The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-02-16
PHILOSOPHER ARP
Erom atlanta Constitution,
Propounds Some Free Trade Arguments.

SS'sS'ssN~S'S''t
Propounds Some Free Trade Arguments.
A long time ago there were two noted
ministers in Athens, one Baptist and
the other a Presbyterian. They we're
terribly Jealous in their respective faiths
and preached doctrines and sectarianism
with power that kept the people ex-
cited and produced more. discord than
Christian harmony. By and by the
Baptist challenged the Presbyterian to
discussion and the challenge was accept
ed. For several nights the debate went
on and the house was crowded to over
flowing. 1t was nip and tuck between
them for they were men of power, and
it was hard to tell who was getting the
advantage. When the arguments were
exhausted and the debate closed, it was
observed that neither of them INDUCED
in any more doctrinal sermons, and
within less than year the Baptist had
Withdrawn from his church and become
a Presbyterian and the Presbyterian
withdrawn and become Baptist. They
had convinced each other and swapped
sides.
"Well, that was honest and liberal and
I like it. Now, if the high tariff and
low tariff men will do the same way the
country will be safe. We had debat-
ing society once that made the boys swap
sides, and it was a good plan to keep
down prejudices and make us look at
question fair and square. The truth is
this revenue business has never been 80
ably discussed and 80 we'll ventilated as
in the past few months by the southern
press. The facts are coming before the
people and some of the mysterious sur
roundiDgs have been removed. Enough
has been uncovered to convince US that
it is the most complicated, intricate
problem now before the American peo.
Pile. If I were to read only one side l
thirk I should be for that side, and get
mad and furious and intolerant. Every
reflective man ought to take two papers
of different political views, and hold
himself an umpire between them. We
are in politics very much like we are in
our religion. We are prejudiced, and
prejudice is the mother of bigotry. If it
were not for prejudice, the north and
south would have been at peace long ago.
But bow can man who was taught at
his mothers breast to believe that we
were all brutes and barbarians, ever re-
cover from those prejudices unless be
moves down south and lives with us long
enough to find out his great mistake.
Next comes in self-interest, and when
that is added to prejudice, who can with.
stand the combination. How can MIR.
Randall be anything but protectionist,
for protection has made Pennsylvania
rich and great and prosperous. He grew
up that way, and loves his State better
than he loves bis country or any other
State, and 30 love mine, and so do you
love yours we cannot help it. You
may talk about your broad philosophy
that knows no south, no east, no west,
but it is all talk. 1t pretends to be eagle,
but it is buzzard, and always suspect
man that talks that way. A man is for
himself and his family first, his county
next, and then his State. His love
weakens as it spreads. We admire Mr..
Randall and Mr.. Carlisle, and are sorry
they are so wide apart, but they have got
to yield some of their prejudices for the
sake of harmony. But we hope they
will make no such compromises as New
England wants-free wool, but high pro-
lection on everything they make out of
wool. That is all very fine for them, but
what will Ohio and California and Texas
say to it? While it would bring wool
down from twenty cents to twelve it
wouldn't cheaper our clothes nor our
carpets. Who will raise sheep then ?
But reckon I don't know anything
about it. I can read all about this tariff
business until my head gets "addledy,"
as Cobe says. Here was the duty on
quinine that raised such big row six
years ago, and Powers Il Weightman,
who were making it all, sold it for three
dollars and fifty cent an ounce and they
told congress that if the protection was
taken off they would be ruined. Never.
theless it was taken off and quinine
dropped to seventy.fve cents an ounce,
and Powers & Weightman built more
factories and bigger factories and their
trade increased from one million ounces
year to six millions, and other parties
built factories and now the supply is ten
million ounces. The low price placed
quinine in reach of the poor all over the
nation.
So it does not follow that removing
the duty will ruin any business.
But on the other hand, look at coffee
and tea. There was duty that brought
us in a revenue of millions, but the peo.
pie howled for cheaper coffee, and 30 the
duty was taken off and coffee and tea
went right up and up and up, and is SO
high now q poor man can hardly afford
to drink it. How is that? Why dident
coffee and tea come down? I asked one
of our statesmen that question and he
looked wise and solemn and whispered
'damfno,' which I didn't understand and
don't yet. And that is about all the
answer I get when get tangled up on
this tariff business and 60 to the wise
men with my troubles-damhno-
damfno-I reckon its Greek or Latin or
ITALIAN and would explain things if I un.
derstood it.
But something must be done. Uucle
Sam is getting too rich off of his own
people and that brings up the whisky
business. I don't reckon that anybody
wants free whisky, but most erybody
wants the tax collected some other way.
Why not let the states collect it in their
own way. I'll bet the Georgia legislature
will find way to collect one dollar a
gallon out of all that is made or consum.
ed within her borders; and they will
have it inspected too, so as to insure a
pure article. We inspect guano and
kerosene oil, and why not whiskey? If a
man will drink let him not have to drink
poison. As Sam Jones says, if man has
made up his mind to so to the devil let
him go as decently as possible. He
needn't run his horse to death on the
road, but let him trot awhile and pace
awhile and walk awhile and sometimes
stop under the shade of a tree and rest.
The fact is, our people would rather
collect the whisky tax and payit all over
to Uncle Sam than have it collected as it
is now. Suppose Illinois can make it
cheaper than Georgia, then Georgia
wouldn't make it at all, and We would
get q big revenue out of Illinois whisky.