The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1893-11-25
TARIFF TINKERLNG.

The committee on ways and means
has its chairman and majority OF Its
Democratic members from the south
ern states, and these gentlemen vii.
not, probably, pay any great attention
to the elections of last week, says an
exchange. The south has always been
opposed to New England, and pro-
test from Massachusetts, against tariff
revision is only calculated to spur on
the southern mem bers of this most i'm
portant committee in congress. But
the tariff reformers are for the first
time beginning to hear protests from
their own section. The Democratic
governor of West Virginia was among
these who recently appeared before
Mr.. Wilson's committee to protest
against free coal. There Is no ques-
ton about his representing stronger
sentiment in West Virginia than does
Mr.. Wilson, who is ffee-trader.
Alabama has also sent protest and
an appeal to save the infant industries
Of Birmingham. The Commercial Club
Of that enterprislng city held meet
ing last Friday and adopted petition
to the Alabama congressman on the
subject of free coal and free iron ore.
This petition appeals on behalf of $780,
900 of the people of Alabama, sup
ported in whole by the mineral indus
try of oue-third of the states tax val
ses. 1t asks that the present duty on
coal and ore be retained. This is not
to help out New England, but to pre-
vent that section from "robblng the
south"
General Hancock remarked that
the tariff was local question, and hi s
mistake was not in explaining that it
was important to every locality, with
different industries to he protected in
EACH But here in the very beginning
Of this free. trade administration cones
the Southwest Virginia, Alabama
and Tennessee = protesting against
free ore and free coal, and for the
same reason that Pennsylvania and
Ohio protest. But they go further than
either Pennsylvania and Ohio in that
they complain of, free e-trade as in the
interest of New England.
This petition says that Alabama fur
naces are down to hard pan now and
can stand no further adversitie.s
Twenty per cent. of the southern iron
product is now marketed on the north
Atlantic seaboard, and free coal and
ore would reduce the cost of making
iron on the north Atlantic tidewater
by $3.50 ton, taking this market
from Alabama and Tennessee. Their
furnaces would succumb to the strain
and millions of ,money in these prop
critics would become valueless.
"Driven out of the eastern market we
would be thrown back upon the west, !"
says the report, "and there sompeti-
ton is already close" In taking the
duty of coal and ore the southern
states have everything to lose and
nothing to gain. They have profited
BY cheap labor, but they can 60 no
further. 1t would also stop the flow
Of capital into these southern states,
and the capital for development must
come from the outside.
These southern petitioners complain
that the demand for free coal ''come s
from the north Atlantic seaboard,
where it weuld cheaper fuel and in
crease the ability Of the New England
cotton factories to compete with those
in the south. New England has
grown wealthy by duties which OPP
pressed the south. Why should the
south give up an advantage which it
now hast"
This is an interesting question, and
since it is made by Democrats to Dem
ecrats in behalf of Democratic state
which was "the cradle of confeder-
asy," and against New England,
"which has always been against the
SOUTH" we can leave it to the great
Democratic party, which holds chat
protection is unconstitutional. 1t is,
however, interesting to have the south
crying for protection to its infant in
-dustries to the congress it has placed
in power for the especial purpose of
destroying protective tariffs and driv-
ing out the "infamous robber-tarriff
borons."