The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-05-04

W
Senator McLaurin, OF Mississippi,
delivered his maiden speech on Tues
day. 1t was on the tariff bill, and
Mr.. McLaurin being strong anti
pr0tectioDist and also in favor Of the
income tax, supported his position
with force, ability and the courage of
evidently honest convictions. He
spoke, of course, the sentiments Of
Mississippi and the South.
1t is doubtless true, as he suggests,
that there are Inconsistencies in the
Mckinley act, and that the protected
interest is are in some cases over pro-
tected. Not even the friends of the
Mckinley law claim that the present
tariff is perfection.
For instance, Mr.. McLaurin claims
that the ad valorum duty of As per
cent. on imported cotton machinery
is working detrimentally to the South.
1t protects the manufacturer OF cotton
machinery at the expense Of the man
ufacturcr Of cotton goods and thereby
embarrasses what should be one OF
the chief industries of the Southern
States. To illustrate, he says:
"a friend Of mine, Mr.. A. E. Ran
die, Of Washington city, a manufact-
urer, who does not believe in the cffi-
cacy for good to the country of laws
that unjustly discriminate against
any American citizen, conceived a
plan for the establishment OF a cotton
factory in Mississippi. He issued
bonds for the purchase of the machin-
cry, and had the money to put it in
operation. He went to Massachusetts,
to purchase themachinery, and it was
offered to him for $500 600 cash. He
was unable to purchase the machinery
with the bonds, or with stock in the
enterprise. OF this | have no COM
plaint to make. But he went to Eng
land and was offered the same ma
chinery for 5000 900, for which the
factory company's bonds, and stock
in the enterprise, would be accepted,
without the advancement of a dollar.
BY the operation of the Mckinley bill
Mr.. Randle, an American citlzent was
required to pay 800 coo customs duties,
which he was unable to raise, in addi-
tion to that necessary to raise and
operate the machinery, and he failed
in his effort to establish an indus
try that would have given employ
ment to labor. The duty was As per
cent. and the government received no
y revenue because the tariff was so high
that it prohibited importation. II
the duty had been 10 per cent.-leSs
. than 0ne-fourth of what it waS-the
importer could have raised the
amount; the government would have
received $40 600 Of revenue the coun-
try would have had 5000 900 worth of
property added to its wealth-because
the property would have paid for
itself-and skilled labor would have
found additional employment"
The way out of industrial conflicts
OF this kind, where one interest is
given under preponderance over an
other, would seem to be to reduce the
duty on cotton machinery to a reason
able point and thereby give the cotton
manufacturer a chance. Mr.. McLau-
!, rim is right in regard to this matter.
|, ,, The nearer common plane of justice
= can be reached between conflicting
interests and conflicting sections in
the formulation of the tariff, the bet
ter it will be for the country.
The mistake of the tariff refOrmers
y is in not bravely insisting upon the
duty they were instructed to perform
=, and so adjusting customs duties that
they may meet the revenue require
: ments of the government, instead of
!, ,, threatening a deficit. This can easily
. be done without falling back upon an
' income tax or any other specious leg
islati0n of that sort, which can only
;, result in party disaster, and which Is
:, wholly of sectional origin and Sugges-
tion.