The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-18

The manufacturers of Pennsylvania
and New Englond who have been lev
wing tribute upon the people for so
many years to protect them against
the pauper competition of Europe, may
soon find more dangerous foe in their
own country, and be clamoring for
protection against the South, where
successful cotton and iron works are
springing up very rapidly. The most
remark able feature about these South
ern. industries, too, is that, although
they are infants among the infants in
age, they are SO vigorous and self-de-
pendent that they ask no protection
against European competition, but, Oh
the contrary, are well nigh unanimous
TO. the abolition of that clog upon their
operations, which serves nc purpose
except to increase the.eOst of their raw
materials. While the cotton mills of
the East are constantly whining for
protection to secure them a monopoly
of the home market, the cotton mills
at Vancluse and Langley in Georgia
have gone boldly out into the markets
of the world and captured from the
British enough Brazilian and Chinese
trade to absorb one-third Of their pro-
duct. A Carolina mill has probably
shipped the whole of its product for
nine months past to China, where it
sells to customers whom it took away
| from the supposed unconquerable Brit
ish pauper. The Presidents of the
two largest cotton mills in the South,
at Augusta, Ga, one of which will
soon be running with $4,000 spindles,
unite with those previously mentioned
in declaring the tariff heavy clog
upon their enterprises, and would be
glad to see it reduced to the lowest
revenue level or abolished altogether.
They are not afraid of foreign compe-
tition, and if relieved of the burden it
places upon their tools, buildings and
freight, would, they are certain, + e
able to beat the British mills in the
markets of the world. The Mayor of
| Charleston is a heavy owner in both
cotton and iron mills, and believes
both would be benefited by strictly
revenue tariff. The iron industries OF
the South are also developing rapidly,
and have the same story to tell with
respect to the tariff, which serves no
end except to increase the cost of their
/ plant and machinery. The iron mines
and iron mills of northern Georgia as
we'll as those of Alabama, would, they
are convinced, be better Oft without
protection. The Pennsylvania iron
men declare, in piteous tones, that il
pig iron goes below $2l they must
close their mills. The President of
the Birmingham mills in Alabama
says the average cost of a ton of pig
iron at his mills last year was Sl2, 433
All this looks ominous for Pennsylva-
MIA and New England menOpolists, as
well as for others further west. If they
cannot compete with British iron and
cotton mills from three to four thou
sand miles away, how are they going
to sustain themselves against these ell
terprising Southrons, who can under
sell English cotton in China and Bra
zil, and turn out pig iron at a less cost
than English mills could lay it down
free of duty in their localities The
most interesting moral to be drawn
from these facts is that they illustrate
the fraudulent character of the special
plea of protectionlsts that protection
is needed only for time until our in
dustries get upon their feet. The truth
is very clearly shown to be that the
longer they are protected the weaker
become their legs and the more they
clamor for help to hold them up. Ths
youngest industries are the only strong
ones. If an industry cannot sustain
. itself, it is not worth sustaining, ant
the longer it is sustained illegitimately
the weaker it GETS Exchange.