Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-29
Inc wav 20 Win the victory.


Pen1blfcans. Of course. viii do their Ut +
most 10 defeat all tariff legislation, and 4
while they will hardly succeed in such an /
undertaking they may be able, with the |
help Of the protection Democrats, 10 en- |
tirely change the character OF the Morri- |
son BILL 1t would not be surprising if |
the concession Of the tariff reformers Ie-
specting the internal revenue turned out |
70 be a mistake. The protection Demo |
Gratis viii not be satisfied with conces-
sions, however great they may Be. Iney |
stand squarely with the Republicans ID /
favor Of a high protective tarin, ana TIE!
viii not consent 10 take anything less
That being the case il Is questionable
whether il was wise % try 70 concllate
them. The proper policy for the Demo
cratic party u pursue with respect 10 the
tariff is that which It has announced tins
and again in its national platforms and IN
the halls Of Congress. To continually yield
70 the demands OF a small minority shows
weakness. and robs the tariff reform pol
lev Of its strength. In 1876 and in 1880
tarfn reform was announced in the
national platforms, but it was not thrust
TO the front as a live and leading issue. 1t
was kept in the background, and the
Presidential contests were fought on other
grounds The timidity with which its
prOfesse6 advocates handled it actually
damaged the party. The impression was
made that the party had no settled tariff
policy. Republicans who favored rev.
enue tariff and independent voters voted
with the Republican party because that
party's policy was emphatically and az
gressively in favor Of protection. They
preferred a party that stood squarely for
| its principle to one that didn't. The po-
/ litical party that wins is the one that
/ forces its principles upon the attention OF
I the country vigorously and earn
estIy. In order to make converts
it must convince the people that
I It's principles are right. The tariff is the
/ only great issue before the country. 1t IS
something that can be brought home to
/ every voter. Convince man that he can
I live one-third cheaper under revenue
tariff and the chances are that he viii
/ vote with the party that is pledged TO that
sort Of a tariff. 1t is folly to say that
/ there are no Republicans who would
I abandon their party on the tariff issue.
/ There are many thousands Of them in
every state. Only yesterday, In this city,
two prominent and wealthy Northern
manufacturers, both Republicans, de-
clared themselves very strongly in favor
/ Of a very great reduction in the tariff.
/ They gave it as their opinion that there was
a very large portion Of the Republican
party ready to Join the Democrats when
/ the tariff issue was squaTely made. One Of
/ these gentlemen is a car manufacturer IN
/ PENNSYLVANIA. He said that free trade
would give new life to his business be-
cause it would so cheaper raw ma
| terials that he could find a ready
sale for his goods at a profit in
/ foreign markets. He declared that among
/ all the small manufacturers of Pennsyl-
vania there was a marked sentiment in
I favor Of a tariff for revenue. In his opin-
/ ion the press Of Pennsylvania does not
reflect the sentiments Of the people. The
/ truth Is the voice of the great iron and
/ steel manufacturers alone is heard thele.
I This gentleman. to illustrate how the
small manufacturers suffer, called atten-
/ ton to the fact that last year American
! copper could be bought four cents pound
/ cheaper in England than in Philadelphia.
I The great metal manufacturers combine
/ to keep the price up to a point where
all the advantages Of the protective tariff
/ are obtained and competition with Euro
/ peau products Of the same kind is avoided.
II the present high tariff is continued
I the growth Of Southern manufactures
must soon be checked. The home market
/ cannot take their products, and they can
not compete in foreign markets. Mr.. W.
/ F. Herring, Georgian residing in New
York and largely interested in factories
+ in Georgia. in letter few days ago to
Z a gentleman who solicited him to buy
I some property on the Oconee river, near
I Athens, Georgia, wrote:
If felt sure Of free trade in this cOun-
try within three years l would not
hesitate TO buy the property referred 10.
With free trade / think il would quickly
/ quadruple in value, because there would
| be little risk In utilizing it for cotton
: mills. But / would not invest in new cot
/ ton mills. or in shoals upon which 10 build
now. because the development IN that
| line has nearly. if not quite. reached the
I limit 20 which il is restricted by our
I taFlrf. IN Otner words. / MINK we are
making as many goods as this country
needs. Our protective system interpOses
+ so many obstacles and hindrances to our
/ reaching foreign markets with our goods
/ that our natural advantages over other
/ countries are well nigh nullitied. South
/ ern made cotton goods Will no doubt
continue to displace Eastern and North
ern made goods Of the same class, but
want a larger field for a market than one
. country before I make further invest
I ments in this line, and that we cannot
have except at great disadvantage under
I our present system Of taxation. The same
is true Of enterprises now in operation.
If we had tree trade with the world l
would rate the stock which l own in cot
ton mills at least 50 per cent. higher than
rate it now.
The evidence is accommodating all the
time that there is a strong sentiment all
over the country IN favor Of reducing the
tariff If the Democratic party will
preach a tarif-for-revenue policy earnest
/ ". sincerely and aggressively it can win
J the control Of the government at the next
/ national election, and hold it for the next
/ quarter Of a century, and perhaps longer.
/ 1t will accomplish nothing, however, by
/ being only half in earnest, and by making
/ concessions to the prOtectionists.