The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-10
The South and the Tariff.

Inc Baltimore Manufacturers Record of
the 5th contains an article showing the
remarkable increase in the cotton manu-
featuring interests in. the South during the
last three years. 1t gives the name aud
location of every cotton mill in the South,
with the number of spindles and looms in
each. The figures as thus compiled. show
that there are now 314 cotton mills in the
South having 1,276, 400 spindles and %. 1878
looms. while at the time the census was
taken in 1880, the South had only 100
mills, with 1889 spindles and 1922
looms. The largest increase in the num-
Der of mills was made i'll North Carolina,
where gain of 43 mills and 1885, spin
dies is exhibited, while Georgia made an
increase of 139, 1855 spindles and % mills in
1880. The value of manufactured cotton
produced at the South was little over
81 900 600, while in 1888 the value had
risen. to b. tween $35,0O0,0O0 and $4,000
600. The record figures up that during
the last three years and a half about 800
900 has been invested by new and old
Southern cotton mills in machinery, but
Sl6,OOO,0O0 of which has been paid to
Northern and Western machinery manu-
facturers.
1t is safe to say without 1.-THE protective
tariff laws not one of the factories estab-
lished in theiSouth since the war would
now be inaexistence. Instead of the cot
ton grown in the South and converted into
fabrics. through Southern labor and supply
ing our own demands, the raw material
would have been shipped'to England, con-
verified there under the pauper labor sys-
TEN of that .country''and reshipped to this
to be sold where the raw material is
raised. Thus would all the profits of cot
ton growing have been drained from the
South for the benefit of English manufac-
turers and operatives, while under our tariff
laws they are kept at home to stimulate
diversified industries, give employment to
home labor, create market for farm pro-
ducts and enrich the section generally.
The South is destined to be the great cot
ton manufacturing district of the world,
if the legislation of Congress will continue
to be friendly to home enterprise and pro-
tect oursmills and factories from the low
wage labor of Europe.
The same effect that free trade would
have on the cotton interest of the South,
would Mr.. Hewitt's suggestion of free
iron ores have on the iron interests of the
South. With no duty on iron ores, Mr..
Hewitt could import from Cuba and Spain
and Africa for his furnaces in New York
at nominal cost. He would thus depre-
ciate the value of the iron ore fields of the
United States, and throw out of employ
ment the labor engaged in their mining.
He could, in this way, make iron cheaper
than it could be made in the South, and
arrest iron development and manufacture
in this section, to the advantage of manu-
facturers situated as he is. To be consis-
tent and to relieve himself of the charge
of meroenary motives, he should favor the
removal of the duty on pig metal, and
thus bring his own operations directly
in competition with the furnaces of Eng
land. But'instead of this he strikes at the
South, in his proposition to import free
OF duty iron ores and wool, land all raw
material that has not been applied to man
| ufactures, in order to enable his own fur
naces to run at a profit. at the expense 'of
the iron regions of the South, and the New
England wooden factories to operate, .on
English free wool, to the destruction of the
wool-growing interests of the South and
West.
The Democratic party cannot hedge on
the tariff question. 1t is committed to
free. trade as a policy-to the abstract
principle-and its position cannot be COW
cred under the guise'of revenue reform. y
Give it power and free trade will be it's
policy. The record it has been made in the
election of Mr.. Carlisle as.Speaker-in the
activity of the Hon. Ran. Tucker for
him because of their identity of views on
this question, and the arrangement of the
Ways and Means Committee, with Mr..
Morrison, of Illinois, as Chairman, and
Mr.. Hurd, of Ohio,as prominent member
OF it, selections, of all others, which expose
Mr.. Carlisle's mind fully testify to DEM
ocratic purpose. Mr.. .sfHurd was the
only bold, out-spoken free-trader of the
Ohio delegation. The other Democratic
members from that State lodged and
doubled on the question, but Hurd had no
concealments-no compromises. And Mr..
Carlisle selected him for the committee
which has under it's control the revenue
laws. In fact the composition of the COM
mittee shows that the Speaker intended to
draw the lines between the two parties.
for in his selection of Republicans he
picked upon pronounced protectionists, as
he chose known free-traders from the
Democrats.
Not only do the figures as to the cot
ton manufactures of the South. adduced
by the Manufacturers Record, bring the
protective policy to the front in the South,
but the election of the Speaker and the
formation of his committees, emphasize
it. Notice is thus given that the Free
Trade Democracy intend to take issue with
the Protection sentiment of the country,
and all the Republicans have to do is to
accept the challenge and prepare for the
contest
Whiskey in Congress.