The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-01-06
SOUTHERN SENTIMENTS.

SOUTHERN SENTIMENTS
Views e . Msss lnausatlal Dsnssrasss
Joufnol - AlsbanA
The danger Is that such . wise safe
guard may be lost sight Of in the inev-
liable tendency of the Presidents ar
gumentS Taking wool a. an illustr2-
ton. the President enters into . minute
calculation as to the profit . wool
grower derives from . duty ON wool
and the loss he experiences in his pur-
chase of wooden goods. Would not
the same argument apply to cotton?
The duty ON manufactured cotton
goods of the class generally worn
throughout the United States. North
and South. IL IS per cent AL val0rem.
II it is fact that the duty is added to
the price of the HON e-manrfactured
article. then the people are taxed 50
per cent. on every yard of cotton
goods. 1t happens. however, that such
is not q fact The price of cotton
goods in this country is but very little
higher than it is abroad; and while We
pay little more for the higher grades
of cotton goods we keep up the price
of cotton. and we build up home facto-
ries to add to its consumption. and we
are keeping at home here at the South
millions of dollars which would other
wise go to foreign markets. We see
no difference in principle between the
case of wooden goods and that of cot
ton goods. Now. while we would like
to see wooden goods cheaper. we would
not like to see cotton goods cheaper.
because cheap cotton goods means
cheap bales of cotton.
The free trader in wool might make
capital in district where but little, If
any. wool is grown; but the free
trader in cotton goods would find it
rough sailing in any Southern district
We must give and take.
We think the Presidents reasoning
as to the relative strength Of population
is not sound. He assumes that every
man reported as an agriculturist by
the census returns is in conflict on this
question with those reported as manu-
facturers. The fallacy of this sum-
mary is in the fact that large num-
bers of agriculturists are employed
about the large manufacturing cities
One canning factory buys all the
peaches of county. Another buys all
the tomatoes Of several counties. The
candy-makers and peanut-oil refiners
of New York give employment to the
farmers of several counties in Virginia.
One hotel in Boston employs several
dairy farms. The cotton oil mills of
the South add greatly to the demand
for cotton labor, and furnish large
per cent. of its compensation. Here
in Alabama. about Mobile. our truck
farmers are kept going by the demand
for early vegetables from Western
manufacturing cities. When Birming-
ham and other cities of North Alabama
get their full growth they will give
employment to new garden farms
throughout the coast country. So,
then. very large body of agricultur-
lists have an identical interest in the
growth and prosperity of American
manufactures.
The truth is that all interests in this
country are and ought to he mutually
dependent. and instead of devising
schemes to open our doors to foreign
goods which may destroy our own
factories and leave us at the mercy Of
foreign traders. we should endeavor to
protect and expand our internal COM
merce.
The reasoning of the President is
precisely that Of the Bright and Cob
den school. Happily the world has
discarded the doctrine as unsOund.
Every strong Government Of modern
times, except England. protects its
home labor from foreign competition
Practically. however, the issue to
which the Presidents argument tends
is not upon us in any dangerous form
1t is true that in his desire to lesson
duties he hints at retaining the tobacco
tax, and thus endangers the success Of
his party in those Middle States which
have demanded a removal of the ex-
else on tobacco; but it is to be hoped
other questions Of graver and more
practical import will keep those States
within the party.
So far as the South is concerned, we
deplore the introduction of the free
trade argument into our politics. On
that question the whites will divide in
the future as they divided in the past.
and the fear is that white unity, built
up in the face of such dangers and dis
tress As the world never before wit
messed. will go to pieces and leave
society in chaos. Grasping at shad-
ows, we are risking the substance Of
social peace and pure government
Mobile Ee1i;,ey. Them