The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-06-30


,,,osr euphatically that - natter who may
,r;,;,.;-a or what criticism my be made,
sI.,}} continue to labor for the welfare OF
south e,ro,ina to the very limits ofmy abih-
~ believe. that il the representatives Of
each Safe would labor earnestly for the ma
ieria! interests oftheir people, the laws on
our statute books would he less sectional and
tar more Just ana equitable.
llr. President, ! would gladly yield the
floor at this point, could l 10 50 and retain
NV seIt-reS2ect, or il the leaoi legree merl;
the continued confidence OF those whoa /
represent. But, SIT, win others have been
charged IN this chamber, and elsewhere
with being recreant 10 the established prlncl-
p!cs Of Democracy, and tha: such action
threatened diScord in the Democratic party.
Much as l love peace and deprecate al! party
d;ssens;ons, cannot permit such imputa-
lions 10 remain unchallcnged. ! have sought
carefully and earnestly 10 inform myself
solv upon this subject, with as.ncere desire
10 be right and act intellieenuy.
FREE RAW MATERIAL 4 HUMEuG.
From all the facts that have been able 10
gather, feel justified in making the aSser-
ton that what is now known as the doctrine
of free raw material has never been an estao-
i;sbed principle Of Democracy. To prove
nv contealion Will appeal to the past re-
cord OF the Democratic party itself. re.
peat that the idea Of placing raw material
on the free list, while the finished product IS
protected By duty. Is not and never has
been principle Of Democracy.
The Walker tariff, which was practically
in force from 1916 TO lS6l. did not provide
for a single article Of free raw material. /
will admit that the rate Of duty on certain
products was very low. but | contend that
the principle Of free raw material was not
recognized in that bill.
uEwrTrs SELFISH SCHEME.
l have examined quite carefully the his
tory Of legislation since the war, especially
the speeches and letters Of the Hon. 5. }.
Tlden. and find no mention OF this "estao-
!ished principle Of Democracy until March
SO. 1882. On that dsy the Hon. a. S. He
witt, then member from New York, intro
duced the following resolution, upon which
he made an extended speech:
s.Resolved, That the bill creating g ta0f
commission be recommi,ted, with instructions
10 the committee on ways and means 10 re-
port within thirty days or an earlier date, Il
i, be practicable. bill based upon the fol
loving instructions:
First. That all raw materials, meaning
thereby all materials which have not been
subjected 10 any process Of manufacture, and
ali waste products, meaning thereby all waste
materials which are only fit to be manufac
tured. and all chemicals which are not pro-
duced in this country and alcohol for use II
manufacture, shall be placed upon the fret
list.
Second That so far as possible specific
duties shall be substituted for ad vslorem
and that in determining such specific duue:
the average dutiable value Of imports during
the last three years shall be taken as tht
standard otvalue, upon which no higher
rate OF duty shall be imposed than shall o'
necessary TO compensate for the difference II
the cost Of labor at home and abroad ex
pended in the production Of such products
after making due allowance for the expenses
of transportation, and that the rate OF duty
shall not in any case, except on luxurles, ex
ceed so per cent Of such average dutlablf
value
The bill under consideration at that tim'
provided for tariff commission. have
examined the debates on this measure a;
carefully as my time would admit, but failec
to discover that this resolution attracted
much attention, or was cordially endorsed BY
Democratic speakers. ,,1r. Hewitt va:
charged by the Republicans with selfish
motives, which the facts in the case appeared
TO confirm.
will quote from speech Of Mr.. Town
send, OF Ohio, upon this subject: "Anc
right here, Mr.. Chairman, let me emphasiz:
what I have said by referring to the resolu'
tons which appear at the opening Of the
speech of the gentleman from New York,
which declare for free raw material This
would include iron ore, and in the course OF
his remarks ne favors the free importation
Of scrap iron He would strike blow at our
native ores, which constitute so large part
Of our mineral productions, and drive out OF
employment our puddlers by the free intro.
duction of scrap iron. The manufacturers
on the seaboard want free foreign ore, be-
cause they need it to mix with the ores OF
New Jersey, and if once they could bring it
in as ballast cheaper than they could get our
Lake Superior ore, the benefit, if any, would
be to manufacturers on the seaboard and
would not result in reduction Of the price
Of iron or steel. II would give an advant-
age 10 those manufacturers at the expense OF
their associates, engaged in the same trade,
further removed from the seabOard.' -
When in addition 10 the above, it is known
that Mr.. Hewitt was large manufacturer
of iron, the charge of selfshnesS appears not
altogether without foundation. examined
the daily press of New York and found
these resolutions mentioned as Hewitt 5
plan, and "Hewitt's idea This led me 10
suspect that the doctrine OF free raw mate
rial originated with Mr.. Hewitt, and that
his motives were somewhat selfish. These
resolutions were up before the New York
Chamber of Commerce on April s, and adopt
ed by the narrow majority Of 353 to %.
4 meeting held at Chickering Hall, New
York, OF April l5, passed resolutions tav-
oring Mr., Hewitt's proposition. The Demo
cratic county committee Of New York soon
after endorsed the resolutions, all Of which
went TO prove that at that time the doctrine
of free raw material had not become an es-
tabished Democratic principle.
Il is not probable that all this trouble
would have been incurred to bring out and
endorse IN Old and well established Demo
cratic principle.
HEWITT ORDER VOTED DOWN.
On May 6, 1882, al the close Of debate or
the bill, Mr.. Hewitt introduced the following
amendment as specific instructions for the
tariff commission:
i. Repeal ofthe duties on raw materials.
,. The proportionate reduction Of the
duties on articles manufactured from raw
materials thus placed on the free list.
;. No duties to exceed 50 per cent except
those on luxuries.
4. No internal revenue duty to be imposed
on alcohol used in manufacturers.
5. Where practicable duties to be made
specific by converting al ya!orem into spe-
elf duties or the basis Of average market
values.
This amendment was rejected on divis-
ion by q vote of ~ 20 SS. II is evident
from this vote that Mr. Hewitt's doctrine
was somewhat Of q stranger among Demo