The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-05
PROTECTION IN THE SOUTH.

There Is growing sentiment iavoring protection
In the south. Probably no other growth OF opinion
In any part OF the country has been rapid 80 pro-
nounced aud no generally prevailing among tho
reading. thinking, intelligent and prosperous
clasScs. our more intelligent farmers are nearly
solid for protection as was proven by the rcsolu.
lions passed by the annual Southern Farmers Con-
gresS at is last falls session. All the new daily
papers established In this section In 1857 are proec
tionis, and them arc no less than hve Of these In
Alabama Nor are the protectionisB aud protec-
ZIONIST Journals confined to manufacturing cities
aud ceniers BY any means. The Mobile Re0isir Is
ono OF the abest protection papers in the country
and Mobile manufactures no protected articles.
Fifteen years ago there one daily south OF the
Ohio and Potomac that openly stood up for protec
tlon; now there are moro than twenty sid they
cover more than 80 per cent OF Southern daily cir
culation. That doesn't look much as II the pro.
tcctlon hcrcsy" was "dylng out In the SOUTH" rs
Of our free trade exchanges asserts Is the
Not much. Chattanooga Tradoada.
The experience Of TnE APPEAL in Ar
kansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Tonnes
see Is otherwise than is herein stated. The
intelligent farmers hcrcabouts are utterly
and totally opposed TO protection, which
We find is only espoused by those who are
engaged in manufactures or those who
share, M stockholders, IN manufacturing
enterprises. In no part Of the Union are
the evils OF protection better understood
than here, where tho planter and his Ia
boring force are taxed for the clothes they
wear and the implements with which they
labor on their plantations. Years ago, when
the tariff question was even better under
stood than II is today, when IL was com
mon topic, made 80 by tho only political
organization that ever had the temerity 10
cspousc II, the South was almost solid for
free trade, and even went 50 far rs TO take
steps in Commercial Conventions TO estab-
lsh direct trade with Europe, that she
might release herself from the taxes i'm
posed rron her products by the common
carriers OF the North. Nowhere was the
wholly pcrnicious doctrine Of protection 10
well understood as here, where is heaviest
tolls were levied and collected. Even the
Southern Wings were prone TO shun dis.
cussion Of aquestion 10 which they were
scarcely hallway converted Their great
doctrine and tho one they were fond OF
substituting for protection was internal
improvements, doctrine they used with
forcible logic TO bring home 10 every
man, because there were then
few railroads and river navigation was an
essential to the prosperity Of the country.
The rivers, to be navigable, must be im-
proved out Of their conditions Of Wild, way
waId destructivcncs, and, as NO many will
ing forces, made obedicnt 10 the commands
Of man, answering hispurposcs oircady aud
unimpeded navigation under the direction
Of skillful engineers aud equally skillful
labor. Protection then the great heresy,
as II Is now-was repugnant 10 every
instinct OF American fair play; rcpugnant
10 the trainers Of the Constitution and 10
the Trainer OF the Declaration Of Indie.
pcndcncc, who had before him always tho
pgmpercd aud pctted Glasses who. In
England alone, prohied by proiec.
ton. Then, In the whole empire OF
Great Britain they wcro as hundred 10 a
million, rs they arc In this country today,
only per cent. Of the whole number oI
persons In tho United States who are en-.
gagged In gainiul occupations 500, 600
To the Republican party We owe the OK,
isicnce Of this exceptional class 10 maintain
whom the people arr taxed even for the
ncccssarics Of life. Thisls not Just, Il 4
not fair, II Is not honest. No Just man, nc
ihir-mindcd man, no honest man living
under n free government where all an
equal win ask for anything that all others
being his fcllow-ciiilons, can not share
The honest planters Of the South are ire,
traders today "a their fathers were In th'
days OF tariff agitation before the crasl
came that was prcipitaicd upon them b.
the greed Of the protected Northern man
uiaoturen, an'l by which the wealll
Of two centuries was swept as
by fire. They arc opposed 10 pro
lection. because Il forces and main
4