Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-04-20
ID. Wyatt Aiken ou Free
Trade.9'
FoRT MADISON, April 12, 1882.


of putting himself on record as being op-
posed to protection, distinction without
difference, und careful roading of lis
speech discIoses tho fact that he is quite
willing to put the American laborer On
level with the poorer paid laborers of for
eign lands. He has made . discover that
interest the rice growers Of South Caro-
lima. No one supposed that tho American
rice growers we're getting rich, but he says
they are lie says they make Sl.07 too
much on each on" hundred pounds of rice
they produce. aud is in favor of reducing
the tariff 90 Imported rice that much to
bring them on level with foreign COM
pctitors; aud who are these foreign rice
growers with whom the South Caroline
rice planter is forced to c,mpete in the
American market? The Inhabitants Of
India, China, Egypt, hcathcns all, content
TO labor ior three cents per day, who never
tasto meat trom one years end to another,
whose climate permits them to live 10 the
rudest OF shelters aud whose civilization
demands absolutely no clothing at all; they
rear no churches, support 10 schools, know
nothing of tho wants aud needs of modern
civilization and whose labor on our ovn so;,
~ 'uo" Fo"c' c'io' courctlt0r that
We hsve found it absolutcl; necessary to
prevent them from coming among us for The
next twenty years A duty of two and a
hall cents per pound mas for yeurs been i'm.
posed upon the rice that this cheap labor
produces 10 order to give our own rice
planters IN opportunity to live. There is
Vile difference in the cost of pound of
rico, II there is difference ia the cost of
labor from fi:c to seventy Eve cents per day.
Mr. Aiken does not for moment take into
considerations the people With whom our
rice planters are con,cuding. If there was
no olitc1cncc in climate, in labor, in cost
OF production or transportation there would
DC no need of u dffe,cutiul duty; to equal
lzc this difference. the government, for years
has imposed duty of two and half cents
per pound and surely with this difference in
their iupor they have not grown rich aud
prosperous as Mr.. Aiken claims that every
other protected interest has done. Rice
production has not Increased in such glea:
proportions as it would have done if it had
been seen that there was fortunes in rice
planting, and yet this son of South
Carolina struts up 10 Congress and says
that he has discovered that the American
rice planter can produce rice more than
cent per pound cheaper than he now does
and asks that that much be taken off The
duiy 10 order to place thom on a level with
their heather competitors in other lands
We'll, the rice planter mny have a different
opinion about that, and if Mr.. Aiken does
not think so let him plucc himseIf somc~
where within reach Of their votes
Let US bring this case a little closer
home. Let us draw parallel case that most
ct us can appreciate. Let US suppose tha,
we do not produce all the cotton that we
use aud the cortou we consume is produced
in Chi"a, India, or Egypt, that it is of in
terror quality, produced ty cheaper labor
and can he landed on our shores chenpcr
than We can produce it ut hone. The home
product cost ten cents per pound; the for
e'gn cost seven. Congress comes to our re-.
lief and equullzes the difference By impos
ing duty on the foreign article of three
ceuts per pound. With this difference We
live moderately we'll, in rude hut comforta-
bic houses, with most Of the necessities
and some Of the comforts of life. We
build some churches, support some schools
and give our children u moderate education
aud have some slight prospects for the fu-
inre, when suddenly this man, whom our
votes have honoreh, whom We have select
cd to look after, defend and support our
Interests at the national capiial rises in his
place in Congress and says that he has dis
covered Tint his constituents by eating tw,
meals day, sleeping in the shuck pen, 20
ing barcfuoted through the week and wear
ing paper collars on Sunday, tha, they can
mr. fs,,.n nnfF i l., III
tound cheaper than they now do and asks
that one half Of the duty be taken off 50
that we will be compelled to sell our cotton
at eight and half cents per pound. The
most OF US could appreciate case like that,
and tins Is precisely what Mr.. Aiken pro-
poses to do for the rice pluntcrs. 1t is
what he might propose to do for tho cotton
planter if similar case existed, and brcth-
ren, does it not come with bad grace from
the people uf onc end of tho State to send
a man to Congress that deliberately proposes
legislation that would ruin the other end OF
The State? Let rs think about it and re.
port at the next mceting-or election.
| believe that protective tariff has madc
the American nation great, rich and power
fu!; that without TIVE would to day stand
ia about tho relation to Europe that South
Caroliuu docs to the North and West; that
we would have been purely agricultural
people; that wo would have had no great
establishments, no diversified
industries, no great cities, no great wealth
all these would have been beyond the sea
The South would have produced the cotton,
the West the bacon, whent and corn that
would have supplied these manufacturing
cities that would have stood on English soil |
but wiser men than Mr. Aiken stccrcd |
the shin of State and wiser leoisIotiop thon