The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-04-17

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request the House Committee on Agri.
culture to-day re-opened the hearing on
the Conger lard compound bill and the
Butterworth anti-option bill, both of
which had been reported to the House
with favorable recommendations. On
the first named bill A. Graves, repre-.
senting the Georgia Agricultural Associ-
alton, and J. Pennoger Jones, represent
ing the colored cotton farmers and plan.
ters CT Arkansas and colored men, made
arguments against Its passage. Graves,
in addition to the arguments already
presented, pleaded for the protection of
the cotton seed industry against the i'm
position of the burdens contained in the
bill on the ground that it had contrib
uted more than anything else to improve
the condition of the colored farmer of the
South. To pass this bill he asserted
would be the entering Of wedge which
when driven home would separate the
colored people from the Republican
party.
In the course of his argument on the
bill Jones said: "If cotton seed oil must
be taxed why not tax western hogs?
Why break down one industry of the
country that another industry should be
protected? The Republican party is
committed to the policy Of protection of
American industries. 1t is 80 enuucia.
ted in its platforms and to that music it
has marched to victory. But, Mr.. Chair.
man, if the Republican party at Chicago
had placed in the platform of Its princi.
Piles the singular creed that one industry
of our country should be taxed to death
that another industry at home be pro-
tected and live, on an appeal to the
country, they would have been buried SO
deep by the weight of public disfavor that
the trumpet Of Gabriel would not awake
them. If the last canvas settled one
thing or principle, it was protection.
But that protection was upon the broad
lines dictated by common sense, to wit,
protection to American industries,
American mechanics and American
labor against foreign manufacturers, for.
eign mechanics and foreign pauper la.
Dor. The system ihaugurated by the
Republican industry to protect another
is an innovation, and one that will be
resented by the great mass of our people
and hurl any patty from power that in.
sanely attempts it. So far as the Demo-
cratic party is concerned, it is committed
to free trade. 1t claims to be in favor of
lessening taxes and reducing the tariff.
If there is anything in their professions
or in the principles laid down in their
late platform, then we confidently look
to them to defeat this most pernicious
measure. How they can do otherwise
and be true to their creed as laid down
by their leaders is matter that sur.
prises and surpasses US. Gentlemen of
the committee, this bill, stripped of all
disguises, resolves itself into these condi.
tion-the Western hog against the South
ern negro. Which will win2
"There is another phase of this indus.
try. There are supposed to be over 200
oil mills, mostly located at the South.
They employ somewhere in the neighbor.
hood of $4,000 persons. More than
three .fourths Of this great number of
employees are colored men. 1t would
be safe to say that there are at least three
persons who rely upon each of these
$4,000 persons for their support and are
living from this enterprise. The wages
paid these people aggregate S3,50O,OOO at
the least calculation. The passage of this
bill would close up many of these mills
and perchance throw thousands of de-
pendent people out of employment and
entail hardship and want upon people
who are least able to stand it-and
all this to protect the western hog"