The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-05-05
Wholesome Advice to the Free
Trade Association.
Letter of Hon George. D Tillman.

We publish part of a letter from
Hon. GEORGE ID. TILLMAN to the
Free Traders of South Carolina. 1t
abounds in good, practical sense,
and exhibits Il Judgment and with
al, Il firm, manly independence,
which is seldom seer in the politi-
clans Of II day. His views on
the tariff and the silver issues
coincide exactly with the position
heretofore taken by TIE ADvER-
TIsER. Our limited space will not
allow Il publication of the whole
letter, which is well worth Il careful
pcrusal:
HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES,
WASuISGToN Il al, 'm"9" ,o.i
SO, -, -. G., apr. 23, 'SGJ
II. Means Davis, Chairman
Of the Executive Committee of tho
FREQ Trade Association of South
Carolina-Dcar Sir: | have been
in no hurry to- answer your COM
m~unication of March I, in relation
to the tariff, for several reasons,
two of which | will mention.
LIST. because, as YOU published
your letter in the newspapers be-
fore it reached me, | supposed you
cared more to see your FRO
duction in print than my reply,
and
I'd. Because, as it was given out
seemingly by authority, and with
Il flourish of trumpcts, that your
Free Trade Association was formed
at Columbia to discipline the South
Carolina Congressman in their duty
on the tariff, | thought it better to
give YOU and your associates am
pie time to suspect that | purpose
to do my OWL thinking on all po-
litical questions, without response
bility to anybody, except the pco-
pie of the Second Congressional
District of South Carolina.
AS your letter is the first buglc
note calling for an organized gen
cral agitation in South Carolina of
the doctrine of free trade, | regret
to have to differ with you at the
very outset, when you say:
"Of all causes assigned for the
present dcplorablc prostration of
industrial interests in the United
States, none is more disastrous and
far-rraching than the system of So
called protection under which II
gricvOus tariff, imposed avowcdly
as an extraordinary war measure,
has been pcrpetuatcd through
twenty years of profound peace"
Now, my dear sir, rs the same
"dcpl0rablc prOStratiOn of indus
trial interests" that you complain
of in the United States exists also
in England, where free trade pre-
walls, how is it that protection can
produce the Identical result here
that free trade produces there ?
You must seek some other other
cause that does not contradict itself,
II more all-pervading force, that is
operating in nearly every quarter
of Europe and America. That
force, in my judgment, is the fierce
and long protractcd war on silver,
prosecuted mostly by the eXecu-
tive department of III Govern
ment, although ours is the largest
silvcr-pr0ducing nation in the
world. That war is being vigor-
ously pressed ut this very moment
by Il Democratic Administration,
SO called, i'm the interest of the
bondhOldcrs and national banks
agains the people and against the
traditional "hard money" policy OF
the Democratic party, and no
amount of reduction in the tariff
can help "the deplorable prostra-
| finn nf thn in,lnSSriaI infpsnufoD IL,
this country until the secretary of
the treasury shall quit administer
ing his high Office for the benefit OF
the few at the expense of the many.
Unless you had informed me
what you and those you represent
mean by "frec trade" / cannot tell
whether we agree or not as to the
best methed of raising Federal rev.
enue. The phrase "free trade" has
a great many different meanings
like the word "rcligion," or at least
different shades, qualifications and
limitations of meaning.
However, as you declare your
association have "resolved to urge
upon the people of South Carolina
in public meetings, the propriety
of demanding of Congress n speedy
abolition of artificial barriers and
governmental toll-gates," / infer
that you propose doing away with
customhOuses altogether, and pro
pose to raise the necessary
revenue by direct turdtion
IF this be your plan, so far
] from approving it, / hope you