New-York tribune., 1894-10-23

Twenty thousand people Of Louisiana tried ~
hear Governor Mckinley at Ncw-Orlclns Sat
urday night, according OF press dispatches.
1900 succeeded. Citizens Of wealth and
power who had alwa;s been Democrats had
charge OF The meeting were conspicuous
throughout the vast asScmblaSc, and some dele
cations had travelled 200 miles 10 hear the
champion Of Protection. The speech was worthy
Of the great occasion, an earnest and powerful
appeal for the true American policy. and The
press dispatches. in that region never too favor
able TO the Republican cause. say that nearly
every sentence Of the speech, which occupied
two hours in delivery. was interrupted with
CHEERS" Familiar as most of his reasoning may
have been 10 Northern audiences il evidently
came like n revelation 10 most Of his hearers in
Louisiana. who had been taught all their lives
to believe that Protection was only a sharp
Yankee dodge 10 rob the South for the benefit Of
the manufacturing North
Probably this great meeting marks the he
ginning OF Il revolution in Southern opinion. Far
too long Southern politicians have been labor
Ing by all means, honest or dishonest, 10 destroy
the value Of the principal crops raised by South
crn planters. The prostratOn Of the cotton
Manufacture. by removal Of protective duties,
hurts the mill-hands Of Northern cities. but i'm
mcasurably more the owners Of Southern planta
tons. Between Fall River and Manchester the
cost Of transportation is about the same year
after year, and the lower cotton goes, the greater
the proportionate advantage In favor Of Amer
lean mills to balance the difference in cost of
labor and capital All the outside world will
not use more than about 5,600,000 bales of
American cotton AT the lowest price at which It
10 ol.,o mill.
lection consumed about 2.GOO.OOO bales, and
without Protection must either consume less or
get it at a lower price. The whole history Of
the cotton industry in this country turns upon
the development Of the manufacture by Protec-
ton.
The Louisiana planters have a special neces-
sity. After many years 0f Democratic revenue
duties, the South never produced more than
about 5OO,0OO,OOO pounds Of sugar In nearly
thirty years Of duties on imports imposed for
revenue by Republicans, the production was
never as large. The tariff Of 1890 abolished ,l,I-
ties on raw sugar imported, but gave a direct
bounty equal to the former rcventic duty to the
American producers Of sugar, and the produc-
ton Immediately and very greatly increased
Improved machinery was put in works and
plantations were improved at great cost, and
the producers relying upon the pledge Of the
Nation in the act Of 1890, set themselves with
great energy and courage 10 the task Of making
the country Independent Of the world in sugar
production, as 1t has been made in other indus
tries But now Democratic tariff rcformers.
with the aid Of Democratic Representatives and
Senators from Louisiana. have abolished the
bounty and imposed duty on foreign sugar
which Is only about half the revenue duty
which proved inefficient for so many years
The bounty was not an especial favor to any
state or any set Of men, because the beet growers
OF the West and the maple-sugar producers Of
the North increased their product also as rapidly
as they could in order to get Il larger share Of
the benefit. The offer was open 10 everybody.
California and Kansas. Vermont and Louisiana.
were all free to expand production as best they
could. The abolition Of this policy has taught