The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-01-07
SELF DEPENDENCE.
ENTIRELY TOO LITTLE OF II IN THIS
COUNTRY.
Dependence Upon Others One of the
Greatest Drawbacks to Develop
ment and Prosperity-We Enrich
Other Sections at the Expense of
Ourselves When We Could Produce
the Same Articles At Home.
Wilmington Star.J

/ Wilmington Star.I
The South is frequently criticised,
and there is ground ior the criticism,
for buying So many things which
could be made in the South, thus
helping to make other sections richer
and herself poorer to the extent.
Every dollar sent abroad to purchase
things tina, could be made at home is
dollar lost, unless it be instrumental
in bringing other dollars in.
The South is not alone in this re-
speCt, TOR there are other sections
which are also open to this criticism.
The West and very considerable
portion of the Central States are open
to it, some as much SO as the South
and others great deal more so than
they should be, but it should be said
Of both Of these that they are not so
fortunately situated to be self suppliers
Of all they need as the South is, whose
resources and other advantages are
unbounded
But if some sections Of our country
are open to criticism for permitting
themselves to be dependent upon
other sections, SO is our country open
to criticism, and just criticism, for per
mitting itself to be dependent upon
other countries for many things which
we daily consume in large quantities
and which are necessary to our COM
fort. We buy from other countries
annually millions of dollars worth OF
goods, the most of which could be
and should be made at home. There
is not pound of woolen or cotton
goods imported tnat could not be
made in this country as we'll and as
cheaply as they can be furnished to US
by the foreign makers. The reason
they cannot be, is because our manu-
facturers are not satisfied with as
small profits as the foreign manufactu-
rers are.
Ever since the Government was
established We have had tariffs, in
which protection to our manufacturers
was more or less of a feature, and for
the past thirty years we have had tar
ifs in which protection was the dis
tinguishing feature, and yet we are to-
day in shamefully dependent condi
ton, due in a great measure to the
coddling tariffs that induced the man
ufacturers, to depend upon them for
success and not on their own efforts
and resources.
That we have made progress in
manufacturing is true, and that the
tariffs originally devised with a view
to stimulating home manufactures may
have accomplished something in that
way may also be true, but it is also
true that we have not made the prog
ress we should have made and that
notwithstanding the pampering and
our untold resources and our great
"home market" of which the Republi-
can protectionlsts have talked SO much
and SO eloquentiy, we are still supplied
with millions of dollars worth of var
rious articles that come TO US across
three thousand miles of salt water, and
come to us in ships that belong ~
other nations, too.
AS we are dependent upon other
nations for, manufactures for which
we find daily use, SO are we dependent
upon them to carry our food stuffs
and such other commodities as we
send across the seas, fact which
should mantle with shame the
cheek of every true American who re-
members how proudly our flag once
floated on the seas and over some o.
the finest vessels ever, up to those day:
: turned ou, of ship yard. These were
: sacrificed by the stupid and blunderine
r policy inauguarted to "fos,er Ameri
, can manufactures" and were persisted
in for generation, long after the ne
: cessity for that kind of fostering hac
ceased, if it ever existed.
This country should have to day no.
only ships to carry its own commerce
To and fro across the seas, but enough
to do large part Of the carrying o
r the world, as England and German,
r now do, especially England, which i
the common marine carrier for tn
world. Our shippers pay TO owners O
: foreign ships over 500, 900, 900 yea
for The service rendered IN carryin,
n the freIghts shipped, enough 10 bullt
respectable feet Of vessels, ant
] enough in few years 10 build feet
S that no nation could rival, and thel
keep for all time these many million
: among our own people 10 enric
this country instead Of going TO en-
d rich others.
These are both conditions for whlc
: Governmental policies are largely
no, wholly responsible, for until tn
IS time tha, these policies became es,ab
e llshed our manufactures were maxim
= steady and great progress and our mel
chant marine had increased until
J. carried three -fourshs Of our traffic an
our flag was familiar sight in ever
port, now seltom or never seen abroa
is save when flying over one Of OF
7. T. cruisers or yact. No wonder thu
ID foreigners who SO seldom see a
American vessel floating an America
to flag, have contempt for US as a nav;
c. power, and that third and fourth cla
nations threaten TO lombard our citil
ri and punish US when they find fau
with what We may do o. say in regar
S. to them. And this is the penalty y
pay and the humiliation that We al
he subjected to, no, through any fault (
the American people as whole, b.