The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-04-29
30 happy retribution!
Short toll, eternal rest;
For morJals and for sinners
A mansion with the blest."
IT II
Vermont Episcopal Institute, April 18th,
1909

ii. II. Ross.
Vermont Episcopal Institute, April 18th,
1892.
JERRY SIMPSONS PIIIFUL BLUM
DER.
Jerry Simpson of Kansas seems to
think he has hit on brilliant discovery
in politics, and found good reason for
the existence in the United States of
that peculiar class of individuals known
as Northern men wi Southern princi-
pies" In his recent speech i'll the
House on the tariff question ''Sockless
Simpson delivered himself as follows:
want to say to the Southern cotton
planter that | want to see him relieved
from every tax upon his industry, simply
from selfish interest, if from no other
cause. For cotton we trade corn and
wheat; and the Southern planter is
large buyer of Kansas corn, and the less
he is robbed, the less money is taken
from him by a robber tariff. the more he
will have left to buy Kansas corn with.
So. from selfish point of view. if for no
other reason, am in favor of this bill.
But, does this "selfish point OF view"
really canonize the doughface and class
him with the cosmopolitan patriot,
lover of every country but his own? OF
course it is the duty of the farmers of
Kansas to get the best prices they pos
sibly can for their corn and other pro-
ducts. 1t is quite right, too, that they
should desire the prosperity of the
Southern cotton-planter, provided only
thew can Americanize that individual to
some extent and induce him to deal with
other Americans on the principle OF live
and let live.
If Southern planters will now agree to
the doctrine of the Hon. Jerry Simpson
we will at last have something new, re-
freshing, and gratifying on the tariff
question. To make his theory good,
| however, there must be two parties to
the bargain. His is rule that is no
good unless it will work both ways.
Heretofore the Southern cotton-planter
has refused to look on the Northern
corn raiser as buyer whose prosperity
was to be desired or respected, but re-
garded him solely as a seller who was to
be beaten down in his prices and cheap
ened to the utmost For cotton we
trade corn" says the Hon. Jerry Simp-
son. but does not the "Sockless states
man. know that for generations the first
| doctrine in the political faith of the
planters has been that the prices of cot
! ton are fixed in the controlling market
| in England and that in this country as
well as abroad their sales are all on that
basis? Preferring the foreign to the
home market, and considering the latter
a substituted and not an additional mart,
the planter looks ON the Northern pro-
| vision grower not as customer to be
| helped, but seller to be crowded to the
wall and cheapenCd. Ordinarily, it has
not been to the interest of the cotton
planters to proclaim boldly their hos
tility to Northern provision growers, but
the truth has at times come out plainly
enough Thus in 1928, Hamilton OF
South Carolina, in demonstrating with
Louisiana politicians and imploring them
not to allow the sugar duties to lead
them into the support of protection,
soid
We must prevent the increase of manu-
factories, force the surpul labor into
agriculture, promote the cultivation OF
our unimproved western lands, until
provisions are so multiplied and reduced
in price that the slave can be fed SC
cheaply as to enable us to grow sugar at
three cents pound. Then, without pro-
tective duties, we can rival Cuba in pro.
duction of the staple, and derive from
our markets.
Thus did the politician of one cotton
growing State talk to those of another
when, desperately bent on holding Louis
lana back from the protectionist camp
he forgot for the moment that his argu.
ments were going on record to oper
Northern eyes and instruct Northern
ears for generations to come.
prevent the increase of manufac-
| In Efnli1yn nd
truthful statement of the design and pur
pose of the doctrine now softly termed
tariff reform.
Force the surplus labor into agricul
ture." Thus did the cotton-planter, fol
whose prosperity Jerry Simpson yearns
propose to close factories, deprive work
ingmen of employment and force them
into Overdone agriculture.
provisions multiplied and reduced il
price" And all this misery and distress
to be inflicted on Northern farmers anC
workingmen so that 'the slave could b,
fed so cheapiy' as to permit the plant
ers to grow sugar at three cents
pound" and hence drive out all cOmpe
titiOn.
Jerry Simpson doubtless means wei
, and may honestly think he is servin,
the interests of Kansas farmers, but tn
far-sighted, aggressive Southern poll
ticians, desiring a low tariff for tn
same purpose now as in 1928, and still
proposing to enrich their section at tn
cost of great loss and injury in thu
North, although prudently disguisin
} that purpOse-hOw these adroit manipu
lators must laugh in their sleeves at tn
! antics of credulous dupes and Ounce
like this one from Kansas And wha
! must the thinking, intelligent people o
the seventh district of Kansas think o
the extraordinary doughface they hav
; in Congress who is not only willing +
E betray their interests, but in his ignoI
ance and stupidity glOries in so doing?