Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-22
e.,.,.,,--, ,,,nnf,c,nrer,s Letter.


insist that the time Is not distant men
the demand for a protective tarln VII oe
az strrBg in the south as it is now IN the
North. There Is good reason for believing
that these pr0tectionists are mistaken.
/ There il no doubt that manufacturing in
!. d9s--ies in the south arc increasing and
developing with wonderful Tapidity, but
if the views Of the wisest Of those who
are now directing the South's manufac-
turing interests prevail the manufactur-
ers 0f the south viii never demand
tariff for protection. I1ey are Gear
headed enough 70 Sc that they need
greater market than this country aAoIn7
that. in fact. the south is able 70 com
nate In manufacturing with any nation
1 IN the markets u the world
/ provided the barriers Of protection are
/ removed. on this point We present tne
letter II W. II. Young. President 81 the
Faal. and Phruix Manufacturing Com
many at Columbus, Ca, lately written TO
/ CONGRESSMAN Hugh Buchanan, Of the
| Fourth Georgia district, and by that gen
tIeman presented U the Ways and Means
/ Committee through Congressman Blount.
The letter was written in answer TO
an inquiry Of Mr.. Buchanan relative TO
( the effect the enactment Of the Morrison
/ bin would have on the manufacturing IN
dustry Of which Mr. Young is the head.
( Tue Eagle and Phoenix mills are the larg-
/ est cotton mills in the south. The letter
\ IL Mr.. Young is well worth reading by
\ all who feel an interest in the tarlH lues-
e. o.
DEAR SIR have your letter OF the 10Th
inst. in which you ask my views as %
what effect a reduction Of % per cent.
/ would have on the cotton manufacturing
/ interests Of the South.
To the question l answer unnesltating-
II. none.
The south is now engaged in manu-
featuring. say. standard or heavy weight
7 goods and which are mainly consumed
1 by the masses Of our population south
I and North. and now the south sends her
surplus production to the North. WneIe
tDev display all such heavy weight goods
as were formerly made there and sent
South. These advantages IN an sucn
goods must ever remain with the o0utn
over New England and Old England: anu
I New England. on account Of closer GrOX-
unity 10 the cotton fields. has relative
( advantage over Old England.
4 reduction Of - per cent on the tarin
would not enable England 70 compete with
this country. North or south, IN these
heavy weight goods, but il the tariff on all
I articles entering into the cost OF manuiac-
ture in this country were also reduced 20
per cent. then the manufacturers NOrtn
and South would be benefited, and IL the
duties on all such goods entering into the
cost Of manufacturing were made Tree
[ then the North and South could compete
4 al lrE- r.H of
The tariff as it now stands OF course
shuts ont all foreign competition with
manufacturing productions IN this cOun-
I try except few specialties Of fine goods
I for the wealthy, and % locks IN their pro-
/ auctions and thus confines them % the
. home demand. and as consequence there
Z Is now glut Of goods. To illustrate my
position: the company over which pre-
Z side consumes about 10 bales of cotton per
day. 4 New England mill consuming
that amount Of cotton would have to pay
500 per day more for it than it cost this
/ c0muanv. and mill i'm England would
have 10 pay more than that.
These advantages are 50 great that the
tariff, if entirely removed, would not
enable England TO compete with this
country ON heavy weight goods and If the
tariff was removed on all articles that
enter into the cost Of manufacturing, then
I this country could command the markets
/ OF the world. and the supremacy OF Eng
land would be ended.
have visited England three times and
nave investigated the cost Of labor COM
pared with the south and found 1t more,
I or higher. than here, and yet our opera
tive was in better condition, from the
fact that food cost less with US, and
I clothing also. as our climate does not
require such heavy clothing. l think
labor at the North about the same as in
England.
Ialso investigated the cost and selling
price Of heavy cotton goods and concluded
could sell i'm England at profit, but 10
do So | must adopt their peculiarities OF
styles and prefer home market.
/ believe d all our custom houses We're
. abolished that this country would find in
England a large market for our manufac-
/ lures Of cotton and woOllen goods. Now
this country is heavily taxed with almost
everything that enters into the cost OF
Z production. beginning with machinery
and ending with baling the goods with
Scotch burlaps.
I j believe the manufacturing interests IN
this country, with their natural advant-
ages, il free from all tariff Legislation,
would soon made the United states the
great manufacturing centre. Yours truly.
W. II. Young,
President Eagle and PheniX Manufacture
/ ing Company.
The above letter, 50 far as manufacture
ing in the South is concerned, states the
situation squarely and fairly. Accepting
lis statements, and they cannot be sue
cessfully contradIcted, it is not easy to
see how there can be any considerable
amount Of sentiment in favor of a pro-
tective tariff in this State or in the South.
The letter ought to be sufficient to make
every Southern Congressman a staunch
supporter Of the Morrison bill. The
Southern Congressman who stands with
Mr.. Randall for protection-for a monopO-
lisuc tariT-does so against the interests
Of his section.