.
In the first place. it cites the fact that
manufacturing in the South has -four
ished under protection, AID then itmakes
the broad dOgmatic assertion that
remove protection, and there will not
be another mill built in Georgia in twenty
years" BY what nice process of calcu-
lation it arrives at this precise period of
time is not stated, but it is charitable, at
least, to concede that the assertion is not
made without some sort of foundation.
We take direct issue on both PROPOSE
tions.
That Southern manufactures have
fourished and are furnishing no one but
a genuine ignoramus and lunatic will
attempt to deny, but we maintain that
| they have hOurished, not because of, but
in spite of, protection. We agree with our
contemporary, that before the war, and
for some time after the conflict, our peo-
pie paid but little attention to manufac-
lures; that only after a lapse of sew
eral years did they gradually open their
eyes to the advantages of this section as
a manufacturing centre, and that even
after their eyes had been thus opened
they were unable to improve those adj
vantages because of a lack of capital.
At length, however, so great were the
inducements offered for profitable in
vestmenis in this direction. that capt.
/ tai began to come into the South, man
ufacturing received a fresh impetus,
| factory after factory was started, and
in nearly every case with results
more gratifying than the most sanguine
friend of the South had ever contem-
plated. All this we admit, but it is, to
say the least, extremely far-fetched to
claim that this was the effect of protec-
ton. 1t was due solely and entirely to
the great natural advantages possessed
by the South to which our contemporary
alludes. Protection had enabled New
England, though hundreds of miles re-
moved from the cotton producing Sec
ton of the country, to establish immense
cotton mills and accumulate vast wealth
from the great Southern staple. In
spite of this tremendous start thus
acquired by New England, however,
Southern advantages over that section
could not be overlooked, and at length
capital for investment IN manufacturing
enterprises began to seek the South
aud the indications are that it will hence
forth continue to pour into our territory
in steady stream. 1t was not protec-
ton, however, which brought and is
bringing it. 1t came and is coming
simply because it was obliged to come.
Under no circumstances could it have
been kept away, and no matter whether
the country had been afflicted with the
burden of protective tariff twice as
great as was the case, or whether it en-
ioyed the benefits of free commercial In
tercOurse with the markets of the world,
the result would have been the same.
We think that upon due reflection even
our contemporary will admit this plain
and undeniable fact.
1t is to this fact which naturally leads
US to believe and contend that, so far
from cotton manufacturing in the South
being destroyed by the abolition of pro
lection, it would grow so rapidly. that
in few years the South would control
a monopoly of the cotton manufacturing
of the whole country. We have seen |
that in spite of the tremendous start
which New England manufactures had
received through protection, the South
without capital or skilled labor has, in