Daily globe., 1883-08-06
THE SOUYH's PROSPERITY.
An interview With Senator Wade Hamp-
ton-The Growth of fsDIanufactures in the
South-How People Feel on the Tariff.

An Interview With Senator Wade Hamp-
ton-The Growth OF; manufactures in the
SOuth-How People Feel on the Tariff.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.l
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 4.-Gen. Wade
Hampton, of South Carolina, broke his
journey from Cape May to New York. as
he himself expressed it, by resting to-
night in Philadelphia. The distinguished
southerner registered at the Girard early
in the evening and soon after received
numerous callers. He has materially aged
since he was the leader of the famous
Black horse cavalry during the late war.
His side whiskers, which he wore.
then jet black, are now almost
white with the frost of years, and he is
now IN appearance striking reminder of
the pictures of Emperor William of Ger
many. He looks we'll, and speaks of his
health as exceedingly good. He walks
without crutches now, and one would
hardly know that he had lost leg, so we'll
does he get along upon his wooden substi-
tute. 1t seems the irony of fate, indeed,
that he should have passed through four
years of desperate war without a scratch,
leading the most famous cavalry command
in the south, and then lose his leg and
nearly his life By the kick of a mule.
'The South is prospecting wonderfully.
We are getting new manufactures con.
stantly, mostly cotton mills. Last winter
the Legislature of South Carolina chartered
several new &C mpanies, having an aggre-
gate capital of nearly $1,5OO,OOO. You
would hardly believe how rapidly our in
dustries are improving. I think every
cotton mill in South Carolina is earning
very big dividends, with possibly the single
exception of the one in Charleston"
docs this boom in manufacturing Gre
ate feeling favorable to the protective
tariff?'
Il think not. The feeling of our people
upon the tariff question. is, that having
cheap and good labor at home.
and the cotton practically at the
door of the mills, they can compete with
anyone. They are therefore not in favor
of high protective tariff, nor are they in
favor of free trade. My own position
upon that question is that there should be
q gradual revision OF the tariff, keeping in
view the business interests of the country,
and the necessities of such industries as
need protection to enable them to reach a
substantial basis. No man in the South
that know of is in favor an assault upon
the tariff question that will rob any
American industry Of such protection as
1t really needs. Certainly no man in
| South Carolina is"
"Would your constituency be in favor of
making tbs tariff question an issue be-
tween the two great parties in the coming
congress and in the national contest OF
next year?'
s''Not to the extent of advocating free
trade, but to the limit have indicated ]
think they would. Your Democratic con-
vention held this present week adopted a
very we'll tempered plank in their plat,
form upon the tariff question. I think ii
very well termed. [ was surprised that
the Pennsylvania convention would deal
so equitably, or might say conservative.
ly, upon this question.
''You expect, then, this to be made an
issue in the coming political contest
between the Republican and Democratic
| parties?"
81 think there is no doubt of it. Tariff
revision is popular idea with the Democ.
| racy, but not free trade. The south has
too many rising industries to be in favor
of striking down the tariff and absolutely
opening the doors to foreign competition
Our mining ana manufacturing interests
| you know, are but in their infancy, and
we must have an equitable protection fo!
| them"