The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1884-08-23
Commercial Progress and Tariff
Changes.
memphis Appeal. /

tion, the introduction of new in
dustries, and the effects of the
present tariff are producing re-
suits that so greatly modify the
commercial standing of the coun-
try, that no long time can elapse
before our national commercial
policy also must be subjected to
profound modification. The ef-
feet of a high tariff is to stimulate
production by the high profits and
freedom from competition which
it secures. This increased pro-
duction demands new markets in
which the accumulated produce
can find purchasers. At present
the restriction imposed by con-
finement to the home market is
causing manufacturers in many in
stances to close their establish
ments for two or three months
out of the yearly twelve. so as TO
cut down production to the limit
of the demand. This way of at
tempting to meet the difficulty,
however. upsets. everything for
which the tariff was established,
by reducing the wages of the
workmen whose labor the tariff
was intended to protect. To pay
a man fair wages nine or ten
months of the year, then leave
him unemployed the rest of the
year, cuts his annual pay to as low
as the European rate. 1t will be.
come absolutely necessary to en-.
large our market by securing for
eign demand for our goods, or We
shall fail to protect American la
Dor. On this point we see that
the country is fast nearing a state
of things that will render a strong
change in our commercial policy
unavoidable, in order that we may
have an outlet for what our work
men and machinery produces. III
our interior trade we see indica
tions of change, and here the
South plays an important part
The South raising cotton and buy
ing its corn and bacon from the
North is one thing, and the South
with mills, factories, iron mines
and free labor is another thing
and the change is carrying revo.
luton into Northern trade. South,
ern coal, Southern iron and South
ern cotton manufacturers are af
fecting New England and Penn
sylvania to their foundations, and
will effect them more strongly
still. Invention has surprised the
cotton grower by putting com
mercial value upon his long wasted
cotton seed, and has supplied the
world with an important new arti
Gle of merchandise in its oil. A
recent invention threatens an en-
tire revolution in the cotton mar
kets Of the world. The cotton
picker of Mr.. Mason is to d,
cheaply and rapidly what has hith
erto been dear and slow process
This will enable the cotton manu-
facturer, especially the Southern
one, to enter the worlds markets
the competitor of Manchester ant
OLDHAM. Bradstreet's, in its last
issue, declared that "the tendency
to make the iron for the country
In the South is already pronouu
ced. Enough is known to warrant
the assertion that from this on
iron cannot be made profitably al
various points in the North agains
active Southern competition. How
far this will prove true has yet tC
be determined. On the one hant
1t is urged that the Pennsylvania
producers must. as class, bs
crowded to the wall. 1t is at leas
plain that the relatively low cos
at which iron is produced in the
South threatens yet to have mucf
to do in determining the price o
the metal.o All these things &c
TO show that American manufact
uring industry is assuming quite
another face to that it has present
ed in the past, and the conse
quence is that the government
regulations of trade are every
year becoming more inconsistent
with the aspect trade is assuming
| To refuse expanding those regnla
tions as trade expands, is to re.
fuse to put the boy In breeches
when he has outgrown his petit
coats. This change will not come
from mems politics or theories, OF
predetermihations. 1t will be q
necessary result forced upon the
country by changed eircumstan
ces, and by that inevitable prog
ress that is the characteristic oi
our era.
Plans have been prepared for q
ship canal across Ireland from
Dublin to Galway distance oi
TT miles. The estimated cost for
ahs..o - = % =,