The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-09-27
The Negro and Protection.

The Negro and Protection.
Bedford's Magazine for July contains
an article under the head of "a Plea for
the Negro" from the pen of Henry J.
Philpott, which shows in very striking
way whatprotection does for the negro.
We make the following extracts from
this article, which intelligent co:ored
men would do we'll to think over ho
less than our white readers. The writer
says:
"Tbe nations ward has no, tariff pro.
tection-.not the slightest hint or pre-
tense Of it. .Heis the forgotten man,
a Georgia Senator and a Kansas Con.
gresham have recently paraded the
duties on corn, wheat, provisions, etc., as
evidence that the farmer is cared for and
protected by the tariff. It isall humbug,
as everybody knows. But even in this
humbug the old time slave has no share.
The home marketis is another humbug in
in which he has noportion. 1fhe raises
three bales Of cotton for his own:share,
he sells one 10 America aud two across
the ocean. For the Two bales he must
patiently; wait until q foreign customer
sends q foreign ship to carry sit across.
And who is that foreign customer7 He
is exactly the man whom our high tariff
friends say they must cripple, and if
possible, ruin. Who do they want to
crush and grind2 The unprotected
negroes customers buyers oftwol
out Of three bales of his cotton. They.
boastthat besides crippling them in every
possible way, they make them support
our government. They are never 80
pleased with anything else as with sena.
tor Edmunds's demonstration that our
tariff is paid not by our own people but
by the foreign producers. In this last
and most Ridiculous Of protectionist
humbugs the negro is denied any part
3orlot, for it merely shifts his share Of
the tax off his shoulders on those of his
principal: customers. Can they buy as
much Of his cotton OF pay him as much
for il: as if they had not to bear this bur.
den, which5it is claimed they must bear,
tof supporting our government as we'll as
their own
%, not single one of the imaginary
benefits Of our present tariff is enjoyed
blythe negro. His cotton is not taxed,
/: but the shirt that was made oft is; and
the iron ties that bind tits; and the
steel rails on which it was sent to the
saeaboard to wait the coming of that
foreign customer who his government
would cripple. :
There is not q more pathetic scene in
this world than to behold the tears trickle
down. the careworn cheeks of the New
England cotton manufacturer, protected
by tariff Of 40. per cent, when some
casual word calls to his mind the black
cotton grower protected BY q tariff of 90
per cent. And Why does he weep?
Poor man, he fears that. the negro is not
always allowed to vote and have his vote
counted. He is confident that his negro
vote will, when given count for. the
tariff, which takes money out of the
negro's pocket and puts it safely away
in q New England pocket. There is
something so irresistibly grotesque in the
attitude Of all the parties to this curious
political and economic muddle that am
always surprised when, as happens almost
every day, men tell me it has never
before occurred to them. It has so many
interesting features that / have not tried
to hint at all Of them. But the striking
points Of the picture are indelible, and
not even to be dimmed by protectioniat
!muddling Of logic and statistics. Thus:
s 81 THERE'S no duty on cotton. The
cotton growing negro is left like ashorn
lamb to the blasts Of that absolute free
trade which Henry George is called
visionary for saying shonld be made gem
:eral. /.
60 2. Two.thirds of the crop is sold
abroad and carried across the water in
foreign ships. Hence, it cannot be
claimed that the tariff has built up for
him an American market.
90 The third of the crop he sells in
America is sold far away from the fields
where it is grown. Hence, his little
American market is not BY any means q
true home market.
"a 4. This far of American market has
not been increased BY protection. Our
people paid last year s4O,ooO,oo0 for
foreign cotton goods, including duties,
but exclusive Of all freights and profits
between the foreign factory and the
American consumer. Nearly all this
was brought stous in foreign ships, and
chiefly made Of cur own cotton, which
had been carried abroad in foreign ships.
Mesntime, while in 1860 we exported
more value of menufactured cottons than
of hog products, we exported last year
four.times as many dollars, worth Of hog
products as Of cotton goods.
"5 Of course the negro's foreigo mar
ket is not helped, and his foreign custo-
.mers, outnumbering his American Gus.
toners BY the enormous proportion Of
two to one, are not enriched, conciliated,
nor encouraged to continue and increase,
their purchases BY tariff which, as
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