The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-06-17

furnish the pauper labor of the Nile with;
means of entering our home territory, en-
couraged and fostered by our own laws to
drive us to the wall. Pampered and proteS-
ted to the utmost by tariff enactments. Anne
rican mill owners are masters of the Acid tor
the sale IF cotton goods to the people OF the
United States. We are their forced custo-
mers and must buy from them whether We
will or not, simply because the United States
government charges foreign manufactures 50
much for permission to bring their goods in
to this country for sale, that they cannot
enter our markets in competition with AIne.
rican mills.
The difference between what we pay for
American goods and the price at which
foreign goods could be furnished to us, were
there restrictive tariff. amounts to many
mi llions Of dollars annually. These millions
represent actual forced contributions by the
agricultural section to the support and enrich
ment of manufacturers. The result was that
last yesr while the American cotton planting
interests were unable to make both ends
meet, American cotton manufacturers were
abunlan supplied with cheap raw cotton
and realized handsomely paying prices dor
their goods.
looking for still cheaper markets in which to
obtain their raw material. and is they are of
the favored class who are permitted to ouy
in the cheapest and sell in the dearest
markets of the World, they arc not only en-
richng themselves out of our pockets but
building their fortunes on our ruins.
The importation of Egyptian and Peruvian
cotton not only affects the Sea Island pro
duction on the Atlantic sea-board, which
aggregates say sixty to seventy Thousand
bales per annunl, but has affected disastrous
ly the values of all of four hundred thousand
bales of the good and extra staple products
of the Mississippi Valley. Mills that Pur,
chased thousands of bales ct our binders a,s!
long staple cotton some years si.sce have
| bought only few hundred bales OF the
American crop of 1897, at small difference
for premium on current prices for common
run Of staple. The tariff has run up the
price of every yard of goods VIC consume
considerably over 50 olo, henceit is plain
<has4sy admission of long staple cotton duty
free, our producers are cut down for those
descriptions of their product to prices that
are ruinous'
We do not wash to- argue fro.:a the stand
point of free trade and protection. All we
ask is to be placed a level, as cotton
growers, with the people who buy our cotton
lin a word, if we arc forced to trade with
shem be forced to trade with us.
If on the other hand the restrictions are
removed, and our markets are thrown oper
Ito the World, we arc willing to take QUIZ
chances, bun we have right to insist that
| until this is done, we should be placed OFT mr.
equal footing, as IA agricultural people,
with the manufacturers Of the East.
We earnestly trust THAT formers and plan
| tiers throughout the Mississippi Valley. and
especially those in the bottom lands, will
place this matter before their members OF
Congress, and insist that we shall have JUS
! tice rendered to in the premises.
All orr people ask is fair chance, and
| we believe that Congress will readily see the
| necessity for prompt action in that d'recslon'