San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-12
A PROTEST FROM THE SOUTH.
From the Macon, CGaJ Sunday Times.

From the Macon, CGaJ Sunday Times.
"If the new tariff bill should pass
through congress and become law the
result will be to divide the United
States market with foreign producers
and precipitate q struggle between
home competitors for the lessened home
market, which, under the inevitable
la W that in such cases prevails, must re-
suit in the survival OF the fittest. Ia
there any sane man Of intelligence pre-
pared to say that the south Is 10 condi-
tion now to enter upon such q struggle?
ls the democratic party prepared to ac-
cept the responsibility for this grossly
reckless trifllDg with the very life ofthe
Union!
What is the South confronted with
Look at the propositions. Her industries
are yet weak; they have not passed the
experimental point. In the majority Of
industrial divisions..they are but outlined
and await the stimulus Of capital. Her
products are 80 per cent raw material,
and 80 per cent of the balance consists
of the lower grades of manufactured
goods, all produced with the lower
grades OF labor. 1t 10 an axiom of polit-
zeal economy that in competition un-
skilled labor suffers first. The PROPOSE
tion ia to divide the market now enjoyed
by the South with all corners; to reduce
the tariff, upon iron In its grades In COM
monest use, such as pig, railroad bars,
iron rails, iron pipe, cut rails and spikes,
fish plates, horse-shoes, beams and COL
umns; upon furniture and woodwork OF
all descriptions; upon sugar and tobacco:
upon rice and its products; upon cotton
yarns. wraps, cloths, thread, upon the
products OF jute and hemp; upon
wooden products; upon paper and upon
salt. This Is by 10 means the sum of
the reductions, but these are articles in
which the south is vitality interested.
The worst blow, however, comes In
the shape OF free list to which are con-
signed wool, timber hewn, sawed,
squared, in fact all manufactured tim
Der. salt In sacks or bags; iute and hemp
In their raw state, or In bags and bag
ging; oils OF every description, including
cotton seed oil, vegetables 10 their ma
tural shape or In brine, bulbs and seed:
pulp for paper makers, and stone of
every description. Ii there is anything
that the south produces that has not
been placed upon the free list or the
tariff upon which has not been reduced,
we fail to discover 1t. In her essential
products, upon the passage Of the bill,
cue VIII NJ INC mcECy vi lut sIdNt,
psuper, and degraded labor Of the world;
in her manufactures she must meet the
com petition Of sections protected by
vast capital, and Of countries enJoyin
not only unlimited capital, but estab-
lished trade, custom, and habits that are
almost as protective as a prohloitsry
tariff.
And for what! Because there is a sur
plus in the United States treasury and
personal ambition on the part Of theo-
reticsl statesmen In congress. Will there
| be reduction OF this surplus? No. Be-
| cause 1t has been demonstrated that a
rush OF imports that follows a reduction
of the tariff to such an extent will more
than compensate for the loss to the
treasury in rates. Hut there lie no doubt
but that the home market to home pro-
ducers would be reduced, a heavy re-
duction In wages inflicted upon labor,
and the development OF the whole cOun-
try, the south to marked degree chilled
md checked.
But the bill will not pass. There is
enough democracy and common sense
to bride the ambition Of the clique that
would lead the party and country to
common disaster. The country Is safe
Can the party rally from this frIghtful
crime attempted In its name? Time will
| show,